Hardy's Tess trapped by double standards

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WHILE agreeing some of the points made Dy Jualin Ark wrignt in ne. review of Tess (7 May), -she oversimplified Hardy's attitude the society in which he lived.

implied TEVICW that only the mechanised agricultural livelihood was hard. In fact the old system seems to have been equally hard, if less alienating. This one of the main themes the novel, characterised by Tess's working life.

She is happy while she works as a dairymaid, but only because of her relationship Angel. When he leaves her she is alone without any escape from a harsh reality.

The men in her life are symbols of the futility of trying to escape weary life into a personal relanonship and of the ruthless exploitation of the labourers, moral But These ideas the Church. ideas are continued in Jude the Obscure, Hardy's next and In my opinion he was neither a socialist nor a real friend to the cause of women's liberation. placed the blame for social injustice the hands of 'Fate'. All Hardy's great novels ena on a note of profound tragic pessimism.

Although he was obviously aware of Victorian double-standards which saw women as whores or angels, Tess never tries to escape from inat trap. As it happens, Hardy's treatment of both his wives was disgraceful.

As Judith Arkwright concluded, Hardy was an alloullalll and Polanski's film retains criticism. neither the book nor altack marriage as an institution any Pardyss other Lode cynicism, based squarely on fis personal sexual pro blems.

SARAH VEALE, Deptford, South London I READ Brian Grogan's article 'Why we're fighting Ivia alty of workers' May) some dismay.

way as to be almost almost entirely on the basis of appeals to the authority of Lenin and Trotsky.

Worse still, the writer implies there are historically fixed 'decisive sectors' class and that white-collar workers and presumably public sector workers as well - - are not part of the working class.

The article stated: "The • organisations Fourth have always stood on the programme of workers' power, SCISC have always been workers' parties. even wnen the majority of their members have been students and

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Socialist

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this But

What class are white- collar workers?