The Theme of Marriage in Jude the Obscure

Veronika Spiegelov

Subject: English literature of the 19th century

Teacher: Bernadette Higgins, M.A.

Next to the criticism of fixed class boundaries, unequal access to education, and religious conventions,
one of the main themes of Thomas Hardys Jude the Obscure is the criticism of the institution of
marriage which goes hand in hand with the criticism of moral hypocrisy of Victorian England in
general. Hardys book depicts the pressure of social and religious conventions preventing English
people from following their unconventional beliefs without having to except many harsh
consequences. Hardy is not afraid to paint a realistic picture of marriage and all the rigours of it. He
does not avoid controversial issues such as divorce and marital inequality.
Through different characters Hardy expresses a lot of skepticism concerning long lasting happy
marriages. There is not one happy depiction of marriage in this book. All of them end badly for
different reasons. The problem with Juda and Arabellas, and Sue and Mr. Phillotsons first marriage
was a rushed decision to get married. Juda is taken over by a fleeting instinct, an attraction that is new
to him, instinct that he does not known until he meets Arabella. He puts aside all his aspirations to go
to Christminster and become a scholar. He lets go of his dreams and gets married to Arabella who
claims to be pregnant. It soon emerges that it was a false alarm and that the marriage is not going to
last. Their lives were ruined, he thought; ruined by the fundamental error of their matrimonial union:
that of having based a permanent contract on a temporary feeling which had no necessary connection
with affinities that alone render a lifelong comradeship tolerable. (Hardy 57) After a big fight
Arabella decides to leave Juda and he lets her go because he does not see any point in maintaining an
unhappy marriage. Similarly, Sue expresses sceptical views concerning a possible happier future of
her non-functioning marriage with Mr. Phillotson. She refuses the idea of getting used to living in a
marriage she is unhappy in. And it is said that what a woman shrinks from--in the early days of her
marriage--she shakes down to with comfortable indifference in half a dozen years. But that is much
like saying that the amputation of a limb is no affliction, since a person gets comfortably accustomed
to the use of a wooden leg or arm in the course of time! (Hardy 184) She regrets marrying Mr.
Phillotson. She says she did not know what marriage was and believes everybody should have a
chance to take their decision back. I am certain one ought to be allowed to undo what one had done
so ignorantly! I dare say it happens to lots of women, only they submit, and I kick... (Hardy 186)
When Juda and Sue discuss whether they should get married or not, they are both influenced by their
past bad experience with marriage. Juda wants to avoid buying a months pleasure with a lifes
discomfort ( Hardy 227). Sue holds the view than once people are obligated to love each other on the
basis of a marriage contract they suddenly stop loving each other. ..,it is foreign to a man's nature to
go on loving a person when he is told that he must and shall be that person's lover. (Hardy 227) She
believes that if people were told not to love, there would be much more happy couples. Also they are
afraid that marriage would ruin their relationship just as it did to their parents and grandparents.
Arabella on the other hand is not against marriage but her attitude towards it is very pragmatic. She
even advises Sue to get married to Juda. Then let him, in Heaven's name. Life with a man is more

businesslike after it, and money matters work better. And then, you see, if you have rows, and he turns
you out of doors, you can get the law to protect you, which you can't otherwise, unless he half-runs
you through with a knife, or cracks your noddle with a poker. (Hardy 236) Jude and Sue finally
decide to live together as a husband and wife but they refuse to get married. But their experiment is
not very successful. Perhaps the world is not illuminated enough for such experiments as ours! Who
were we, to think we could act as pioneers! (Hardy 312) For acting differently than expected by the
society, they have to suffer their life together is considered sinful and inappropriate, they have
difficulties to find lodgings, Juda is dismissed from his stones man work in a church. They even go on
holiday and pretend to get married there in order to quiten their judgmental neighbours. And even
though Sue comes across as quite a determined person when it comes to her beliefs, it is possible to
notice that even before she changes her attitude and leaves Juda, a bad feeling about not following the
conventions is in her. One day when she sees Richard in a crowd, she says to Juda: Although I know
it is alright with our plans, I felt a curious dread of him, an awe, or terror, of conventions I dont
believe in. (Hardy 290)
This book also presents some quite progressive ideas concerning divorce and the equality of husband
and wife mostly through the beliefs and feelings of the free spirited and unconventional Sue and also
by Mr. Phillotson. Sue, a progressive and independent woman as she is, wants to be with Juda out of
her free will, not on the basis of a contract they conclude. She does not like the idea of being given
away by somebody. According to the ceremony as there printed, my bridegroom chooses me of his
own will and pleasure; but I don't choose him. Somebody GIVES me to him, like a she-ass or shegoat, or any other domestic animal. (Hardy 146) Mr. Phillotson acts regardless of conventions when
he agrees to Sue leaving him. He even pronounces one of the bravest feminist lines in this book: I
don't see why the woman and the children should not be the unit without the man. (Hardy 203) His
idea is definitely not well accepted and understood by the conventional society represented mainly by
Mr. Phillotsons friend, the clergyman Gillingham and also at times by pragmatically thinking
Arabella. The conflict is well represented by the discussion Gillingham has with Mr. Phillotson before
he lets Sue go. Gillingham sees Sue as a whimsical creature that needs to be supressed by her husband.
I think she ought to be smacked, and brought to her senses--that's what I think! (Hardy 203) When
Arabella talks to Mr. Phillotson towards the end of the story, she expresses ideas similar to
Gillinghams and pretty much blames him for letting her go. I should have kept her chained on--her
spirit for kicking would have been broke soon enough! There's nothing like bondage and a stone-deaf
taskmaster for taming us women. (Hardy 279) Mr. Phillotson is also punished for acting
unconventionally by the loss of his job and social status despite his own belief that he is doing the
right thing. His own morality does not correspond to the ideal of morality of the majority society. Sue
believes that worse than a bad marriage itself is the absence of ability to end it. It is none of the

natural tragedies of love that's love's usual tragedy in civilized life, but a tragedy artificially
manufactured for people who in a natural state would find relief in parting! (Hardy 186)
Towards the end of the story, Hardy shows what a religion is capable of, how big an influence it can
have on people. Sue, a great critic of Christianity, suddenly turns to the church in order to deal with the
disaster. She sees it as a punishment for disrespecting conventions and despising religion. In the
wedding ceremony, she was given to Mr. Phillotson, so she belonged to him and nobody else. Arabella
remarries Juda. This act is well appreciated by the church and society. For having heard your history,
and that of your husband, I think you have both done the right and proper thing. And for your past
errors as a wife, and his as a husband, I think you ought now to be forgiven by the world, as you have
forgiven each other,' says he (a clergy man). (Hardy 338) When Sue kisses Juda after the re-marriage
to Mr. Phillotson, she punishes herself even further by agreeing to have sexual intercourse with him
even though he does not ask her to do that and despite the disgust it cases her. --that though I like Mr.
Phillotson as a friend, I don't like him--it is a torture to me to--live with him as a husband! (Hardy
184)
The controversial ideas expressed by Thomas Hardy in his book Jude the Obscure cause him the
future possibility to publish any other prose. It is a very critical and quite depressing but also very
progressive for its time. To finish, here is a citation by Mrs Edlin, Judas and Sues older friend and
helper, commenting on the seriousness marriage is treated with by the main protagonists: I dont
know what the times be coming to! Matrimony have growned to be that serious in these days that one
really do feel afeard to move in it at all. In my time we took it more careless, and I dont know we
were any the worse for it! (Hardy 325)

Works Cited
Hardy, Thomas. Jude the Obscure. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1993.