TESS OF DURBEYFIELD AND ABSURDITY OF LIFE: AN EXISTENTIALIST LENS

Abstract

The present article attempts to study Thomas Hardy’s Character Tess of Durbeyfield through the lens of Sartre’s Existentialism as discussed in his most popular book Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology . This paper makes an effort to throw light on the treatment of Tess of Durbeyfield by her parents, men and society. To begin with, starter’s views are delineated and then the loss of connection between external and internal connection due to too much interference from external sources in the life of Tess of Durbeyfield. She remains in constant frustration and struggles in her life to fight the absurdity and meaninglessness in her life. she was able to understand the causes of her failure in her efforts at achieving harmony between external and internal self, therefore, she finally decides and chooses to suffer from pain and inward torment rather than taking refuge in the false self that is you are too weak ever to leave and chisel self respect and identity in this world of so called social constructs.