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The story of Tess relates the tragic life of a pure woman beset by hardships, suffering, and abuse. The book’s heroine, Tess, is born into a poor peasant family, victims of the economic recession that hit Europe in the 1870s, known as the Long Depression. Tess's father stumbles upon the knowledge that he may be a descendant of the noble d'Urberville family. He sends Tess to these wealthy relatives in order to stake a claim that they are of the same family thereby overcome their current economic misfortune. Tess gains employment on the d'Urberville estate, but the lascivious d’Urberville son, Alec, forces himself on her and rapes her. From this point, the real tragedy begins.
