Yikes, Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy is bleak. Jude is an orphan who grows up to lead an obscure life. His dreams were thwarted, loves were lost, and beliefs shifted over time. The writing is lovely, but the story felt a little long and repetitious to me in some places. The characters had an interesting mix of qualities and the examination of their thoughts as well as actions is part of what Hardy does so well.
Jude the orphan is as sad as any Dickens orphan ever written. Poor little guy really isn’t loved or wanted and doesn’t fit in with the “average folk” in the village, though his aunt raises and cares for him and a few others in town take a sporadic interest in him. He has the goal of a classical education at the equivalent of Oxford – and he teaches himself Latin and Greek! I’m not the greatest with languages, so this seems pretty impressive to me. His intelligence sets him apart from others and eventually draws him to his cousin Sue, who also has an interest in classical literature, myths, and principles. The feeling of being different plays out in many ways for both of these characters, as they often dispense with social mores of the time. Their love of intellectual debate on religion and principles to live by is lovely to read. It is very apparent that these two belong together and don’t relate well to others. Jude and Sue are engaged by each other physically and intellectually and, to some extent (particularly for Jude) emotionally.
Sue is an odd duck. She is very independent and looks askance at religion, marriage and most of other accepted conventions. But, she is so extreme, inconsistent, and difficult to follow that I had a hard time really liking her. For all her intellectual adherence to her principles and beliefs, she seemed to lack the emotional component – unlike Jude, who sought acceptance and love in addition to intellectual growth. She is so focused on maintaining her independence and promoting her own beliefs that she can be off-putting to others. This obsessive quality borders on (or crosses into) mental illness. Later in life she becomes fanatically religious – driven by guilt of her perceived sins – and her mental illness becomes more profound (understandably given some tragic turns).
In many ways, the views of marriage espoused by Jude and Sue would be in the mainstream today, but at the time (1890s) it was scandalous. Sue completely rejected religion and the construct of marriage; Jude was less strident on both but was certainly out-of-step with the prevailing views of proper behavior. Certainly women are better regarded now and the notion of obedience to one’s husband has, for many people, given way to a balance of power. Yet, the views of marriage influence the story to lurch from one reality to another and then to another. Jude and Sue marry others for honor and desperation, respectively, then divorce and live together, then remarry their original spouses again for honor and desperation. The gossip about their unusual living arrangements affected their ability to work and live where they want. Their respective spouses (Arabella and Richard) play interesting roles – often manipulating the situation to their own advantage. As a single woman, I’m so glad I don’t have to negotiate the marriage issues of the late 19th century!
The lack of opportunity for poor and middle-class students was highlighted, as both Jude and Sue could have been in the academic circles but instead, they were common laborers – obscure in the eyes of society. Those with whom they worked and lived among thought them strange; those they would have liked to interact with barely acknowledged their existance. They hoped for more for their children, but a horrible turn of events ended those dreams and plunged Jude and Sue into a new level of obscurity – poverty for him and subjugation for her.
This story also highlights the consequences of early actions. Jude marries Arabella because he thinks she is pregnant – she isn’t. Sue marries Richard largely because Jude is already married when they meet and she is afraid that she has nowhere else to go. Those early actions have far-reaching consequences that change the course of their lives, individually and as a couple. I’ve left out details of the horrible tragedy, as it really is something to experience. Two things that would have improved the novel would be addressing the aforementioned repetition and dialing back Sue’s extreme beliefs and behaviors. However, the book is a great story, though (be warned) don’t expect any happiness at any point!
