One of the English language's most enduring pieces of tragic fiction, Tess of the D'Ubervilles tells the story of a good-hearted girl who becomes the victim of circumstances and unjust social judgments. Like much of Hardy's work, the novel focuses partly on the declining rural society of the Victorian era, and also addresses class issues, as Tess' father's aspiration to transcend his class sets in motion a disastrous series of events.