Tess has returned home, but now she has baby with her, leading to one of the most beautiful and famous sciences in English literature in which Tess sorrowfully baptizes the poor little one. So this week, David, Heidi, and Karen dig in that scene and contemplate what Thomas Hardy is saying through it. Plus, discussion touches on the role Tess’s mother plays in her daughter’s misfortunes.

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Tess of the D'Urbervilles: Chapters 12-15 (AKA Phase 2)