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Allusion
Explanation and Analysis—Queen Guinevere:
Upon first seeing herself dressed in wedding clothes at the end of Chapter 32, Tess's guilt weighs upon her. The narrative alludes in this moment to the infidelity of Queen Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur:
Alone, [Tess] stood for a moment before the glass looking at the effect of her silk attire . . . . Suppose this robe should betray her by changing colour, as her robe had betrayed Queen Guénever.
Tess is worried that, by marrying Angel without informing him about her history with Alec, she will disgrace him and bring about his downfall. Queen Guinevere, by having an affair with Sir Lancelot, ultimately brings about the death of King Arthur, her husband. Though Tess is not having an affair—certainly, adultery and rape are not at all equivalent—the burden of her past is heavy, and at every opportunity Tess observes similarities between her position and that of other "sexually impure" women. This moment in the text provides key information about Tess's psyche and self-image. In equating her past sexual assault to Queen Guinevere's consensual adultery, Tess reveals to the reader that in her mind, rape and infidelity are synonymous. This idea, of course, was planted in her mind from a young age by insidious cultural forces that unfortunately work to destroy her sense of self-worth.
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