Jude the Obscure

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a Thinking Activity given by Dilip Barad Sir (Click here for Dilip Barad sir's Blog Site). In this blog I try to describe Marriage, Class, Women's Position in Victorian age and 'Jude The Obscure' as a Gothic Novel. Here is a link of the Study material website (Click here). 

THOMAS HARDY:-

Thomas Hardy was born on 2 June 1840 in the United Kingdom and died on 11 January 1928 in the United Kingdom. He was an English Victorian novelist, realist and Poet. He was influenced by Romanticism and Romantic Poetry. He has been popular in critics and the public too. In his novels one can find philosophy, Pessimism, Art of Characterization, Art of plot Construction, Humor, His point of you about Love and Marriage and His thoughts towards Nature. Even though he has so many ideas and categories, in most of his works 'Pessimism' is the most notable idea. His physical ill health and rapid advance of industrial life around him cause him so much pain, he gets to know failure, suffering, disappearance and frustration. These all factors are the reason for his Pessimism. 

His works like 'The Mayor of Casterbridge', 'The Return to the Native', 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' and 'Jude The Obscure' are some examples of his most pessimistic works. He was interested in showing the naked reality of society and life in his works. According to Thomas Hardy, God's are opposed to human beings, and He only wants man and woman to suffer in life. 

Here are some of his notable works:- 

• A Group of Noble Dames (1891)
• A Pair of Blue Eyes (1873)
• Far From the Madding Crowd (1874)
• Jude the Obscure (1896)
• Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891)
• The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886)
• The Return of the Native (1878)
• Under the Greenwood Tree (1872)

JUDE THE OBSCURE:-

Full name:- Jude The Obscure

Writer:- Thomas Hardy 

Genre:- Romance Novel and Fiction 

Published:- Published In an abridged form in Harper’s New Monthly as Hearts Insurgent; published in book form in 1895 (Britannica). 

Setting:- In his fiction Place named Wessex 

Important Characters:- Jude Fawley, Sue Bridehead, Arabella Donn, Richard Phillotson, Little Father Time, Aunt Drusilla. 

ARTICLES ON 'JUDE THE OBSCURE':-

🍄Mark Schauer's article with the title 'Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure':-

In this article firstly he described the point of view of 'Gossin' that according to  Gossin, Hardy’s 1895 novel Jude the Obscure, “fashioned a fictional narrative mode that closely resonates with what Alan Velie has identified as, ‘perhaps the most common form of narrative in modern fiction’— ironedy”.  It is remarkable here that indeed Hardy's work reflects reality and in the most common form of narrative, Hardy simultaneously transformed both the gothic and bildungsroman genres of literature. Schauer considers 'Jude The Obscure' as a Gothic Novel and Jude as a Gothic hero. Further with the point of view of Kraft he try to describe Gothic, Kraft argues that, “The gothic revival is represented as an ideologically motivated phenomenon used in service of exclusionary social hierarchy and religious dogma, and Jude and Sue’s work as Victorian artisans fueling this medievalism makes them, finally, complicit in their own tragedy”. In this article further he compares the status of women and men in Gothics, according to him Jude, on the other hand, was the first convincingly heterosexual man in the genre to explicitly fall victim to a patriarchal society. To compare gender in Hardy's novel, one can find male and female characters equal in most ways. (For more on this article visit the site of ResearchGate - Click here)

🍄Greg Buzwell's article with the title 'An introduction to Jude the Obscure':-

Apart from other articles this article contains  information about how Hardy used Education, Class, hypocrisy of late Victorian Society, Marriage and New Women. Further he describes, The novelist H G Wells in an unsigned piece for the Saturday Review eulogised ‘There is no other novelist alive with the breadth of sympathy, the knowledge or the power for the creation of Jude’. Buzwell gives a point that how Influence this novel in Victorian Society by this incident, The Bishop of Wakefield went even further, being reputedly so disgusted by the novel he threw his copy into the fire. This is interesting to see even In this time some modern critics and people are not ready to accept this novel as a good work of art cause it reflects the reality of society. In the point of Education Buzwell describes the status and condition of Jude. He wants to study but the University rejects his application and also the point of Class University suggests to him that working class people should remain in the working class. In a role of women and marriage describe two female characters that show how both female characters are different from each other. How Sue Bridehead supports her financial status as teacher and his viewpoint to the Marriage. 

(For more on this article visit the site of British Library - Click here)

ADAPTATIONS OF JUDE THE OBSCURE:-

🌷JUDE THE OBSCURE (1971):-

This is a series was released on BBC two based on Thomas Hardy's novel 'Jude The Obscure'. This series released on 6 February – 13 March 1971. Director of this series is Hugh David and written by Harry Green. This series divided into 6 episodes with the title as follow:-

1. At Marygreen
2. To Christminster
3. To Melchester
4. To Shaston
5. To Aldbrickham
6. Christminster Again

Cast of the Series are Robert Powell as Jude Fawley, Fiona Walker as Sue Bridehead, Alex Marshall as Arabella Donn, Daphne Heard as Aunt Drusilla Fawley, John Franklyn-Robbins as Richard Phillotson and others. 

🌷 JUDE (1996):-

This movie is based on Thomas Hardy's novel 'Jude The Obscure' in 1996 Directed by Michael Winterbottom, Produced by Andrew Eaton. Cats of the movie are Christopher Eccleston as Jude Fawley, Kate Winslet as Sue Bridehead, Liam Cunningham as Phillotson, Rachel Griffiths as Arabella, June Whitfield as Aunt Drusilla and others. 

🌷HARDY'S WOMEN (2020):-

Apart from Thomas Hardy's novel 'Jude The Obscure' other adaptations this focuses on women Character of Novel. This television program based on Thomas Hardy's 'Jude The Obscure' released on BBC Radio 4  in 3 episodes, 1 on 30 may, 2021, 2 on 6 June, 2021 and 3 one on 13 June, 2021. Directed by Emma Harding and cast are Kirsty Oswald as Sue Bridehead, Robert Emms as Jude Fawley, Linor Coleman as Arabella Donn, Julius D’Silva as Phillotson, Jane Slavin as Aunt Drusilla and others.

NOTE:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know ☺️ some of the information is collected from different sources, books and websites. 

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Photos:- 5