Throughout history, novelists have always written about subjects that stir up the inner most passions and emotions of their readers. Subjects that captivate dreams and imaginations in ways nothing else can. Notable authors of the 1800’s came up with some of the most controversial tales for their time, for it was the Victorian age; a time of new and strong ideas fastened by the views of the church. For some of the most influential authors, this was a time when their text was taken beyond the story and out of context, stirring up some fiery emotions within the crowds. For Thomas Hardy, the author of Tess of the d’Urbervilles, this was definitely the case. His story of an innocent woman, tortured by the ideas of the church and the upper-class man, as well as the discussion of rape, was unthinkable to the Victorian reader. Hardy displayed Tess Durbeyfield as a victim of the times, “…Hardy was able half to suggest that Tess was more a passive victim of male aggression and idealization than an active participant in her own disastrous fate” (Brady 106). Writers of this time also captivated their readers imagination by taking them into tales only found in their wildest dreams. Robert Louis Stevenson captured his reader’s attention and drew their interest, but by using a different method compared to Hardy. In his classic novel Treasure Island, he tells of a tale of piracy, death and trickery, creating a story that would influence writers for years to come. It was his first full-length work of fiction, for which he became best-known; “In the 1800’s, despite his continuing poor health, Stevenson wrote many of his best-known works, Including Treasure Island” (“Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson.”). Although there is a difference in direct content of their stories, Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson display comparable lessons and themes in mistakes impacting the future, the display and loss of innocence due to a tragic or sudden event, and appearance vs. reality.
Throughout the history of man, mistakes have always had an impact on the future. In most cases, the fallout from these mistakes are negative, causing hardships and irreversible happenings. These types of situations can be found in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, where they mostly revolve around Tess, and her misfortune. Shortly after the beginning of the novel, Tess committed her first mistake when she took responsibility for her drunken father, Jack Durbeyfield. She made the mistake of delivering bee hives for him with the horse, even though she was unable to drive. On the trip, Tess falls asleep and collides with an on-coming buggy, killing Prince, the family horse. Due to the accident, Tess feels obligated to go to the d’Urberville mansion, starting her years of future trouble, and her connection to Alec d’Urberville; “Well, I killed the horse, Mother…I suppose I ought to do something” (Hardy 47). Later in the novel, Tess commits her second mistake through falling in love with a man named Angel Clare, an upper-class man apprenticing at Talbothay’s dairy. After having Alec’s child, Tess felt she could never get married, nor love another man; but after Angel’s persistence to pursue their love through marriage, Tess gives in and goes against her beliefs. This was a big mistake in judgment for Tess, as she puts aside her inner unrest. From the very start of their marriage, they were burdened with ill omen, as a cock crowed three times as they exited the marriage hall in the afternoon, bringing in the biblical reference of betrayal. Their quick marriage ultimately lead to a tragic collapse in the very near future, due to hidden secrets of Tess’s past with Alec. Tess’s third mistake, and the one that had the largest impact over her future, or the future she could have had, was the murder of Alec d’Urberville. This is what lead her to her ultimate demise; the very act that she felt was her escape from earthly suffering, and the only way to break the wall between her and Angel. Due to this mistake, Tess was wanted for murder and her life lasted not long after, as justice must be served.
Mistakes can also be seen impacting the future in the novel Treasure Island. In the case of this novel, Jim Hawkins is a young man torn from his peaceful life as an inn-keeper and brought out to sea with treasure hungry mutineers. It was his first mistake that got him into that chaos; taking the map from Captain Billy Bones’ chest. This made him the one with the key to dreamed of riches, and the target for other mutineers, as expressed by Dr. Livesey, “We are not the only men who know of this paper” (Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island, 40). After Jim is sucked into this treasure hunting adventure, he commits his second mistake just before they set sail. Just as Tess failed to reveal her secret before her marriage, Jim fails to express his concern about the sea cook, who he believed portrayed a striking resemblance to the one-legged buccaneer the captain had previously warned about. Thinking he knew better than his instincts, Jim kept silent, letting all of the honest crew set out to sea with a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates. Once on the island, Jim and his honest men sought out a stronghold for defense against the mutineers. This is when he commits his third mistake, leaving his men alone, and seeking Ben Gunn’s boat. Ben Gunn was a man found deserted on the island upon arrival, and Jim felt it necessary to find the boat he had made to cut their ship, the Hispaniola, loose. While Jim was gone, his men were left weak in their defense, and were ambushed by the mutineers. Jim, upon return, could see where his short expedition had got him. He was surrounded by dangers, and ashamed to look his men in the face.
Tragic or sudden events can often change a person’s life quiet drastically. In the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Tess displays innocence in her times before her many entanglements, but as the novel moves on, a tragic or sudden event brings about a loss of this innocence. Her innocence can be looked at from two perspectives, the physical perspective, as in her purity and virginity, but also an emotional and mental aspect, as in her innocence to experience and life’s troublesome manipulative ways. Unfolding from her first mistake, the death of Prince bring about Tess’s first loss of innocence. It becomes Tess’s first major experience with loss of life. She felt a sense of harm that for the first time, she had committed. The sorrow she felt over the matter drowned her in guilt, and stripped her of emotional innocence; once so free of any tragedy by her own doing, she was all of the sudden burdened with the death of the family horse. As Tess was sent to work off the loss of Prince, she encounters her first loss of innocence in a physical sense. When out near midnight returning to Trantridge from a nearby town, Alec offered Tess a ride home. When they take a break in the chase, Alec takes advantage of Tess and rapes her. This is a major turning point for Tess, for she is no longer innocent in terms of virginity. She becomes burdened with a child which forces her to grow up, and the unaccommodating townspeople force her to remain hidden to avoid harassment. Tess realizes how she was used, and questions her mother, Joan Durbeyfield, why she was never warned, “why didn’t you tell me there was danger in men folk? Why didn’t you warn me?” (Hardy 98). After years of anguish laid on Tess, she was driven to commit a crime that would rob her of any innocence she had to crimes of her own intentional doing. Tess decides to murder Alec d’Urberville, as she felt it to be the only release from her sufferings, and a cure for her and Angel. However it is through this action that Tess took the step to sin by her own will, losing the innocence she once had when she was sinned upon before. As a result, she lost her own innocence, as well as the innocence she had with society and the law; for she was now seen as a murderer.
Tragic or sudden events can also be seen leading to the loss of innocence in the novel treasure Island. Before Jim Hawkins even leaves for his hunt at sea, he is struck by the death of his father. It was the first death le had ever known, and due to the fact it was his own beloved father, he lost the innocence one has when they are a ignorant to the concept of death. This sudden tragedy hit Jim hard, and he was unable to think of anything else for some time. He was no longer afraid; “My poor father died quite suddenly, which put all other matters on one side” (Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island, 17). Just as in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, there can be seen a loss of innocence in these two characters, both resulting from their first death known. In both cases the character felt remorse, and something was lost in them that could never be replenished. After the tragic death of his father, Jim is quickly thrown aboard the great Hispaniola, the ship on which they would seek treasure with the Squire John Trelawney’s newly acquired crew. This sudden event forced Jim to lose the innocence he once had as a home-town boy. The great treasure hunt in which he was about to embark on was his first experience away from home, which surely brought on much more fear of the unknown world he had yet to experience. For Jim, this innocence to worldly experience was about to end, and he would have to adapt in order to survive. Their treasure hunting adventure suddenly came to a fork in the road when the mutineers turned on Jim and the rest of the honest crew. When Jim found himself alone aboard with one of these men, he believes his wits will get him out to safety. However, when Jim sees this man take out a knife, he knew there would only be one of them getting off alive. After constant betrayal and blood thirst from these mutineers, Jim was not feeling too sparing, and when the mutineer threw the knife at him, pinning his shoulder, he shot the pirate with his pistol, sending his lifeless body overboard into the blue sea. Just like Tess in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jim takes the life of another, which resulted from a sudden outburst of emotion, and tragic history. For Jim, once a law biding citizen who would never do wrong, this was a major loss of innocence, for like Tess, It was the first time he had committed such a crime out of his own will.
Life can be full of false appearances. One must always keep in the back of their mind the chance of a very different reality emerging; one which was never, or could never have been expected. In the novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, appearance is often very different from reality. This can be seen starting from the beginning of the novel, as Tess’s mother, Joan Durbeyfield appears to be a generous caring mother. Tess always observes her working terribly hard for her family, and due to her husband Jack’s addiction to the bottle, she was seen as the major care taker and role model to the children, besides the obvious attention they showed towards Tess. However, Joan’s character, like many people struck with financial hardships, is quickly turned towards jealous and selfish like behavior when confronted with the idea of potential riches. Joan, upon hearing of the news from Trantridge, turns into a selfish, neglecting, and potentially dangerous mother. She carelessly sends Tess of to claim kin, not warning her of the potentially life altering outcome. When Tess returned pregnant, Joan says one of the most unimaginable statements imaginable, “Why didn’t ye think of doing some good for your family instead o’thinking only of yourself” (Hardy 97); truly showing the reality of her character, and her selfish worries. Another appearance seemingly full of potential was the whole idea around the job in Trantridge. The opportunity for Tess to go work for Alec seemed like her chance to help her family move up in life. Alec himself even seemed like a kind and generous man, giving her the job, and offering out any help to her family. Soon after this kind invite, Tess began to see what Alec was truly after; a woman, to simply satisfy his sexual urges. Starting out as a kind man at first appearance, Alec quickly turned into Tess’s worst nightmare, raping her, and burdening her with a child to raise all on her own thus beginning her life of troubles. When Tess finally met Angel, he is seen as a final relief; a way to ease her suffering. He was Tess’s first true love, the one that Tess would risk it all for, trusting herself to him in all aspects. Shortly after their marriage, Angel seemingly loses his senses, and becomes just another man out for the idealistic pure woman. Upon Tess’s revealing of her past, Angel abandons her, and moves to Brazil, leaving her once again to fend for herself. To Tess, this was a life ruining state of affairs which drove her to give up on all of society and herself.
Appearance is also very different from reality in the novel Treasure Island. However, unlike in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, the reality is not always completely destructive or disastrous, but instead starts new adventures. Starting from the beginning of the novel, Captain Billy Bones just seemed like another rum-soaked buccaneer with only the self illusion of valuable knowledge. He looked as if he was a man gone senile with no value to his words. However, upon arrival, he carried into the inn with him a chest which was shrouded in mysterious potential. After the poor captain’s death, his chest was opened disclosing a map which held the key to countless riches. Captain Bill surely knew more than he revealed, or what others thought of him. The valuable reality behind this seemingly unimportant Captain greatly influenced the novel and brought about the realization that had he survived, he would have had much more to offer. Before they all left to sea on the great Hispaniola, John Trelawney, the squire, believed to have set up a good crew, including a cook named John Silver. Jim and Dr. Livesey felt safe and settled in the squires confidence, as he told them he had put together the finest crew in England. For Jim, a trustworthy crew came as a great opportunity, but as Trantridge was for Tess in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, it was only in false appearance, overall too good to be true. Just as Tess learned the reality of Alec when it was too late, Jim learned the true character of the crew out at sea. The reality of his situation was that these men wanted the treasure, and if it took trickery and piracy to get it, then that’s what they would do. When Jim first meets Benn Gunn, he appeared to be a man who could only offer geographical help on the island. He seems to be a man faded to instincts and insanity after being stranded for a long three years. However, Ben turned out to be a bigger help than expected when the mutineers went to dig up the treasure, and it was apparently gone. It was Ben who notifies Jim of its location as he used his time while stranded to relocate the treasure. This put Jim and the honest men at the upper hand, now having control over the treasure; “…Ben Gunn, the half-idiot maroon, was the hero from beginning to end” (Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island, 214). Benn Gunn comes out as a final character in the novel dedicated to justice, first appearing as an unfortunate cast-away, then turning into the key to their chased success.
Thomas Hardy and Robert Louis Stevenson are both astounding writers who cleverly incorporated captivating themes into their novels. Hardy’s daring style in Tess of the d’Urbervilles to challenge society and the church brought through the harsh reality about the treatment of women. The strong lessons and morals displayed throughout the novel have the power to impact the reader, and its story has proven itself a classic, making Hardy of the most notable British authors. Through Treasure Island, Stevenson, although on a less controversial note, has also created a classic. It is seen to be one of the most adventurous novels of the 1800’s, packed with tales of betrayal, piracy, death and riches. In fact, it was unique in the idea that through all of the tale, there is no obvious emphasis on teaching morals. Morals or not, Treasure Island has influenced countless novels, as well as provided the base for many stories and films created thereafter. Though the content and general mood of their stories are different, Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Treasure Island display quite comparable lessons and themes which were essential to the novels. Past mistakes were most definitely seen impacting the future, especially for the two novel’s main characters, Tess and Jim. They remind society that for every action there is a reaction. There can also be seen a display and loss of innocence in these two characters, that was brought about by a sudden or tragic event, ultimately changing who they would be forever. Appearance vs. reality also proved to be a common theme; one in which brought the stories to a higher level of suspense, and gave the reader a deeper look into the true characters. The deep passions seen in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and the adventurous tales of Treasure Island will surely continue to influence both readers and writers to come. Not only do they tell fascinating tales, but they bring the reader back in time to experience life in another’s shoes, far more difficult than the experiences of today.
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