Fate in Tess of the D'urbervilles

The act of fate in Tess of the D’Urbervilles plays a major role in the outcomes of many relationships and lives. The first fate seen in the book is when the D’Urbeyfield’s horse is killed, and Tess must work for Mrs. Durberville. The letter that Tess writes to Angel about her past doesn’t reach him because of fate. Also all the D’Urbeyfield women screw up their lives because of fatalism.
The first sign of fate in the story happens to Tess. When the family horse, Prince, is killed in the collision, Tess holds herself responsible and feels guilty for the death of the horse. In order to make up for the horses death, she feels she must go to work for Mrs. Durberville. “Why, I danced and laughed only yesterday! To think that I was such a fool.” (p. 34) This fate means that she ends up meeting Alec and eventually becoming...