The fallen woman: A comparative study of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Petro Marko's The Last City.

The concept of the fallen woman, as old as humanity itself, remains an eternally provocative subject. It has been the focus of numerous literary works throughout history and across various cultures, with authors embracing varied attitudes towards their female protagonists, influenced by historical, social, and cultural backgrounds. Thomas Hardy's open exoneration of Tess in Tess of the d'Urbervilles is rooted in his naturalistic and humanistic approach, finding fault with the hostility of natural forces and social environment while portraying the female figure from a favourable and justifiable standpoint. A similar compassionate and humanistic approach is noticeable in the banned socialist realism novel Qyteti i Fundit (The Last City), authored by the wellknown Albanian writer Petro Marko. Ana Maria Monti is the chaste and emotionally wounded Italian prostitute who captures the attention and affection of a young Albanian communist, contrary to his ideological convictions. This paper will comparatively look into these seemingly unrelatable novels, examining the female protagonists and their tragic lives, highlighting some of the common perspectives of Hardy and Marko, which led both authors to justify the socially perceived fall from grace of Tess Durbeyfield and Ana Maria Monti, challenging societal ethical expectations and moral standards, and blaming society for their tragic end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]