Original Text(~250 words)
XVII The dairymaids and men had flocked down from their cottages and out of the dairy-house with the arrival of the cows from the meads; the maids walking in pattens, not on account of the weather, but to keep their shoes above the mulch of the barton. Each girl sat down on her three-legged stool, her face sideways, her right cheek resting against the cow, and looked musingly along the animal’s flank at Tess as she approached. The male milkers, with hat-brims turned down, resting flat on their foreheads and gazing on the ground, did not observe her. One of these was a sturdy middle-aged man—whose long white “pinner” was somewhat finer and cleaner than the wraps of the others, and whose jacket underneath had a presentable marketing aspect—the master-dairyman, of whom she was in quest, his double character as a working milker and butter maker here during six days, and on the seventh as a man in shining broad-cloth in his family pew at church, being so marked as to have inspired a rhyme: Dairyman Dick All the week: On Sundays Mister Richard Crick. Seeing Tess standing at gaze he went across to her. The majority of dairymen have a cross manner at milking time, but it happened that Mr Crick was glad to get a new hand—for the days were busy ones now—and he received her warmly; inquiring for her mother and the rest of the family—(though this as a matter of form merely, for in reality he...
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Summary
Tess arrives at Talbothays Dairy seeking a fresh start and meets Dairyman Crick, who welcomes her warmly despite knowing little about her family. The dairy is a bustling operation with nearly a hundred cows and a mix of workers from different backgrounds. As Tess settles into milking, she finds comfort in the routine work and begins to feel she's laying 'a new foundation for her future.' The peaceful rhythm is broken by storytelling—Dairyman Crick regales the workers with a humorous tale about a fiddler who outwitted a bull using Christmas carols. During this exchange, Tess notices an educated young man among the milkers who seems out of place. To her shock, she recognizes him as the gentleman who danced at the May Day celebration in Marlott but ignored her—though he doesn't seem to remember her. Her fellow workers later reveal he's Angel Clare, a parson's son learning farming rather than following his brothers into the clergy. This chapter marks Tess's attempt to rebuild her life through honest work, but Hardy hints that her past—and new complications—will follow her even to this peaceful dairy. The contrast between the practical, earthy world of the dairy and Angel's genteel background sets up the central tension of this new phase of Tess's story.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
pattens
Wooden overshoes with iron rings worn to keep regular shoes out of mud and muck. Essential protective gear for dairy workers walking through cow yards and barns.
Modern Usage:
Like wearing rain boots or steel-toed boots at work - practical gear that shows you're serious about doing messy, physical labor.
pinner
A long white apron tied around the waist, worn by dairy workers to protect their clothes during milking. The cleaner your pinner, the higher your status in the dairy hierarchy.
Modern Usage:
Like how the quality of your work uniform signals your position - the supervisor's polo shirt versus the regular employee's basic tee.
double character
Having two distinct social identities depending on the setting. Dairyman Crick is a working man during the week but transforms into respectable 'Mister Richard Crick' on Sundays at church.
Modern Usage:
Like switching between your work persona and weekend self - the nurse who becomes a biker on Saturday, or the construction worker who dresses up for church.
laying a new foundation
Starting over completely, building a new life from scratch. Tess hopes honest work at the dairy will give her a fresh beginning after her traumatic past.
Modern Usage:
Like moving to a new city after a bad breakup, or going back to school to change careers - trying to rebuild your life on solid ground.
parson's son
The child of a minister or clergyman, expected to follow religious traditions and maintain high moral standards. Angel Clare breaks family expectations by choosing farming over the clergy.
Modern Usage:
Like the doctor's kid who becomes a teacher instead of going to med school - disappointing family expectations about following the 'respectable' career path.
Christmas carols and bulls
Crick's story about using religious music to calm an angry bull reflects the belief that sacred music has special power over both animals and evil forces.
Modern Usage:
Like how we still use music to calm anxiety or change our mood - playing specific songs to feel better or get pumped up.
Characters in This Chapter
Tess
protagonist seeking redemption
Arrives at the dairy hoping for a fresh start and finds comfort in honest work. She's trying to rebuild her life but discovers that even in this peaceful place, her past and new complications will follow her.
Modern Equivalent:
The woman starting over at a new job after a bad relationship, hoping nobody will ask too many questions about her past
Dairyman Crick
benevolent employer
The dairy owner who welcomes Tess warmly and provides steady work. He represents the decent working-class man who judges people by their work ethic, not their background.
Modern Equivalent:
The good boss who gives you a chance when you need it most and treats all workers with respect
Angel Clare
gentleman learning farming
A parson's son who chose farming over the clergy, working alongside common laborers. He doesn't recognize Tess from their brief encounter at the May Day dance, setting up future romantic complications.
Modern Equivalent:
The college-educated guy working blue-collar jobs by choice, trying to prove he's not just another privileged kid
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between genuine new beginnings and avoidance strategies disguised as progress.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're hoping a change of location, job, or routine will automatically fix deeper issues—then ask what internal work needs to happen alongside the external change.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Dairyman Dick All the week: On Sundays Mister Richard Crick"
Context: Describing how the dairyman transforms from working man to respectable gentleman depending on the day
This rhyme captures how working people often live double lives - one identity for survival, another for respectability. It shows the rigid class system but also how people navigate it.
In Today's Words:
Monday through Saturday he's just Dick from the dairy, but come Sunday he's Mr. Crick in his good clothes.
"she was laying a new foundation for her future"
Context: Describing Tess's hopes as she settles into dairy work
This metaphor reveals Tess's desperate need to rebuild her life on solid ground. The word 'laying' suggests careful, deliberate construction - she's not just hiding, she's actively building something new.
In Today's Words:
She thought this job would be her chance to start over and build a better life.
"the majority of dairymen have a cross manner at milking time"
Context: Explaining why Crick's kindness to Tess is unusual
Hardy shows that harsh treatment of workers is the norm, making Crick's decency stand out. This sets up the dairy as a rare place where Tess might find genuine kindness.
In Today's Words:
Most bosses are cranky and difficult when work gets busy, but this guy was actually decent to her.
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Fresh Start Illusions
The belief that changing external circumstances automatically resolves internal patterns and past complications.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Angel Clare's presence at the dairy highlights class boundaries—a parson's son learning farming while Tess works from necessity
Development
Continues from earlier chapters but now shows class as inescapable even in supposedly egalitarian work environments
In Your Life:
You might notice how educational or family background creates invisible barriers even in workplaces that claim to value merit alone
Identity
In This Chapter
Tess attempts to reconstruct herself as simply a dairy worker, trying to shed her complicated past
Development
Evolved from her earlier identity crisis after Alec—now actively trying to create new identity rather than just hiding
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when starting new jobs or relationships and trying to present only your 'best self' while hiding struggles
Recognition
In This Chapter
Angel doesn't remember Tess from the May Day dance, while she recognizes him immediately—highlighting power dynamics in memory
Development
Introduced here as new complication to her fresh start attempt
In Your Life:
You might experience this when encountering people who were significant to you but barely registered to them
Work
In This Chapter
Tess finds dignity and peace in honest dairy labor, contrasting with her earlier experiences
Development
First time work appears as potentially healing rather than exploitative
In Your Life:
You might recognize how meaningful work can provide structure and self-worth during difficult life transitions
Escape
In This Chapter
The dairy represents Tess's attempt to escape her past through geographic and social distance
Development
Continues her pattern of running from problems rather than confronting them directly
In Your Life:
You might notice this when considering major life changes as solutions to internal struggles or relationship problems
Modern Adaptation
Fresh Start at the Distribution Center
Following Teresa's story...
Teresa starts her new job at a food distribution warehouse two towns over, grateful for steady work and health benefits after months of uncertainty. The supervisor, Maria, welcomes her warmly despite not knowing much about her background. The warehouse buzzes with activity—dozens of workers from different backgrounds loading trucks, managing inventory, operating forklifts. Teresa finds comfort in the physical routine of scanning barcodes and organizing shipments, feeling like she's finally building something stable. During break, coworkers share stories and jokes, and Teresa begins to relax. Then she spots him across the loading dock—Jake, the manager's nephew doing his 'learning the business from the ground up' rotation before joining corporate. He's the same guy who'd flirted with her at her cousin's wedding last year, then ghosted her completely after their hookup. He doesn't seem to recognize her, but her stomach drops. Her coworkers mention he's 'slumming it' temporarily, that his uncle wants him to understand operations before his promotion. Teresa realizes her fresh start isn't as clean as she'd hoped.
The Road
The road Hardy's Teresa walked in 1891, seeking refuge in honest work at a distant dairy, modern Teresa walks today at the distribution center. The pattern is identical: believing geographic distance and new routines can erase complicated pasts.
The Map
This chapter maps the fresh start illusion—the belief that changing location automatically changes your story. Teresa can use this to recognize when she's avoiding internal work by focusing only on external changes.
Amplification
Before reading this, Teresa might have kept changing jobs whenever her past surfaced, exhausting herself with constant movement. Now she can NAME the fresh start illusion, PREDICT that her past will follow her, and NAVIGATE by doing internal healing work alongside external changes.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does Tess hope to accomplish by starting over at the dairy, and what signs suggest she's finding comfort in this new environment?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Angel Clare's appearance at the dairy threaten Tess's sense of making a fresh start, even though he doesn't recognize her?
analysis • medium - 3
When have you seen someone try to solve internal problems by changing their external circumstances - new job, new relationship, new city? What usually happens?
application • medium - 4
If you were advising Tess on how to build a genuinely fresh start, what internal work would you suggest she do alongside her new job?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about the difference between running from problems and actually solving them?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Design Your Fresh Start Strategy
Think of a time when you or someone you know tried to start over by changing external circumstances. Map out what internal patterns or issues were really driving the need for change. Then design a strategy that addresses both the external changes AND the internal work needed for lasting transformation.
Consider:
- •What specific internal patterns keep showing up regardless of external changes?
- •How can you tell the difference between healthy change and running away?
- •What support systems or accountability measures would help maintain real change?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a fresh start you're considering or have attempted. What are you hoping this change will fix about your life? What internal work might need to happen alongside any external changes?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 18: Angel Clare's Awakening
What lies ahead teaches us intellectual rebellion can lead to unexpected life paths, and shows us stepping outside your comfort zone reveals hidden truths about people. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.