Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy

Summary

Jude
Fawley dreams of studying at the university in Christminster, but his
background as an orphan raised by his working-class aunt leads him
instead into a career as a stonemason. He is inspired by the ambitions
of the town schoolmaster, Richard Phillotson, who left for Christminster
when Jude was a child. However, Jude falls in love with a young woman
named Arabella, is tricked into marrying her, and cannot leave his home
village. When their marriage goes sour and Arabella moves to Australia,
Jude resolves to go to Christminster at last. However, he finds that his
attempts to enroll at the university are met with little enthusiasm.

Jude
meets his cousin Sue Bridehead and tries not to fall in love with her.
He arranges for her to work with Phillotson in order to keep her in
Christminster, but is disappointed when he discovers that the two are
engaged to be married. Once they marry, Jude is not surprised to find
that Sue is not happy with her situation. She can no longer tolerate the
relationship and leaves her husband to live with Jude.

Both Jude
and Sue get divorced, but Sue does not want to remarry. Arabella
reveals to Jude that they have a son in Australia, and Jude asks to take
him in. Sue and Jude serve as parents to the little boy and have two
children of their own. Jude falls ill, and when he recovers, he decides
to return to Christminster with his family. They have trouble finding
lodging because they are not married, and Jude stays in an inn separate
from Sue and the children. At night Sue takes Jude's son out to look for
a room, and the little boy decides that they would be better off
without so many children. In the morning, Sue goes to Jude's room and
eats breakfast with him. They return to the lodging house to find that
Jude's son has hanged the other two children and himself. Feeling she
has been punished by God for her relationship with Jude, Sue goes back
to live with Phillotson, and Jude is tricked into living with Arabella
again. Jude dies soon after.