Considered one of the most important novels of English literature, Tess of the d'Urbervilles is the portrayal of a "fallen woman" who, despite being condemned to a lifetime of tragedy, remains pure and unsullied until the end. Through the endearing figure of Tess, Thomas Hardy attacks prevailing standards of Victorian morality and warns against the advent of a destructive modernity. Published in 1891, the novel faced great outrage in many quarters, but continues to remain one of the most significant works of Hardy's remarkable career.