Considered one of the most important novels of Englishiterature, Tess of the d'Urbervilles is the portrayal of a "fallen woman" who, despite being condemned to aifetime of tragedy, remains pure and unsullied until the end. Through the endearing figure of Tess, Thomas Hardy attacks prevailing standards of Victorian morality and warns against the advent of a destructive modernity. Published in 1891, the novel faced great outrage in many quarters, but continues to remain one of the most significant works of Hardy's remarkable career.