Thomas Hardy and Sarita Mandana have successfully portrayed the die hard desire to combat with life, relations and one ’s own self in the characters of Tess and Devi. As little rustic girls Tess and Devi grew up in entirely contrasting surrou ndings. Tess meets Alec accidentally during her fight with another girl on way to D’Urbervilles. Tess is docile, complacent, not able to infer the way of the world. Devi, on the contrary , is a born tigress, with a streak of Coorg wildness. Devi is endowed with typical robust Coorg feminine traits. Tiger Hills is a passionate story of Devi and her love for Machu. Quite ironically the rape invigorates Devi ’s life and she strives to achieve an identity in all man ’s world of coffee plantation. In Tess of the D ’Urbervilles, however, Tess ’s struggle to survive against extreme hardship becomes an endless saga of life. Hardy throws Tess into hands of cruel destiny . Tess gets no respite from her family . The vicious circle of odd circumstances and hostile fate dampen Tess’s spirits. After a long futile wait for Angel Clare Tess is forced into Alec’s arms. She murders Alec. Tess’s act seems to be HEROIC. Tess was raped by Alec, just for momentary pleasure. Alec and Angel never seem to suffer little guilt. It is witness ed that Tess suffers mental as well as physical existential crisis. Devi flares in hatred, humiliation and utter hopelessness. Tess’s fight seemed to be half -hearted. Devi is, however, enlightened by self - realization and with nobility of forgiveness and re conciliation Mandana raises Devi to great height