Jude the ObscureWhen Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure appeared in 1895, it immediately caused scandal and controversy. Its frank treatment of Jude’s sexual relationships with Arabella and Sue, its scathing criticisms of late-Victorian hypocrisy, its depiction of the “New Woman,” and its attacks on “holy wedlock” and religious bigotry outraged numerous reviewers; one called the book “Jude the Obscene.” Others saw it as brilliantly progressive in its ideas and techniques. Vivid and complex, satiric and harrowing, this novel marked the culmination of Hardy’s development as a leading novelist of the cultural transition from the Victorian to the Modernist era. The Broadview edition restores the original, controversial 1895 text. |
Contents
6 | |
7 | |
A Note on the Text | 31 |
A Brief Chronology | 33 |
Hardys Preface 1895 Revised Preface and Postscript 1912 | 37 |
JUDE THE OBSCURE | 43 |
Major Textual Changes | 437 |
Comments by Hardy | 443 |
Contemporaneous Reviews and a Parody | 446 |
Hardys Outlook | 461 |
Influences and Contexts Cultural Extracts | 466 |
Oxford Jowett and Educational Opportunity | 498 |
Divorce in Jude the Obscure | 506 |
Map of Wessex Appended to the 1895 Edition of Jude the Obscure | 510 |
515 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aldbrickham Alfredston Arabella asked aunt Beersheba began Bridehead Brown House called Cartlett child Christminster church College course cousin D.H. Lawrence dark dear divorce door edition Edlin entered eyes face father Fawley feel felt Gillingham girl gone hand Hardy's heard human husband Hymn to Proserpine J. S. Mill Jude the Obscure Jude's kiss knew late laughed letter light living lodging London looked lover marriage married Marygreen mean Melchester mind morning murmured nature never night novel Oxford passed perhaps Phillotson poem poor round Ruskin College schoolmaster seemed Shaston silent soon stood street Sue's suppose talk tell there's thing Thomas Hardy thought tion told took town train turned voice waited walked Wessex wife window wish woman women words young