Chapter No. 2 Literature Review Thomas Hardy received much appreciation in nineteenth century and many critics presented their valuable arguments in his novels. There could be manifold criticism on the novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Firstly, the text of the novel will be subjectively read and interpreted with reference to all human characters residing in that society as literature is an interpretation of life, to evaluate and criticize concept of purity in nineteenth century. Secondly, the authoritarian role of men, during the era of rapid industrialization, to which Alec D’Urbervilles and Angel will also be interpreted with reference to the injustice and misery the women had to face. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to put forward the analysis of various critics in order to explore the concept of purity and men dominancy during the contemporary era. Consequently, this chapter will explore different views with reference to Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles, in order to support the main idea this study. Arnold Kettle and Dorothy Van Ghent admire Hardy for specifying Tess. According to Kettle, he displays "mistrust of . . . all ways of thinking that give abstract ideals or principles . . . priority over the actual needs of specific human situations," and, according to Van Ghent, he presents artistic assurance to "the concrete body of experience," "body of particularized life," and "concrete circumstances of experience, real as touch." Vehicle Ghent disparities