Hardy's Philosophy of Life in his Tess of D'Urbervilles

John Durbyfield is a poor farmer who lives in the village of Marlott. He has seven children and Tess is the eldest, innocent and beautiful daughter of them. She is seventeen years old and she is very charming. Due to her father's illness, Tess, accompanied by her younger brother Abraham, drives the family cart to the market. It is early in the morning and Tess and Abraham get drowsy. Suddenly their poor little cart collides with the morning mail cart. The horse, Prince, on whom the economy of the family depends, is killed in the collision.

In order to improve the financial condition of the family, the innocent Tess, who is no more than a child, becomes the poultry keeper for the blind woman of this wealthy family. This woman Mrs. Simson Stroke has an only son, Alec. Alec is a young man without moral principles and he is interested only in seducing Tess. One day he offers her a lift on his horseback in inevitable circumstances Tess accepts the offer, partly to save herself from the quarrel, Alec who had evil plans to seduce her succeeded when Tess is in helpless condition. Circumstances soon contrive Tess's fall. Later Tess joined as a dairy maid at Talbothays and met Angel Clare and fell in love with him and married. Many dramatic circumstances, fate and chance compelled Tess to face hard realities of life. At the end she murders Alec and went to jail later she is hanged. Hardy concludes in his own typical way "As flies to wanton boys are we to Gods they kill us for their sport.