E - E - 405 Thomas Hardy - “Jude the Obscure as Pessimistic Novel”

Assignment Paper: - E-E – 405 A study of special Author

                                 Thomas Hardy as aNovelist

                                   

Topic                      : -“Jude the Obscure as Pessimistic Novel”

 Student’s name    : - Makwana Jayshri D.

Roll no                  : - 14

URL                      :-makwanajayshri261011.blogspot.com

Semester              : - 4

Batch                    : - 2011-12

                                 

                                              Submitted to,

                                                Dr. Dilip Barad

                                                Department of English

                                                Bhavnagar University.

“Jude the Obscure as Pessimistic Novel”

                               Pessimism is a state of mind in which one perceives life negatively. Value judgments may vary dramatically between individuals, even when judgments of fact are undisputed. The most common example of this phenomenon is the "Is the glass half empty or half full?” situation. The degree in which situations like these are evaluated as something good or something bad can be described in terms of one's optimism or pessimism respectively.

                    Hardy was the painter of darker side of life as it was no wonder if people charged him of “pessimist”. The opinion is both right and wrong in this context. In fact, there are some factors that compel us to believe him a pessimist. He was hypersensitive; his own life was tragic and gloomy. For a speculative soul, this world is a thorny field. The gloomy effect of his age plays an important role in his writings. Doubts, despair, disbelief, frustration, industrial revolution, disintegration of old social and economic structure, Darwin’s theory of evolution were the chief characteristics of that age. All these factors probe deep into his writings and heighten its somber, melancholic and tragic vision. His pessimism is also the outcome of the impressions that he receives from villager’s life.  ‘Jude the obscure’ is a terribly dark work of art, perhaps even darker than the other tragic novels that Hardy wrote in his later years. The central tragic murderous act – committed by a child is probably one of the most hearts – breaking passages in literary history. Even at such an early age, the child realized how sad and empty the world is. Hardy imbued Jude with hope for everything that the author considered dear: intellectual vigor, rationality, unconventionality. But, the author then allows all of Jude's hopes to be utterly destroyed. While writing Jude the Obscure, something of Hardy's own optimism in the power of his fiction was slowly draining away.

                         The central character of the novel is Jude Fawley, whose situation can definitely be seen as emotionally tragic, because he is “trapped by a combination of external circumstances as well as his moral flaws”. Jude is “trapped by the things he can’t control from the very beginning of the novel. Jude’s dreams of university education are thwarted, Jude also gets “trapped” in his relationships with woman. Jude can also be considered as a tragic character, because he often makes wrong decisions; and this demonstrates the weaknesses of his character. Jude always dreamt about a university education, but he “has not even found out how to apply for admission to a college.” (Harvey 90) Even though he is naturally smart, he is just a working man. At Hardy’s time, it was impossible for a poor person to get an advanced education. This is represented by the ‘terribly sensible advice’ of the Master of one the colleges, that he should keep his trade. (Hardy 95) Jude ‘knew it was true. Yet it seemed a hard slap after ten years of labour.’(Hardy 95) After that, he starts drinking alcohol, because he can’t handle it. He feels being caught in a trap; instead of doing something to help the situation, he chooses being self-destructive. This shows Jude’s emotional weakness.

                                  Jude also gets ‘trapped’ in his relationship with Arabella and Sue. Arabella represents the lure of the flesh, but offends Jude by her grossness; while Sue stands for sensitivity and intellect, but frustrates him by her sexual reticence. Jude is in love with Sue, but she marries Phillotson. Besides, they are cousins, and they can’t be together because of social expectations of their time. Sue’s marriage rehearsal in the church is very painful for Jude. This shows Jude’s emotional weakness again. Jude and Sue have an emotional connection. Jude expects her to say that she loves him, but she doesn’t ‘arow it’ (Hardy, 140)

                               Jude begins to develop a tragic view of life. He feels that he is getting kicked around for no reason, and nobody seems to care about him, God in particular. Jude’s pessimism can be clearly seen in part third of the novel. “And then he again uneasily saw …. the scorn of Nature for man’s finer emotions, and her lack of interests in his aspirations”. (Hardy 141) Hardy called Jude’s experience the tragedy of unfulfilled aims, which is manifested in the series of human betrays and self – betrayals.