Jude the Obscure

“He was a boy who could not himself bear to hurt anything. […] This weakness of character, as it may be called, suggested that he was the sort of man who was born to ache a good deal before the fall of the curtain upon his unnecessary life should signify that all was well with him again. He carefully picked his way on tiptoe among the earthworms, without killing a single one.”

A critical part of Jude’s character is his innate compassion and sensitivity towards all living beings, demonstrated by his reluctance to cause harm to even the smallest creatures. However, the passage also foreshadows the inevitable suffering and adversity that Jude will face, suggesting that his compassionate nature will ultimately lead to his own pain and disillusionment—as well as the judgement of others. Despite his efforts to navigate the world with care and gentleness, Jude’s vulnerability and inability to inflict harm hint at the profound challenges he will endure as he strives for fulfillment and acceptance in a society marked by cruelty and injustice.

“Nature’s logic was too horrid for him to care for. That mercy towards one set of creatures was cruelty towards another sickened his sense of harmony. As you got older, and felt yourself to be at the centre of your time, and not at a point in its circumference, as you had felt when you were little, you were seized with a sort of shuddering, he perceived. All around you there seemed to be something glaring, garish, rattling, and the noises and glares hit upon the little cell called your life, and shook it, and warped it. If he could only prevent himself growing up! He did not want to be a man.”

Jude grapples with “nature’s logic” throughout the narrative, and this quote foreshadows many of the trials he will face. His reluctance to embrace adulthood reflects a deeper struggle with the moral complexities of the world, where the divide between mercy and cruelty only widens with age. Jude predicts his future astutely in this quote, though he, unfortunately, forgets this revelation in later chapters.

“‘It is a city of light,’ he said to himself. ‘The tree of knowledge grows there,’ he added a few steps further on. ‘It is a place that teachers of men spring from and go to.’ ‘It is what you may call a castle, manned by scholarship and religion.’ After this figure he was silent a long while, till he added: ‘It would just suit me.’”

In this passage, Jude’s idealized perception of Christminster reflects his youthful optimism and aspirations for intellectual and social advancement. However, Hardy employs dramatic irony to underscore the implausibility of Jude’s ambitions, given the rigid class barriers of his society. Aware of the societal constraints, Hardy’s contemporary audience would recognize the tragic inevitability of Jude’s unattainable dream, heightening the pathos of his relentless, idealized pursuit.

“Somebody might have come along that way who would have asked him his trouble, and might have cheered him […] But nobody did come, because nobody does: and under the crushing recognition of his gigantic error Jude continued to wish himself out of the world.”

This poignant scene marks one of Hardy’s early depictions of the profound isolation endured by his protagonist. The recurring motif of nobody coming to offer solace or support reverberates throughout the novel, underscoring the characters’ enduring struggles with adversity and societal alienation.

“Their lives were ruined, he thought; ruined by the fundamental error of their matrimonial union: that of having based a permanent contract on a temporary feeling which had no necessary connection with affinities that alone render a life-long comradeship tolerable. ‘Going to ill-use me on principle, as your father ill-used your mother, and your father’s sister ill-used her husband?’ she asked. ‘All you Fawleys be a queer lot as husbands and wives.’”

Hardy’s scathing critique of marriage reverberates throughout the narrative, epitomized by the ill-fated union of Arabella and Jude. Despite their profound incompatibility, the constraints of marriage ensnare them, plunging Jude into despair. This quote also highlights a stark contrast between Jude and Arabella: while Jude possesses intellectual depth and education, Arabella’s knowledge is far more pragmatic, as evidenced by her reference to the Fawleys’ troubled marital history.

“It was curious, he thought. What was he reserved for? He supposed he was not a sufficiently dignified person for suicide. Peaceful death abhorred him as a subject, and would not take him.”

In the depths of despair following his tumultuous marriage with Arabella and the revelation of his family’s troubled history, Jude attempts suicide, but his effort proves futile. This underscores Jude’s profound sense of powerlessness over his own destiny, a central tenet of the Naturalistic themes pervasive in the novel. Jude’s life unfolds as a series of predetermined events governed by external forces rather than his own agency.

“Only a wall divided him from those happy young contemporaries of his with whom he shared a common mental life; men who had nothing to do from morning till night but to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest. Only a wall—but what a wall!”

The physical barrier represented by the wall surrounding the university serves as a potent metaphor for the social divide between the university elite and the working-class residents of the surrounding town. While Jude has the skills to dismantle the physical barrier as a stonemason, the entrenched social class barriers are insurmountable. This juxtaposition underscores the pervasive influence of class distinctions, highlighting the systemic obstacles individuals like Jude face in their pursuit of higher education and social mobility.

“It was quite impossible, he found, to ask to be delivered from temptation when your heart’s desire was to be tempted unto seventy times seven.”

A prominent theme recurring throughout the narrative is the conflict between faith and personal desires, as exemplified in this quote. Despite fervently praying for divine intervention to change his feelings towards Sue, Jude’s desires remain unchanged, rendering his prayers unanswered. This highlights Jude’s internal struggle between his religious convictions and heartfelt desires.

“Biblioll College. Sir,—I have read your letter with interest; and, judging from your description of yourself as a working-man, I venture to think that you will have a much better chance of success in life by remaining in your own sphere and sticking to your trade than by adopting any other course. That, therefore, is what I advise you to do. Yours faithfully, T. Tetuphenay. To Mr. J. Fawley, Stone-mason.”

Jude reaches out to multiple professors at Christminster, desperately seeking guidance on gaining admission to the school. Dishearteningly, his letters remain unanswered, reinforcing Jude’s belief that Christminster is inaccessible to someone of his background. After accepting these silent rejections, Jude receives this unequivocal rejection, deepening his despair.

“‘Cathedral? Yes. Though I think I’d rather sit in the railway station,’ she answered, a remnant of vexation still in her voice. ‘That’s the centre of the town life now: the Cathedral has had its day!’

“‘How modern you are!’

“‘So would you be if you had lived so much in the middle ages as I have done these last few years! The Cathedral was a very good place four or five centuries ago; but it is played out now … I am not modern, either. I am more ancient than mediævalism, if you only knew.’”

Sue’s agnostic beliefs often contrast with Jude’s devout faith throughout the narrative, serving as a foil to his traditional views. While Jude perceives Sue’s beliefs as modern, she contests this characterization. In reality, her beliefs align with certain ancient practices, suggesting that what her contemporaries deem “modern” often has roots in much older ideologies, obscured by the passage of time.

“’It is an ignorant place, except as to the townspeople, artizans, drunkards, and paupers,’ she said, perverse still at his differing from her. ‘They see life as it is, of course; but few people in the colleges do. You prove it in your own person. You are one of the very men Christminster was intended for when the colleges were founded; a man with a passion for learning, but no money, or opportunities, or friends. But you were elbowed off the pavement by the millionaires’ sons.’”

Sue and Jude engage in a heated debate about Christminster, with Sue arguing that the school is too rigid and steeped in outdated beliefs. Jude, however, holds Christminster in high regard, lamenting his inability to gain admission. This exchange marks the beginning of Sue’s critique of Christminster and reflects Hardy’s broader critique of the elitism of education. Jude’s inability to access the school underscores not his lack of ability but rather the flaws within the educational system itself.

“You are Joseph the dreamer of dreams, dear Jude. And a tragic Don Quixote. And sometimes you are St. Stephen, who, while they were stoning him, could see Heaven opened. O my poor friend and comrade, you’ll suffer yet.”

Sue evokes both biblical and literary figures to illustrate Jude’s ambitious dreams. Joseph, known for his prophetic dreams, faced betrayal and adversity from his jealous brothers. Don Quixote, an aging knight, pursued chivalry despite his poor eyesight, leading to misadventures fueled by his idealism. St. Stephen, the first martyr and patron saint of stonemasons, dreamed he saw the heavens open to him before being stoned for blasphemy. Sue’s comparison suggests that, like these figures, Jude will face significant suffering as he strives to fulfill his dreams, a fate he has already experienced to some extent.

“I have been thinking […] that the social moulds civilization fits us into have no more relation to our actual shapes than the conventional shapes of the constellations have to the real star-patterns. I am called Mrs. Richard Phillotson, living a calm wedded life with my counterpart of that name. But I am not really Mrs. Richard Phillotson, but a woman tossed about, all alone, with aberrant passions, and unaccountable antipathies.”

Sue challenges the societal constructs that confine individuals into predefined roles, likening them to constellations whose shapes are arbitrary and disconnected from reality. By rejecting her societal label as Mrs. Richard Phillotson, Sue reveals her inner turmoil and complexity, highlighting the disparity between societal expectations and personal identity. She articulates a profound sense of alienation, expressing her struggle to reconcile her inner self with the outward expectations imposed by civilization.

“Then the slim little wife of a husband whose person was disagreeable to her, the ethereal, fine-nerved, sensitive girl, quite unfitted by temperament and instinct to fulfill the conditions of the matrimonial relation with Phillotson, possibly scarce with any man, walked fitfully along, and panted, and brought weariness into her eyes by gazing and worrying hopelessly.”

Hardy portrays Sue’s ethereal nature to evoke sympathy from the reader, highlighting her vulnerability within the constraints of societal norms. Her restlessness and weariness poignantly reflect her internal conflict and disillusionment with the societal pressure to conform to conventional expectations, infringing upon her happiness and autonomy.

“’What is the use of thinking of laws and ordinances,’ she burst out, ‘if they make you miserable when you know you are committing no sin?’

“‘But you are committing a sin in not liking me.’

“‘I do like you! But I didn’t reflect it would be—that it would be so much more than that… For a man and woman to live on intimate terms when one feels as I do is adultery, in any circumstances, however legal.’”

Hardy’s critique of marriage intensifies in this section as Sue vehemently argues against the notion that her lack of sexual attraction constitutes a sin. Despite societal norms dictating otherwise, Sue contends that engaging in sexual relations when repulsed by them resembles adultery. Through Sue’s perspective, Hardy subtly suggests that natural aversions should not be deemed sinful or illegal within a marital context. By portraying Sue’s struggle, Hardy highlights the ethical complexity of forcing individuals into intimate acts against their will, hinting at the profound consequences of disregarding personal autonomy within marriage.

“People go on marrying because they can’t resist natural forces, although many of them may know perfectly well that they are possibly buying a month’s pleasure with a life’s discomfort.”

Jude attempts to justify the desire for marriage to Sue, who lacks significant sexual desire. While Sue contends that marriage often diminishes genuine love between individuals, Jude acknowledges her perspective but highlights the role of sexual desires preceding marriage. Hardy employs this dialogue to assert that succumbing to momentary hormonal urges should not condemn individuals to lifelong unhappiness in marriage, suggesting a nuanced critique of societal expectations surrounding matrimony and sexual desire.

“‘That’s you Arabella! Always wanting another man than your own.’

“‘Well, and what woman don’t I should like to know? As for that body with him—she don’t know what love is—at least what I call love! I can see in her face she don’t.’

“‘And perhaps, Abby dear, you don’t know what she calls love.’”

Hardy delineates diverse manifestations of affection and attraction within relationships, each existing in varying intensities. For instance, Arabella experiences potent sexual desire devoid of any hint of romantic affection, contrasting sharply with Sue, who deeply feels romantic and platonic love but lacks sexual attraction. Through Arabella’s interaction with her friend Anny, Hardy highlights the diverse interpretations and experiences of love, suggesting a nuanced understanding of the complexities inherent in human relationships.

“‘She’d have come round in time. We all do! Custom does it! it’s all the same in the end! However, I think she’s quite fond of her man still—whatever he med be of her. You were too quick about her. I shouldn’t have let her go! I should have kept her chained on—her spirit for kicking would have been broke soon enough! There’s nothing like bondage and a stone-deaf task-master for taming us women. Besides, you’ve got the laws on your side. Moses knew. […] “Then shall the man be guiltless; but the woman shall bear her iniquity.” Damn rough on us women; but we must grin and put up wi’ it—Haw haw!—Well; she’s got her deserts now.’

“‘Yes,’ said Phillotson, with biting sadness. ‘Cruelty is the law pervading all nature and society; and we can’t get out of it if we would!’”

Arabella callously states that Phillotson should have retained Sue regardless of her misery, underscoring the legal and societal structures that afforded men absolute power over their wives. Despite Phillotson’s acknowledgment of this cruelty as an immutable societal norm, Hardy subtly challenges this acceptance, suggesting through Phillotson’s introspection the possibility of change. Hardy prompts his audience to reconsider and advocate for reform in matrimonial laws and societal expectations by depicting the unjust nature of marital dynamics and encouraging reflection on societal norms.

“‘However it was my poverty and not my will that consented to be beaten. It takes two or three generations to do what I tried to do in one; and my impulses—affections—vices perhaps they should be called—were too strong not to hamper a man without advantages; who should be as cold-blooded as a fish and as selfish as a pig to have a really good chance of being one of his country’s worthies. You may ridicule me—I am quite willing that you should—I am a fit subject, no doubt. But I think if you knew what I have gone through these last few years you would rather pity me. And if they knew’—he nodded towards the college at which the dons were severally arriving—‘it is just possible they would do the same.’”

When Jude returns to Christminster, his former acquaintances question why he never entered the university, and this quote is part of Jude’s explanation. He acknowledges the financial and social barriers preventing his college admission. Jude’s plea for understanding and empathy underscores the internal struggles of individuals who defy societal norms, inviting empathy from those who question his choices.

“‘No,’ said Jude. ‘It was in his nature to do it. The doctor says that there are such boys springing up amongst us—boys of a sort unknown in the last generation—the outcome of new views of life. They seem to see all its terrors before they are old enough to have staying power to resist them. He says it is the beginning of the coming universal wish not to live.’”

Little Father Time stands in for a broader tragedy of children born into poverty and possessed of a dangerously heightened awareness of their situation. Hardy challenges the notion, voiced elsewhere by Gillingham, that maintaining unhappy marriages is necessary for social stability, arguing instead that such unions yield children burdened with despair and hopelessness.

“‘I see marriage differently now! My babies have been taken from me to show me this! Arabella’s child killing mine was a judgment; the right slaying the wrong. What, what shall I do! I am such a vile creature—too worthless to mix with ordinary human beings.’

“‘This is terrible,’ said Jude, verging on tears. ‘It is monstrous and unnatural for you to be so remorseful when you have done no wrong!’

“‘Ah—you don’t know my badness!’

“He returned vehemently: ‘I do! Every atom and dreg of it! You make me hate Christianity, or mysticism, or Sacerdotalism, or whatever it may be called, if it’s that which has caused this deterioration in you. That a woman-poet, a woman-seer, a woman whose soul shone like a diamond—whom all the wise of the world would have been proud of, if they could have known you—should degrade herself like this! I am glad I had nothing to do with Divinity—damn glad—if it’s going to ruin you in this way!’”

In this quote, there is a significant reversal in the philosophies of Jude and Sue, with Sue becoming devout while Jude adopts an agnostic stance. Sue interprets the death of her children as divine punishment, transforming into a person vastly different from the Sue Bridehead introduced at the beginning of the story. As Sue’s beliefs change, she becomes unrecognizable to Jude, who ultimately witnesses the demise of the Sue he once loved due to grief and despair. Through this shift, Hardy critiques the role of religion and society, illustrating how these forces contribute to the downfall of two inherently good and moral individuals.

“Perhaps as we couldn’t conscientiously marry at first in the old-fashioned way, we ought to have parted. Perhaps the world is not illuminated enough for such experiments as ours! Who were we, to think we could act as pioneers!”

Sue reflects on the unconventional nature of her relationship with Jude, questioning whether they were justified in adopting an alternative stance. Her statement underscores the uncertainty and self-doubt that permeates their relationship, suggesting that they may have underestimated the challenges they would face as trailblazers in love. Sue’s words also highlight the tension between their desire for personal freedom and the constraints imposed by societal expectations, hinting at the risks of challenging established conventions.

“No—let me make my last appeal. Listen to this! We’ve both remarried out of our senses. I was made drunk to do it. You were the same. I was gin-drunk; you were creed-drunk. Either form of intoxication takes away the nobler vision… Let us then shake off our mistakes, and run away together!”

Jude confronts Sue, realizing that their remarriages were influenced by external pressures—him, coerced by alcohol, and her, by religious convictions. By likening their intoxications to impairments of their “nobler vision,” Jude urges Sue to reconsider their choices. Despite their mutual misery in their current marriages, Sue sees her suffering as penance and rejects Jude’s proposal. His plea to run away together symbolizes a longing to break free from societal expectations and personal regrets. Hardy underscores his critique of religion by comparing religious fervor to drunkenness.

“Strange difference of sex, that time and circumstance, which enlarge the views of most men, narrow the views of women almost invariably. And now the ultimate horror has come—her giving herself like this to what she loathes, in her enslavement to forms! She, so sensitive, so shrinking, that the very wind seemed to blow on her with a touch of deference… As for Sue and me when we were at our own best, long ago—when our minds were clear, and our love of truth fearless—the time was not ripe for us! Our ideas were fifty years too soon to be any good to us. And so the resistance they met with brought reaction in her, and recklessness and ruin on me!”

Jude reflects on the gendered differences in how individuals respond to Victorian societal pressures. He laments how women, like Sue, often feel compelled to conform to societal norms despite their innate sensitivities and desires. Jude sees their past resistance to conform as futile, leading to recklessness and ruin, highlighting the tragic consequences of societal expectations on personal happiness and fulfillment.