Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

By Bright Summaries

Unlock the more straightforward side of Jude the Obscure with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy, which follows the title character from boyhood to adulthood as he strives to better himself and obtain an education in Christminster, a fictional city based on Oxford. However, his humble beginnings hold him back, as do his unconventional beliefs. After being tricked into marriage by the manipulative Arabella, he falls in love with his cousin Sue, but as both of them reject the institution of marriage, they live together and have children out of wedlock, to the shock of those around them. Although the novel can be seen as deeply rooted in its time with its overt criticism of Victorian morality, its story of impossible love and frustrated ambition means that it continues to resonate with readers today.

Find out everything you need to know about Jude the Obscure in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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• Language: English
• Publisher: BrightSummaries.com
• Release date: Apr 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9782808016841

Book preview

ENGLISH NOVELIST, SHORT STORY WRITER AND POET

Born in Dorchester, England in 1840.

Died in Dorchester, England in 1928.

Notable works:

Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), novel

The Return of the Native (1878), novel

The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character (1886), novel

Thomas Hardy was an English author whose life spanned both the Victorian and the Edwardian eras and who wrote about contemporary social issues, usually seen through the lives of central, tragic characters, both male and female, who struggled against the mores of their time. Coming from a poor family, but with a literate mother, Hardy left school at 16 to become an architect, later continuing his education at King’s College London, and working there before leaving the city five years later to return to Dorset and pursue a career in writing. He married and then left his wife Emma, and although he remarried his secretary, Emma’s subsequent death had a profound effect on him and influenced much of his later poetry. After initially struggling for literary acceptance, his work gained in popularity and he became a respected writer and poet.

Hardy was highly critical of many aspects of Victorian society, questioning accepted values on