Description: In this compelling tale of love and deceit Thomas Hardy depicts a society in which women are punished for their indiscretions rather than rewarded for their capacity to love. Clearly based on Hardy's relationships with his family, his fiancee, and his closest male friend, this story of a classic love triangle explores how the lovers fall victim, in different ways, to society's assumptions about class and gender. Despite the disapproval of friends and family, Elfride Swancourt remains devoted to the handsome, gentle Stephen Smith when his humble origins are revealed. Her attraction to Henry Knight, a man of superior intellect and higher social standing, however, gradually undermines her love and loyalty. But Knight's moral code does not allow for a woman's indiscretions; obsessed with suspicions about Elfride's sexual past, Knight is unable to accept and forgive her.

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