Two "Victorian" Women in Jude the Obscure --A Reconsideration of Arabella and Sue--

IR (HANDLE) Web Site Open Access
  • NAGAMORI, Akemi
    Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 『日陰者ジュード』における2人の「ヴィクトリア朝的」女たち --アラベラとスーの再考--

Search this article

Description

Jude the Obscure (1895), the final novel by Thomas Hardy, was labeled as a "sensational" work and severely criticized. It is generally believed that such criticism was what caused him to give up writing novels. The story has two important female characters, the protagonist's cousin and de facto wife, Sue Bridehead, and his legal wife, Arabella Donn. As the author wrote to his friend, "the book is all contrasts--or was meant to be in its original conception" (Hardy, Life 281), the two women also contrast with each other. Many studies say that Arabella is the embodiment of the "flesh, " and Sue is that of the "spirit." However, as most of these studies on Jude have mainly examined the character of Sue Bridehead, they have overlooked that of Arabella. By reconsidering Arabella as well as Sue, this paper argues that they do not represent "flesh" and "spirit, " but the attitudes and actions of both women reflect the values of the feminist movement of that era, and conventional ideas at the same time.

Journal

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top