HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE H01041 4/13/01 "TESS QUESTION" ===================================================== From: "Patricia" Subject: Tess Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 17:39:46 +0100 At the end of 'Tess' she asks Angel if he will marry her sister Liza-Lu and when he replies '....and she is my sister-in-law' showing that he was aware of the illegality of such a marriage at this time, Tess then answers 'people marry sister-laws continually about Marlott'. Does anyone know if this practice was indeed prevalant at this time in Dorsetshire? (around 1890, I believe). I feel that Thomas Hardy must have come across this practice or he would not have written it but as it is a work of fiction I would be interested to hear what other people think. Patricia Mann patricia.mann@btinternet.com ========== From: "Michael Barry" Subject: Re: Tess Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 19:45:48 +0100