Comparison between the presentation of class: Tess X Bovary

Class in Madame Bovary is approached in a very different manner than in Tess of D’Urbervilles. From the start it can be seen that for Emma Bovary having a high position in social hierarchy was of utmost importance, while Tess couldn’t care less about it and had no problem living and working in a farm. This also relates to the conflicting personalities of Emma, who is a gold-digging, material woman, and Tess, who is presented as virtuous and pure, who’s only vice seems to be loving Angel.

In Madame Bovary, Emma does all sorts of schemes and machinations in order to try and rise in social position. In the beginning she marries a doctor, and thinks she might rise in position with him. When she sees that is not going to happen it is clear that her ties with Charles are purely for interest as she is unable to love him. Emma then tries to rise in social position by engaging in an affair with Rodolphe, a noble. Although they have an affair she also perceives that the romance won’t be enough to make him marry her and thus rise in position. Emma then tries a different approach by trying to urge his husband to improve their life, Charles is lazy and unmotivated and thus fails to do so. As these failures occur, Emma tries at least to act as if she were higher up in social hierarchy and starts spending a lot of money, which makes her commit suicide in the end.

In Tess, social class is presented from a very different perspective than that of Madame Bovary. Although Thomas Hardy makes this one of the main issues and present throughout most, or even the whole story, differently than Emma, the main character, Tess, does not desire or try to achieve a higher position in social class, in fact she shuns that idea from the beginning by affirming that her mother, who was also beautiful was unable to marry someone nobler and thus so will she. The pursuit for a higher social position is made not by the main character but instead by John of D’Urbervilles, Tess’ father, and even when Alec gives Tess the opportunity to rise in class she turns it down.

There is also a difference in how people from higher classes are portrayed in both novels. While Madame Bovary shows the more glamorous side of the nobility and higher classes, with its dances, theaters and goods such as Algerian scarves. Tess of D’Urbervilles shows the wicked part of the higher classes, examples of this is Tess’ rape and how Alec’s mother treated her subjects and animals.