Some of the most readable and critically acclaimed social commentaries in the English language, such as Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, employ a fascinating protagonist and numerous sarcastic intrusions. Likewise Thomas Hardy produces a beautiful novel in Tess of the d'Urbervilles for its intriguing characterization and its willingness to enter the story. Although Hardy's intrusions add to the story, his attempts to portray Tess as an entirely admirable character fail; instead she is a normal person - sometimes admirable, sometimes not - and that is why she is so pitiful. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Of course, Tess is a nice and admirable person at some points in the book. For example, when Tess realizes that Angel only loves a false image of her, she refuses to try to win him back even though it is within her power. As Jean Jacques Rousseau said, «Only when the voice of duty replaces the physical impulse» does man find himself «ennobled» and «elevated»; Tess is an extraordinarily noble and admirable person in this moment because most readers recognize that they would not be able to resist the same temptation. The "many effective arrangements" she could have used to trap him were "left untouched" because Tess knew she could never be what he wanted. Tess also often displays her integrity, and her complete lack of hypocrisy makes her ethics seem even more noble. Although Hardy constantly tries to make Tess into a perfect heroine, her many character flaws diminish her from her admirable status. Tess's need to blame herself for everything becomes increasingly annoying, as this guilt often only harms herself and her family. By the end of the book, his complete dependence on Angel is also frustrating; she is willing to kill herself without him even if he is no better man than she is a woman. While some might argue that this just shows her natural and admirable passion, Tess needs to value herself more. She is too submissive in everything, especially when it comes to her "crime". Tess allows others' opinions of her to force her to retreat from society rather than realize that being seduced is not her fault. He questions the fairness of social laws that prevail over natural laws, but never stands up for what he believes. She's incredibly annoying in Phase Four of the book, when she vacillates between marrying and not marrying Angel, telling him and not telling him about her past. While this indecisiveness may be meant to show his inner confusion, his attempts to be better than her are infuriating. However, Tess is generally an admirable and certainly pitiful character. Because the reader is completely exposed to Tess's inner thoughts, they can see all of her flaws. Despite her flaws, however, her honest efforts to do what she feels best and her selflessness make her an undoubtedly admirable character. He is absolutely a pitiful character; knowing that Tess strives to do the right thing, it seems terrible that she should suffer because of the people around her. While his actions are partly to blame, he committed them with the best of intentions, which only adds to his likability. Everyone knows that things like family, chance, and social law limit our agency, and we feel a lot of pity for Tess, who tries as hard as she can but still can't escape the influences that shape her. Hardy's intrusions provide the final reason for readers' sympathy for Tess. For Tess dei..