Jude the Obscure

While Jude is focused on attaining an education at Christminster, the novel depicts a number of other examples of learning institutions. Choose two or three examples to analyze in terms of the broader theme of education.

Compare and contrast Sue Bridehead with Arabella Donn. How do they each endeavor to assert independence and autonomy? Provide evidence from the text to illustrate your points.

Compare and contrast Jude Fawley with Richard Phillotson. Discuss the admirable traits exhibited by each character as well as their flaws. Provide evidence from the text to illustrate your points.

At the beginning of the novel, the young Jude worries about having to grow up to be a man. What does the novel as a whole have to say about masculinity and what it means to be “a man”?

How does the notion of personal responsibility function in the novel? To what extent do the different characters take responsibility for their situations? Compare at least two figures.

The characters in Jude the Obscure experience a spectrum of sexual desires and relationships, some accepted and others deemed transgressive. Analyze how the novel portrays these different aspects of sexuality and their impact on the characters’ lives. Use specific examples to support your answer.

Jude the Obscure features multiple ill-fated marriages. Analyze how these relationships function as a critique of expectations and limitations surrounding marriage.

In Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy explores the tension between personal aspirations and the constraints imposed by society. Analyze how the characters’ experiences reflect this conflict.