Male Gaze in Hardy’sTess of the D’Urbervilles

Abstract

Tess, the protagonist of Thomas Hardy'sTess of the D'Urbervilles,falls prey to the male gaze of the patriarchal Victorian Society despite her efforts to gain agency and be active. Hardy's emphasis on the portrayal of Tess as a seductive enchantress and her rendering in terms of her sensual qualities reduce her to an object for the gratification of male gaze.