Tess of the DUbervilles is Thomas Hardys 1886 novel about a young girl, Tess Durbeyfield, who is sent out into the world to make her way in a world not likely to be kind to her. Tess is a beautiful, independent, and spirited young woman who is born into a poor family. She is handled ungraciously by fate when, despite her pure heart, she runs into a set of unfortunate circumstances that ultimately cause her downfall. As Tess struggles to survive and make her way in life, she endures mistreatment and betrayal some of which is caused by her own actions. The novel follows Tess on her rocky journey of loss and gain, ultimately examining the consequences of female empowerment in a society which serves to repress it. Tess of the DUbervilles is highly acclaimed for its powerful and detailed description of nature, its sensitively drawn characters, and its dramatic prose. Hardy explores the complex issues of poverty, religion, class, and gender in Tesss story and his exploration of these issues was revolutionary for the 19th century.