Tess of the D’urbervilles-Summary of Part ITess of the D’urbervilles-Summary of Part ITess of the d’UrbervillesChapter IThe scene begins with a middle-aged peddler, named John Durbeyfield. Making his way home, the man encounters Parson Tringham, who claims to have studied history. The Parson tells Durbeyfield that he is of noble lineage, the d’Urberville family, and his family has prospered for many generations until recently. Tringham tells his him however that this heritage comes from such a long period of time ago that it is worthless. At this the seemingly drunk man sits near a road and beckons a young boy to fetch him a horse and carriage to take him home in his newly liberated state.
Chapter IITess, the eldest daughter of the Durbeyfield family, has accompanied the other women in the village, young and old, to celebrate May Day. All of the women are clothed in white, but not the same shade of white, as noticed by the narrator. They all hold white flowers in one hand and a white wand made from oak in the other. This celebration commemorates the coming of spring, and all the women enjoy it, as it seems, because it allows them to forget their insignificant role in society. In the middle of the procession, John Durbeyfield rides along in his carriage, making quite a spectacle. Tess is embarrassed, and three very attractive (and obviously rich) brothers walk in. Only one of them, the youngest stays to dance, while his brothers continue their journey. All the women are anxious to be picked to dance by him, for all dream of a better life as the wife of a gentleman. Tess is chosen to dance with the young man, and before they can even exchange their names, the boy runs off to catch up with his siblings.
Chapter IIIUpon Tess’ arrival home after the festivities, her mother, Joan confronts her with two important pieces of news. She relates that their family has been found to be of noble blood, and that John has been diagnosed with a heart condition. Tess sees the Compleat Fortune-Teller, a book full of superstitions that her mother follows for guidance. Mr. Durbeyfield is not home, but rather at Rolliver’s, the local inn and drinking hole, celebrating the news of his new “wealth”. Obviously, the man spends a many hours there, and it is no surprise that he has not returned home. Joan, leaving Tess to tend her 5 siblings, leaves to fetch her husband. Mrs. Durbeyfield, however enjoys sitting along with her husband because it is the only time they can spend in each other’s company alone. After no one returns, Tess sends her brother Abraham to get her parents, and when he doesn’t return, she goes herself.
Chapter IVUpon arriving at the inn, young Abraham, hears his mother and father discussing their plans for Tess. They intend to send her to a rich Mrs. d’Urberville a couple of towns away so that she may be able to claim kin and reinitiate her family to its previous wealth. Tess then arrives at the alehouse, and realizes that her father will be too drunk to take his beehives to the market the following day. He says that it is not so and just needs a couple of hours of rest, but already it is 11 o’clock, and to get to the market he would need to leave at about 2. As expected, Joan wakes Tess early, telling her that her father simply cannot make the journey. The girl objects to having to go, but is convinced when her mother allows Abraham to accompany her. After setting off for the market, the siblings have an early meal in the carriage and begin to discuss their parent’s plans for Tess. The conversation turns to stars, and Abraham asks his sister whether or not there are worlds like ours in those stars. She agrees, but says they must be better then theirs and the world their family lives on is the cause of financial difficulty.
Abraham falls asleep shortly after, and not having anything to tend to (Tess assumes Prince, the horse, cannot move fast enough to cause injury), follows suit. Tess dreams of a charming man of nobility, who begins to grimace and laugh at her poverty. The two suddenly wake to find that a mail cart has collided with Prince, and has fatally wounded him. The mail carrier says that the horse was driving on the wrong side of the road, and drives off promising to send help. Tess, overridden with guilt, imagines the surrounding foliage turning white and pale, just as her skin does. The mail carrier sticks to his word, and a local farmer assists the children in transporting the beehives to the market. Tess and her brother return home, and with the help of the farmer, the body of Prince is hauled to the Durbeyfield home. Mr. Durbeyfield refuses to sell the horse’s carcass for meager pittance, and works in one day harder to bury Prince then he has worked all
Tiffany is surprised at how things turn out, and is able to save a small child’s life. On the way Home, her husband becomes involved with a wealthy man, who has also been implicated in a mob that has brought Prince to prison. He turns to a doctor, who has been trained as a psychiatrist. Though she is shocked, she quickly learns that he has little interest in her but accepts the diagnosis as a part of his therapy.
In “Hanker’s Law”, Dr. Tiffany describes the behavior of some of the children who were abused by their mother. Dr. Tiffany states, “There is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ child in the first place.” This, she says, is one of the common mistakes children make that can lead to child abuse. In the next episode, Tiffany and her husband come home from work and are met by her mother. The conversation is interrupted by the two of them talking in the kitchen, and Mr. Durbeyfield reveals to them that a girl had been sexually abused by her own sister when the girl was eight years old. Dr. Durbeyfield and his wife have decided to move to a more secure location, which provides them a chance to live their peaceful, well-adjusted lives without worrying about other kids. The family leaves for the evening, where they discover that the boy and Miss Taffy have been kidnapped, and Dr. Tiffany has spent her days living with a stranger. The stranger, who does not allow her privacy, reveals that “she has her own son,” suggesting that he had grown up under a very harsh environment. Miss Taffy’s mother is not present. The family soon takes an official tour of their home. A picture of themselves, including a large sign with the inscription, “Rent to Her Own”, is set up (in their backyard). They are met with the greeting of Mrs. Durbeyfield, who looks very much like Mrs. Durbeyfield. They take home the sign and the letters, including those that have been recently deleted. The house is well maintained, with many signs, including the family’s own words on a whiteboard in their room.
A large billboard with a letter addressed to the D.A.’s office is constructed outside the house. In contrast to Tiffany and her husband, Mrs. Durbeyfield is quite shy and friendly. Mr. Durbeyfield tells her that he has always believed her, and tries to make her feel at ease whenever he sees her. He encourages her to visit the D.A.’s office, but she can tell that the home is the most secure location that she is allowed. Tiffany goes there, in the name of the home — “Miss Durbeyfield and her brother.” Tiffany makes a promise with her mom to leave for a visit, but Taffy refuses. The family decides to return to their house, and they leave the house as soon as possible.
After leaving, Mrs. Durbeyfield visits the D.A.’s office. During the visit, Miss Taffy, who is visiting her, notices a picture of her son sitting at the desk, and tells him she loves him. Mrs. Durbeyfield goes to see where the money is going. The home is well maintained, with many signs, including one with letters. The house is well maintained, with many signs, including the letter and the picture and her mother’s address (which is in the back left corner of the home). They find the letter in all of the signs on the home, and decide to take her there (not her own). Miss