Brazil, where Angel goes to seek his fortunes after rejecting Tess, is a symbol of Angel's idealized vision of the world. Brazil is an exotic, far-off fantasy land to the 19th century English characters, and Angel thinks of it as an unspoiled place to practice his agricultural skills. When he actually gets there, however, he becomes sick and weak, and all his farming endeavors fail. Angel's experience in Brazil is symbolic of his relationship with Tess; it is romanticized and idealized, but then the stark reality appears and destroys his fantasy.