This is kind of an opinion question that can be argued
either way. So, I will give you my opinion. When I was a young person and read this
novel, I disliked Angel intensely, believing him to be very unworthy of Tess' love and
sacrifice. I found him to be an immature idealist that did not appreciate how much Tess
loved him. When he refused to forgive her relationship with Alec after she forgave him
for his "affair", I found that to be selfish and cruel. When he abandoned her, that was
the ultimate betrayal.
After I lived for awhile, though, I
have come to view Angel in a different light. He was young, confused, trying to find
himself and make a place for himself apart from his family. He loved Tess, but he was
too immature to appreciate her unconditional love because his love had conditions.
However, he grows in the novel and at the end, he redeems himself, even honoring Tess
after her death by marrying her sister. So, ultimately, is he not another imperfect
human in need of a bit of grace and forgiveness? From this viewpoint, perhaps none of us
is worthy of the love we receive from our relationships, but isn't that what love is
supposed to be? It is not based on the worth of the other individual and often is not
based on how much the other individual returns that love. This view is perhaps a
bit unorthodox, but Hardy's novels contain very complex characters and Angel is one of
them.
What do you think?
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