Jude the Obscure

Sue and Jude try to soothe Little Father Time’s distress over their family’s situation. Little Father Time argues that, without the children, Jude and Sue would not struggle to find housing. The following morning, Sue leaves briefly only to return with Jude and discovers a horrifying scene: Little Father Time has hanged Jude and Sue’s children, then himself, leaving a note that reads, “Done because we are too menny” (273). The doctor attributes the act to a troubling trend among the new generation, who have been overwhelmed with nihilism since birth. In her grief, Sue questions their fate and her past choices, feeling culpable for the tragedy. Jude, too, is shattered. At the burial, Sue’s anguish prompts her to unearth the coffins, desperate for a final glimpse of her children. She reflects on their earlier ideals, now seemingly punished by fate. Jude brings her to her lodgings and calls the doctor. Sue delivers a stillborn baby.

Jude and Sue, struggling with their grief and guilt, settle in Beersheba. Sue, tormented by a sense of divine retribution, seeks solace in religion, while Jude remains skeptical. Sue’s newfound religious fervor drives her to contemplate returning to Phillotson, whom she now believes she never truly left. Arabella visits and Sue refuses to be identified as Jude’s wife. Sue leaves abruptly, and Jude finds Sue in church, where she interprets their children’s deaths as divine punishment. Despite Jude’s plea to stay, Sue insists on leaving, convinced that it is her duty to return to Phillotson.

Phillotson, informed of the children’s deaths, encounters Arabella, who reveals Sue’s religious transformation and belief in her marital duty to him. Saddened yet hopeful, Phillotson writes to Sue, expressing his desire for her return. Sue announces to Jude that she plans to return to Phillotson, citing duty over love. Despite Jude’s pleas, Sue remains resolute. At the cemetery, Sue bids Jude farewell, acknowledging their shared missteps. She suggests Jude remarry Arabella.

Sue arrives at Phillotson’s house in Marygreen, greeted by an attempted kiss that she recoils from. Despite her evident distress, the wedding is set for the next day, with Sue to stay at Mrs. Edlin’s. Sue’s destruction of her nightgown alarms Mrs. Edlin, who advises against the marriage. Phillotson discusses his intentions with Gillingham, contemplating the possibility of exercising strict governance over Sue. Despite doubts raised by Mrs. Edlin, Phillotson proceeds with the wedding. The ceremony unfolds amid Sue’s visible reluctance, leaving Phillotson conflicted yet resigned. He tries to mitigate Sue’s fears of intimacy by offering to respect her privacy.

Arabella seeks refuge at Jude’s lodging, claiming to be without anywhere else to go. Too kind to refuse, Jude accommodates her in the attic. Arabella reports Sue and Phillotson’s marriage. Jude is distressed and, a few days later, Arabella offers to gather updates about Sue. She returns swiftly, informing Jude that Sue burned her favorite nightgown to forget him and stating that Sue believes Phillotson is her only husband. Arabella argues she feels similarly about Jude. Jude, numbing his pain with alcohol, is led deeper into despair by Arabella, who sees an opportunity to regain his affections. An inebriated, Jude, haunted by memories of Sue, is unwittingly guided by Arabella to her father’s house.

Arabella manipulates Jude into remarrying her by keeping him in her father’s house, supplying him with alcohol, and orchestrating a continuous party for several days. Finally, Arabella states that Jude promised to remarry her while he was drunk. Though Jude initially refuses, eventually, feeling pressured to uphold his honor, he agrees to marry Arabella again. They head to the church where Arabella proudly declares their marriage as rectifying past mistakes. Jude, bitter over sacrificing his happiness for his honor, drinks.

Jude and Arabella clash as Jude falls ill. Arabella resents nursing him, wishing for a husband to provide for her instead. Jude longs for Sue, asking Arabella to write her, despite her protests. Suspecting Arabella never sent the letter, Jude, weak and ill, ventures to Marygreen to see Sue. Despite a passionate moment, Sue resists Jude’s pleas to flee with him, urging him to leave. He departs, walking to Alfredston in the rain and revisiting the Brown House and other landmarks. From Alfredston, Jude takes the train back to Christminster.

Arabella greets Jude at the station, where he reveals his visit to Sue and his desire for death. Walking home, Jude sees mocking specters of past intellectuals. At Marygreen, Sue confides in Mrs. Edlin about Jude’s visit and her enduring love. She resolves to atone by consummating her marriage with Phillotson, despite her repulsion. Sue confesses to Phillotson, who forgives her, requesting she refrain from further contact with Jude. Sue complies, reluctantly accepting Phillotson’s embrace. Mrs. Edlin ponders the ironic resemblance between weddings and funerals.

Months pass, and Jude’s illness wanes before resurging. Reflecting on his unrealized dream of Christminster, he learns that universities are becoming more inclusive. Arabella offers to have Sue’s visit, but Jude refuses. Mrs. Edlin visits and reveals that Sue and Phillotson consummated their marriage, and that Sue experienced it as penance. Jude mourns that Sue has given up her earlier ideas. Physician Vilbert arrives, and Arabella flirts with him. She subtly poisons Jude’s wine with Vilbert’s tonic, contemplating remarriage.

As Remembrance Day festivities once again commence, Arabella leaves Jude alone. She joins the revelry, flirting with men, while Jude, near death, recalls Sue’s defilement. Jude dies alone, lamenting his existence. Arabella, enjoying the festival, curses his timing upon finding him deceased. She delays reporting his death, mingling with Physician Vilbert at the boat races. Jude’s funeral is attended only by Arabella and Mrs. Edlin. Mrs. Edlin hopes that, despite Sue’s perpetual misery and aversion to Phillotson, she has found peace and forgiveness. Arabella insists Sue will find neither until death reunites her with Jude.