Tess forgave her husband

for the “false” affair he had

before they met

and hadn’t told her about…,

but when she told him of her own

“false” imposed relation with her far cousin

and their dead son,

he didn’t forgive her

he felt different for her:

she wasn’t a child of nature for him any more,

but belonging to her cousin as her natural husband;

she was now

not but “the belated seedling of an effete aristocracy”

to him!

yes,

women

are

not forgivable by men

but

men are too pitiable perhaps

not to be un-forgiven

by women!

but Thomas Hardy lived in the 19^th century of England

and so did Tess,

a character

in one of his novels.

we live in the 21^st century of the Middle East

now

and still suffer from superstitions and attitudes

like that

and many more

way worse!                                           

Alas!                                          23-july-04   ainp