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Sources Used : Thomas Hardy - "Tess Of The D'Urbervilles"
Joss Whedon - "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" "Angel"
Nancy Holder - "City Of"

An Angel Among Us
As we all know; First there was Joss, and Joss said "Let there be a show, and make it have a gorgeous, brooding anti hero" and he gaveth this instruction unto Marcia Schullman, who saw the vision known unto us as David Patrick Boreanaz. And he saw the casting, and saw that it was good - so mote it be. And Angelus was created, and given his Undeath to capture our hearts and cause people like myself and my Soul Sister to scribeth strange pages on the Internet in his honour and glory forever more.

No character has captured us so much as Angel - but in this I'd like to set out my belief that Joss, far from being the scribe of a strange Tv show and as such not much up for the education thing is in fact a sensitive modern reader of Thomas Hardy - specifically "Tess Of The D'Urbervilles" - which features a character named Angel Clare, who falls in love with the heroine. Many aspects of Mr Clare can also be found in Angelus, and so I'd like to jump in and tell you all what they are. You may not agree - but that's really okay - because you can tell me so at the address below, where you can also find the disclaimer.

Going on from there, lets us follow with a short summary of those points; Firstly Angel Clare was the son of a good family, at one of the two extremes of the fraternity in being the youngest child. He was of a thoughtful nature, and wanted to travel - in fact wished to set up in the Colonies as a farmer. His father however was afraid he was wasting his opportunities being a foolish dreamer, and chastised him accordingly. Angel falls in love with Tess, and until they finally are together, broods to the point where all remark on his sadness. Angel offers to teach tess history. When Tess and he spend their first night together, Angel discovers her past, and abandons her. Only to return when he cannot be away from her any longer, though he knows their relationship is doomed.

Entering into firmer territory - on to Angelus the great and really rather sexy. Our Angel was born into a good family, but his father disapproved of his choices and was physically and emotionally abusive. Angelus loved the idea of travel, and though he liked better to spend his days (and nights) in dubious taverns sketching lovely peasant wenches, was an educated lad. The love of Angel's life was as tragic as Tess herself; and one their first real night together, he left her, having turned against her just as Angel Clare did against Tess, but he returned and continued his doomed affair. Also when Joyce sees Angel for the first time Buffy tells her he is a student helping her to study history.

Last but not least, both were the first choice of every girl in the village, and known to be extremely handsome. And so you see - the similarities are there and cannot be ignored. Joss - keep reading the good literature! Disclaimer - I'm not suggesting Joss actually plagiarised Thomas Hardy, of course, just that he might have read the novel and taken a few pointers. All characters here are property respectively of Thomas Hardy who being dead really isn't going to want to sue, and Joss Whedon, who what with me being a poor student isn't going to want to sue me either.

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