Redemption

Everyone deserves forgiveness and redemption. If we were perfect, there would be no need for apologies, but we are not, so we need second chances... and third and fourth and fifth chances because after all, we are human beings. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Hardy shows the importance of this when Tess is raped, but Angel still loves her and returns for her after they are wed. Her child never receives this redemption from the church, and dies as a baby with no baptism or proper burial. The child is so innocent and pure, yet because of the faults of others, he cannot be accepted by the church. Tess on the other hand is forgiven for her sin which also took her purity away. She did pay her consequences however after telling her husband. He left her for a while, even though he had done the same thing, but he is a man, so he has no virtue to stand by. He realizes she is not in the wrong but cannot just ignore the problem. Redemption is something everyone needs because our imperfections make us human, and we cannot change that.