Flashcards for Jude the Obscure

Arabella Donn

Arabella Donn is a tough, practical pig-farmer's daughter from Marygreen who becomes Jude Fawley's first wife and a constant disruptive presence throughout the novel.

character

Aunt Drusilla

Aunt Drusilla Fawley is Jude's great-aunt and surrogate parent in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, taking care of him after he loses his parents in the village of Marygreen.

character

Jude Fawley

Jude Fawley is the tragic protagonist of Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895).

character

Little Father Time (Jude's son)

Little Father Time is Jude and Arabella's son, introduced late in the novel when Arabella unexpectedly sends him to live with Jude and Sue in Aldbrickham.

character

Mrs. Edlin

Mrs. Edlin is an elderly widow and neighbor of Aunt Drusilla in Marygreen, serving as the novel's quiet moral witness and practical caretaker.

character

Richard Phillotson

Richard Phillotson is a schoolmaster whose unfulfilled dreams and troubled marriage to Sue Bridehead make him one of the novel's most quietly tragic characters.

character

Sue Bridehead

Sue Bridehead is the intellectual and emotional core of Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy's last novel.

character

Tinker Taylor

Tinker Taylor is a minor yet atmospherically important character in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, mainly appearing in the tavern scenes of Christminster that highlight Jude Fawley's doomed intellectual ambitions.

character

“I am in a chaos of principles — groping in the dark — acting by instinct and not after example.”

This heart-wrenching confession comes from Jude Fawley, the tragic hero of the novel, as he struggles with the conflicting forces that are tearing his life apart — his unfulfilled academic dreams, his unconventional relationship with Sue Bridehead, and his struggle to balance faith with rational doubt.

Jude Fawley · Part VI

“Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.”

This anguished cry comes from Jude Fawley in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895), after the heartbreaking discovery that his son, Father Time (Little Father Time), has hanged himself along with his younger siblings, leaving behind a note that reads, "Done because we are too menny."

Jude Fawley · Part Sixth, Chapter II

“I have been looking for God fifty years, and I think that if he had existed I should have discovered him.”

This stark statement comes from Jude Fawley's great-aunt, Drusilla Fawley, in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895).

Drusilla Fawley · Part I, Chapter 2

“My doctrines and I began to part company.”

This line is spoken by Jude Fawley, the tragic protagonist of Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895).

Jude Fawley · Part Third (At Melchester)

“To be sure — what right had a man of that sort to take a woman away from a comfortable home?”

This sharp comment comes from Arabella Donn's father after she leaves Jude Fawley to move to Australia, effectively ending their troubled marriage.

Arabella's father (Mr. Donn) · Part First (At Marygreen), Chapter XI

“Strange that his first aspiration — towards academical proficiency — had been checked by a woman, and that his second aspiration — towards apostleship — had also been checked by a woman.”

This reflective passage comes from Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895) and is narrated in close third-person, capturing Jude Fawley's bitter self-reflection.

Narrator (Jude Fawley's free indirect thought) · Part Fourth (At Shaston)

“Cruelty is the law pervading all nature and society; and we can't get out of it if we would.”

This grim statement comes from Jude Fawley in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895), shared during one of the novel's darkest moments of introspection.

Jude Fawley · Part VI

“I was, perhaps, after all, a paltry victim to the spirit of mental and social restlessness that makes so many unhappy in these days.”

This line is voiced by Jude Fawley near the end of Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895) as he bitterly reflects on his failed ambitions and the life he has lost.

Jude Fawley · Part Sixth (At Christminster Again)

“Done because we are too menny.”

This heartbreaking note is written by the child known as Father Time — the son of Jude and Arabella — and is found pinned to his clothes after he has hanged his younger siblings and himself in the lodging-house closet.

Father Time (Little Jude) · Part Fifth, Chapter 3

“There is something external to us which says, 'You shan't!' First it said, 'You shan't learn!' Then it said, 'You shan't labour!' Now it says, 'You shan't love!'”

This anguished declaration comes from Jude Fawley, the tragic protagonist of the novel, as he reflects on the unending obstacles that have crushed his ambitions throughout his life.

Jude Fawley · Part VI

“She was Sue Bridehead, and she was not for him.”

This line comes from Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895) and is presented through close third-person narration centered on Jude Fawley, Hardy's tragic hero.

Narrator (focalized through Jude Fawley)

“The world is only a psychological phenomenon.”

This line is spoken by Sue Bridehead in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895) and highlights her deeply idealistic and unconventional views on mind and reality.

Sue Bridehead · Part VI

Christminster (Oxford)

In Jude the Obscure, Christminster—Hardy's thinly veiled version of Oxford—represents the alluring yet oppressive nature of unattainable dreams.

Jude's Model of Christminster

In Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, Jude Fawley's handcrafted model of Christminster reflects his deep desire for intellectual growth and a sense of belonging in a society that consistently denies him both.

Little Father Time's Suicide Note

In Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, Little Father Time's suicide note — "Done because we are too menny" — symbolizes the harsh cruelty of society and the heavy burden of Victorian indifference towards the poor and marginalized.

The Creed of Nicaea

In Jude the Obscure, the Nicene Creed highlights the painful divide between what institutions promise and what people actually experience.

The Letter J Scratched in Stone

In Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, the letter "J" carved into stone symbolizes Jude Fawley's desperate and ultimately fruitless quest for permanence and identity.

The Pig Killing

In Jude the Obscure, the pig killing symbolizes the harsh indifference of fate and society toward the dreams of the poor and sensitive.

Irony

Hardy fills the novel with a sharp sense of structural irony: Jude Fawley, a talented stonemason with remarkable intellectual abilities, is kept out of Christminster (Oxford) not because he lacks skill but due to his social class.

Symbolism

Christminster serves as the main symbol in the novel, changing in meaning as Jude grows older.

Imagery

Hardy's use of visual and tactile imagery focuses on stone, coldness, and confinement.

Pathetic Fallacy

Hardy uses weather and landscape to evoke emotions throughout his work.

Allusion

The novel is packed with biblical and classical references that enhance Jude's tragic story.

Motif

The motif of thwarted journeys is central to the novel.

Paradox

The novel's main paradox is that knowledge tends to destroy rather than free us.

Dramatic Monologue

Though the novel is told from a third-person perspective, Hardy allows several characters to share lengthy insights that feel like dramatic monologues, revealing aspects of their psychology that the speakers themselves may not fully grasp.

Juxtaposition

Hardy builds the novel on the constant clash between ambition and harsh reality.

Extended Metaphor

Hardy weaves a powerful metaphor of entrapment through architecture throughout the novel.

Elegy

The novel as a whole has an elegiac quality, mourning not just one death but a series of losses: Jude's shattered intellectual dreams, the children, the bond between Jude and Sue, and ultimately Jude himself.

Free Verse

While Jude the Obscure is a work of prose fiction, Hardy's narrative style in key passages moves away from the typical rhythms of Victorian prose, leaning instead towards a style reminiscent of free verse in its cadence and flow of thought.

absolute certainty

Something that is completely guaranteed and cannot be doubted in any way; here used to stress that only one fact about Jude could be stated without any question at all.

phrase · Chapter 1

bookish

Devoted to reading and study rather than practical or social activities; describing a person who prefers books and learning over outdoor or social life.

adjective · Chapter 1

great-aunt

The aunt of one's parent; a family elder one generation above an aunt, here acting as Jude's guardian.

noun · Chapter 1

enthusiasm

A sudden, intense feeling of eager interest or passion for something or someone, here suggesting Jude's feelings shift quickly and powerfully.

noun · Chapter 2

apostleship

The calling or role of spreading religious faith, like one of Christ's apostles; here referring to Jude's ambition to become a minister or church worker.

noun · Chapter 4

aspiration

A strong hope or ambition to achieve something important, especially a goal that requires long effort and dedication.

noun · Chapter 4

academical proficiency

A high level of skill and achievement in university-level scholarship and learning; the goal of excelling in formal academic study.

phrase · Chapter 4

Tractarian

Relating to the Oxford Movement of the 1830s–40s, which sought to bring the Church of England closer to Catholic tradition and ritual; here describing one strand of Sue's contradictory religious views.

adjective · Chapter 3

Rationalist

Guided by reason and evidence rather than religious faith or tradition; here describing the opposing, skeptical side of Sue's beliefs.

adjective · Chapter 3

advanced

Holding progressive or unconventional opinions that go beyond what most people in that era accepted, especially regarding religion, society, or the role of women.

adjective · Chapter 3

dubbed

Informally labelled or nicknamed by others; given a particular title or description by common social opinion rather than any official designation.

verb · Chapter 3

mixed with

Spent time socially with a group of people; associated closely with them on equal or near-equal terms.

phrase · Chapter 3

stability

Firmness of character, emotion, or purpose; the quality of being reliably consistent and not prone to sudden changes of feeling or decision.

noun · Chapter 3

beggarly

Contemptibly small or unimportant; used here to dismiss a question as too trivial and mean-spirited to deserve serious attention.

adjective · Chapter 5

parentage

The identity of a person's parents and the family line they come from; biological origin as a social or legal fact.

noun · Chapter 5

by blood

Through biological descent rather than adoption, marriage, or any other legal tie; related by actual genetic family connection.

phrase · Chapter 5

selfish

Concerned only with one's own pleasure or benefit without regard for the needs or welfare of other people.

adjective · Chapter 5

menny

A child's misspelling of 'many'; used in the novel to show that the note was written by a young child and to make the tragedy feel more raw and heartbreaking.

adjective · Chapter 6

paltry

Pitifully small or worthless; here used to describe a person as a pathetic, insignificant casualty of larger social forces.

adjective · Chapter 6

restlessness

A state of constant dissatisfaction and inability to settle, here describing a widespread modern mood that drives people to question their place in society and seek change.

noun · Chapter 6

stentorian

Extremely loud and powerful, like a voice that commands a large crowd; used here to show how the force opposing Jude grew from a hint to an overwhelming command.

adjective · Chapter 6

external

Coming from outside oneself; belonging to the world or society rather than to one's own will or inner life.

adjective · Chapter 6

shan't

A contraction of 'shall not'; a firm prohibition or refusal, here personifying an outside force that forbids Jude and Sue from achieving happiness.

verb · Chapter 6