Angel, husband of Tess, is one of the representatives of traditional moral concepts, being even the main reason that causes Tess’s tragedy, and having traditional ethical prejudice on him. He is in the contacts course of Tess, there is no constraint of abandoning the traditional idea all the time. In his eyes, Tess is “what a fresh and pure daughter of nature that dairymaid is!” 8 holy and pure, but Tess is to her honest experience abused on the past at the newly married night, because of his traditional moral concept, he has not forgiven Tess, as Tess did forgive his dissolute behavior. This shows a deep-rooted traditional chastity idea is still in his mind. And Tess dare saying her own past bold, but between she and traditional resistance of moral concept, she believes whether a woman is pure or not, is not to look chastity, the more important thing is the soul and quality, Tess has not been defeated after suffering misfortune. Not crushed by the traditional morals ethics idea, she still has deep love for working, relying on herself to live. She defeat traditional moral concept, accept love to Clare, believe her honesty can receive the true love because of her pure love, the grief in the past that she has been defeated. "Suspect, the fear, melancholy, vexation, shame --Quilt --Defeat.”9But she tries to let Clare gets rid of ethical tradition constraint to make misfortune. Clare forgives Tess when return after going out, which prove traditional failure of moral concept after all and make the final victory in resistance of Tess. In addition, after Tess has illegitimate children, she has not abandoned him, but bring him up until he died. Tess does not give consideration to the view of the people around, using her own practical action to show common people the purity of a woman losing virginity, which is resistance of her traditional moral concept to the old society too --Whether can't evaluate the woman's purity or not with the woman's chastity. Though the tragedy of Tess is caused by traditional morals of Angel Clare more or less, but Angel Clare reachs to comprehend at the last moment. "Though Tess stain in the past, such as her person, according to her body present thing stored, it is fresh to far surpass other virgins too. "10It is obvious, Tess with her industrious and simple and sincere and strong traditional moral concept of resistance, and has won the victory.
Third, resistance of the hypocritical religion
Britain followed Christianity in the 19th century, the religion was a spiritual tool that was used for liberating the people on the surface, and for good governance government used it as a kind of tool to fetter of people in fact. When people see through its hypocritical side, they will resist it. Tess is also the one who object to it when looks through it.
Alec turns respectable for a time with the help of old pastor, and after he meets Tess, evil thought regenerated. Tess sees through the soul of the pastor, pointing out precisely: “ Don’t go on with it!" she cried passionately, as she turned away from him to a stile by the wayside, on which she bent Herself. "I can't believe in such sudden things! I feel indignant with you for talking to me like this, when you know--when you know what harm you've done me! You, and those like you, take your fill of pleasure on earth by making the life of such as me bitter and black with sorrow, and then it is a fine thing, when you have had enough of that, to think of securing your pleasure in heaven by becoming converted! Out upon such--I don't believe in you--I hate it!"11It is obvious that Tess discontented with the thing that hypocritical religion is strong, and Alec utilizes the coat of the religion, making the obscene behavior, scorned by Tess, the severe reaction of Tess: "But I have not defended the weak woman of ability, Alec! I am still grasping the honor of a good person in the hand! --Think carefully --You do not feel ashamed! "12 This is Tess that reprimand to Alec frivolous act, pointing out Alec’s mask of " good person "13 .Not merely, she has also beaten back the harassing and wrecking of Alec. This formal resistance and despising of the hypocritical religious believer of Tess. In addition, after illegitimate child of Tess fall ill, Tess forewarns the finishing of this light life, she ignores the restraint of the religious doctrine of the religion, and has done baptism for this child. But now that her moral sorrows were passing away, a fresh one arose on the natural side of her: she knew nothing about social law. When she reached home she learned that the baby had been suddenly ill since the afternoon. Such collapse had been probable, so tender and puny was its frame, but the event came as a shock nevertheless.