How, and to what effect, have strong females been depicted in two or three works

you have studied?

Elizabeth Bennett is an opinionated character that struggles against

conventions regarding gender and marriage, demonstrating strength of mind through
her convictions. Tess Durbeyfield, however, described by many as insipid and
passive, possesses a much more internally gauged strength as shown by her endurance
throughout the novel, with several instances of pure strength of emotion. Austen and
Hardy both feature strong females as the protagonists of their Victorian novels, “Pride
and Prejudice” and “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” respectively, using both their contexts,
Elizabeth’s individual characteristics and Tess’ behaviour in various situations to
distinguish them from their peers in order to highlight the flaws with their societal
conventions.

The context of “Pride and Prejudice” focuses on the gentry at the time and
the central issue of financial security and the law of entailment; Elizabeth’s candour
about the repugnance of marrying for economic reasons within her family’s urgency
in finding an heir highlights her strength to go against a seemingly rigid society.
Despite being besieged with her mother’s express wish to marry her daughters off to
“a single man of large fortune”, Elizabeth holds fast to her desire to marry for love
and respect, demonstrating strength of will. This depiction of Elizabeth contrasts
greatly with the frivolity of her younger sisters and mother as they swoon at
superficial qualities such as a soldier’s uniform and a fortune of “four thousand to five
thousand a year”, further emphasizing the strength required for Elizabeth to remain
steadfast in her environment. The law of entailment, which involves the restriction of
property by limiting inheritance, Mr. Bennett’s daughters would only inherit the land
if there were no male heir, or else be divided equally among all five, resulting in a
broken estate of little value. Within this pressing context, of which Elizabeth was
well-aware “having something more than a quickness”, to stay convinced of her core
values throughout the novel showed that Elizabeth had great resolve, one of her
defining traits as a strong female. Austen’s depiction of this virtue emphasized the
failings of the Victorian concept of marriage as a business deal as well as the struggle
caused by the patriarchy.

Set within the late nineteenth century as industrialization is gaining speed,

Tess serves as a symbol of nature and is shown to labour on, existing within the
aggression of technology and development; Tess simultaneously bears the
consequences of Victorian prudery and religious morality as tragedies happen to her,
displaying great emotional endurance and implied strength of character. Throughout
the novel, Tess is seen as one with nature, frequently described as in sync with her
surroundings as well as having animalistic qualities. Tess’ confidence decreases as
she draws further away from lush greenery, and man-made structures are portrayed
antagonistically as having a “severe look” and as “a strange feeler stretching across
the countryside”, victimizing Tess – and subsequently Hardy’s natural environment –
in light of the invasiveness of modernity and showing her strength for surviving.
Despite being her source of solace, Angel Clare embodies Victorian characteristics of
double standards and inconsistent morality in a society that both condemned
undignified behaviour but entertained prostitution. His indiscretions in London are
forgiven while he spurns Tess for similar actions as per the taboo of an impure
woman at the time. As she spirals into a series of misfortune, Hardy uses her to
highlight the injustice of gender roles and her perseverance is a sign of internal
strength. Like Austen, Hardy weaves the context of the novel into the main plot, using
it to emphasize the difficulties that Tess and other women would have faced at the
time, and the strength that it required to press on.
Austen portrays Elizabetπh as possessing more masculine traits, lacking in
traditional talents with a tendency to be outspoken about her judgments, cutting a bold
figure amongst other females at the time. What the reader perceives of Elizabeth bears
striking similarity to the description of Mr. Bennett as “a mixture of quick parts,
sarcastic humour, reserve and caprice”, establishing her uncharacteristic inclination
towards a more “male” personality. This sensibility and sharpness lends to her pride
being hurt when Darcy dubs her “tolerable, but not handsome enough [to tempt him]”.
This embarrassment fuels Elizabeth’s ire as she deigns “never to dance with him”,
taking a stand for her dignity and doing so in an incisive, headstrong manner. This
contrasts with Tess who goes along with her mother’s wishes much more agreeably,
and who rarely voices displeasure. Elizabeth also shows disregard for popular opinion
by acting exactly as she pleases, even against Victorian standards of ladylike
behaviour. When going to see Jane, she opts to walk, arriving at the house with
“weary ankles, dirty socks and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise”. Austen
portrays Elizabeth as indifferent to the constraints of society and in doing so shows
her self-assuredness and strength as a character while ridiculing the silliness of the
standards of femininity that were upheld at the time.

Unlike Elizabeth, Tess’ strength is less easily seen in terms of her character;
Hardy exemplifies it in her perseverance and resilience in various situations
throughout her temporal life instead. In spite of atrocities such as rape, the death of
her baby and continued misfortune, Tess “[lived] through such humiliations and
[regained] her spirit”. The need to survive is less prevalent in “Pride and Prejudice”
due to the discrepancy between the gentry and the commoners, and as such it could be
said that without the severity of external events, it was only fitting that Austen put
emphasis on Elizabeth’s individual character rather than in the larger scheme of
things. After each debacle, Tess uncharacteristically shows bursts of strength and
emotion, beginning with her accusation of her mother for “not warning her of the
danger of men” after her encounter with Alec and culminating in her murder of him in
the climax of the novel. Hardy’s depiction of Tess’ journeys also emphasizes her
knack for literally and figuratively moving on from tragedy. After accidentally killing
the family horse, Tess accepts the burden of family responsibility and goes to
Trantridge seeking work, agreeing even after Alec harasses her, an explicit
foreshadowing of his later role, showing selflessness and courage. Hardy’s portrayal
of her solace in the idyllic Talbothay’s again shows her ability to rebuild her
happiness – if only for a while. This recuperation after being raped showed great
strength of spirit. Lastly, after Angel Clare leaves her for Brazil, perhaps at her lowest
point, Tess still finds it in herself to journey to Flintcomb-Ash in search of work,
staying on even after being faced with a man who accosted her and several people
from her unpleasant time at Trantridge. Tess shows determination to survive as well
as a capacity to accept things as they are and push on, and in doing so is shown by
Hardy to be a strong female as well as a means by which to highlight the
consequences of society’s misgivings.

“Pride and Prejudice” and “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” both use the context of
Victorian society in order to contrast and emphasize their main character’s defining
traits – Elizabeth’s boldness and Tess’ resilience. However, Austen establishes
Elizabeth’s strength with examples of individuality whereas Hardy focuses on a more
abstract strength in light of more treacherous obstacles. Together, they garner
sympathy, admiration and inspiration, and bring to light common failings of both
authors’ respective societies.