Hardy presents Alec as having ‘the touches of barbarism in his contours’. The noun ‘barbarism’ can
be said to define the character and function of Alec within the novel as Alec initiates the cruelty that
Tess will inevitably face. This description also aligns with the Victorian belief that a person’s true
character can be revealed by their physiognomy – features in the face. Hardy could have been
influenced by this belief as it is true that Alec has elements of a barbaric nature. This is shown
through his overbearing stature, and manipulative actions. An example of this being that Alec
‘insisted’ that Tess let him feed her a strawberry to which Tess ‘in a slight distress’ hesitantly
accepted. This tells the reader that Alec is very forceful and makes Tess uncomfortable and uneasy.
Though this instance may not be seen as barbaric, Alec’s manipulative nature resurfaces later in the
novel when Alec essentially rapes Tess. The consequence of this act of cruelty highlights how
uncivilised and barbaric Alec is as he is unable to see his wrongdoing and feels no shame for his
actions.
Hardy also presents Alec as having ‘badly moulded’ lips, whilst Tess has a ‘mobile peony mouth’. This
could connote that Tess is a pure and true D’Urbervilles whilst, Alec is an imitation of the ancient
family. His ‘badly moulded’ lips could be an attempt to imitate the true D’Urberville features which,
he executed badly. Even though he is a fake D’Urberville, Alec acts privileged and is impertinent to
Tess. Alec uses his social class as an excuse for acting in such barbaric ways as he views himself to
above everyone else because of his fortune. This further illustrates that Alec is an uncivilised and
barbaric character.
Hardy uses the strawberry as evidence of Alec’s barbaric nature. For instance, the strawberry
foreshadows the uninvited sexual encounter at the end of phase the first. Hardy foreshadows this
event as it shows the extent that Alec is forceful and insistent. Tess, ‘in a slight distress’, parted her
lips to be fed a strawberry by Alec whose insistence put Tess under duress. This forceful behaviour is
repeated as the narrator states that ‘he was inexorable’ and then ‘gave her the kiss of mastery’
without her consent three chapters later. This clearly aligns with the rape scene later in the novel as
Tess doesn’t actively participate in any of Alec’s actions. The strawberry foreshadows all of the
following event as it illustrates Alec’s self-determination and dominance that will ultimately lead to a
spiteful event that changes Tess’s future. In this way, Hardy prepares the readers for future events
as we aren’t surprised by Alec’s actions – however barbaric. After the strawberry incident, Alec
guides Tess around the gardens and attempts to give her flowers; ‘she obeyed, like one in a dream’,
showing that Tess isn’t in the right mind to consent. She is ‘half hypnotized’ by Alec and this puts
Alec further in a position of dominance which he exploits in the uninvited sexual encounter later on.
The strawberry is then a symbol of Alec’s exploitation of power as well as, his barbaric nature.
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