Assignment paper no. 104
This blog is an assignment Paper no.104 litrature of the Victorians . In this assignment I am dealing with main character of Jude the obscure.
Name : Gohel Dhruvika
Paper no104 : litrature of the Victorians
Subject code: 22395
Topic name : main character of Jude the obscure
Batch : M.A sem 1
Roll no. : 07
Enrollment no : 5108240012
E-mail address : dhruvikagohel252@gmail.com
Submitted to: smt, S.B gardi , department of English MKBU
💠 About author:
Thomas Hardy
Introduction:
Thomas Hardy, born on June 2, 1840, in Dorset, England, is a prominent novelist and poet known for his vivid depictions of rural life and his exploration of complex social issues. His works often reflect the struggles of individuals against the constraints of society and nature, showcasing a deep understanding of human emotions and relationships.
Hardy initially trained as an architect but eventually turned to writing, producing notable novels such as "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," "Jude the Obscure," and "Far from the Madding Crowd." His narratives frequently highlight themes of fate, love, and the impact of industrialization on traditional rural communities. Hardy's characters are often caught in the web of societal expectations and personal desires, leading to poignant and sometimes tragic outcomes.
💠 Main character of Jude the obscure:
1. Jude Fawley
2. Sue Bridehead
3. Arabella donn
4. Richard philloston
5. Little father time
🔷 Jude Fawley
The novel’s protagonist, a poor orphan who is raised by his great-aunt after his parents divorced and died. Jude dreams of attending the university at Christminister, but he fails to be accepted because of his working class background. He is a skilled stonemason and a kindly soul who cannot hurt any living thing. Jude’s “fatal flaw” is his weakness regarding alcohol and women, and he allows his marriage to Arabella, even though it is unhappy, to distract himself from his dream. He shares a deep connection with his cousin Sue, but their relationship is doomed by their earlier marriages, society’s disapproval, and bad luck. Jude starts out pious and religious, but by the end of his life he has grown agnostic and bitter.
🔷 Sue Bridehead
The novel’s other protagonist and Jude’s cousin. Sue’s parents were divorced and she was raised in London and Christminster. She is an extremely intelligent woman who rejects Christianity and flirts with paganism, despite working as a religious artist and then teacher. Sue is often described as “ethereal” and “bodiless” and she generally lacks sexual passion, especially compared to Jude. Sue marries Phillotson as a kind of rebuke to Jude for his own marriage to Arabella, and is then repulsed by Phillotson as a husband. She is portrayed as inconsistent and emotional, often changing her mind abruptly, but she develops a strong relationship and love with Jude. Though she starts out nonreligious, the death of her children drives Sue to a harsh, legalistic version of Christianity as she believes she is being punished for her earlier rebellion against Christianity, and she returns to Phillotson even though she never ceases to love Jude.
🔷 Arabella donn
Jude’s first wife, a vain, sensual woman who is the daughter of a pig farmer. She decides to marry Jude and so tricks him into marrying her by pretending to be pregnant. Arabella sees marriage as a kind of entrapment and as a source of financial security, and she uses whatever means necessary to get what she wants. After Jude fails to provide for her, Arabella goes to Australia and takes a new husband there. She is often contrasted with the pure, intellectual Sue, as Arabella is associated with alcohol and sexual pleasure. When she wants Jude back she gets him drunk and forces him to marry her, and when he dies (or even just before) she immediately starts seeking a new husband.
🔷 Richard philloston
Jude’s schoolmaster at Marygreen who moves to Christminster and fails to be accepted at the university there. Phillotson remains as a teacher, and he later hires Sue and falls in love with her. They marry, but Sue finds she cannot live with Phillotson as a husband. Though Phillotson is a conservative man, he finds that letting Sue leave him feels like the most moral decision, and he sticks by it even when he is punished by society for his disgrace and loses his job and respectability. Phillotson is a kindly, ethical man, but Sue’s lack of love for him causes him great torment.
🔷 Little father time
Jude’s son with Arabella, he was born in Australia and sent to England to live with Jude years later. The boy was never named or given love, and his nickname is “Little Father Time” because he seems old beyond his years. Jude and Sue christen him as “Jude,” but his old nickname sticks. Little Father Time is a world-weary, depressed child who lacks any curiosity or joy. He is portrayed as a result of the divorce, lovelessness, and bad luck in his life, and in this he acts as a symbol as well as a character. Little Father Time ultimately takes Sue’s depressed words to heart and kills himself and Sue’s two children in order to try to free Sue and Jude from their burdens.
💠 Conclusion:
In conclusion, the characters in "Jude the Obscure" by Thomas Hardy are intricately developed and serve to illustrate the novel's central themes of ambition, societal constraints, and the quest for identity. Jude Fawley, the protagonist, embodies the struggle against the rigid social structures of Victorian society as he aspires to become an educated man and a scholar. His dreams are continually thwarted by external forces and personal failures, highlighting the harsh realities of class and gender expectations.
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