Thinking Activity on Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure

As part of our classwork, Prof. Dilip Barad Sir (Department of English, MKBU) gave us a task to do a thinking activity on Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure. 

Activity 1

The Epigraph: “The letter killeth” 

“The letter killeth” is a phrase from the Bible, specifically 2 Corinthians 3:6, which says something like:

“The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” 

Jude the Obscure carries Hardy’s striking epigraph: “The letter killeth.” What is the significance of this Biblical quotation (2 Corinthians 3:6) for the novel?

The biblical epigraph “The letter killeth” (2 Corinthians 3:6) is significant in Jude the Obscure as it symbolizes how rigid laws, social norms, and institutional rules like those of the Church, marriage, and education destroy individual freedom, love, and ambition. 

Reflect on how Hardy employs this epigraph to critique rigid institutional structures such as church, marriage, and education.

Hardy uses the epigraph “The letter killeth” to show how rigid institutions Church, marriage, and education destroy lives by prioritizing law over human compassion.

Education: 

Jude dreams of studying at Christminster, but despite his intelligence, he is rejected because of his lower-class background. The university follows the "letter" of social class and tradition, ignoring the "spirit" of learning and merit.

Marriage:

 Jude is tricked into marrying Arabella and later cannot legally be with Sue without social condemnation. Their love is sincere, but society punishes them because it does not follow the legal form of marriage.

Religion: 

After the death of her children, Sue feels guilty for living in sin and returns to her former husband out of religious fear. The Church’s strict moral codes destroy her emotional and spiritual well-being.

In your argument, consider: Does the “letter” represent law, dogma, and textual authority? And does Hardy contrast it with the “spirit” of human desire, compassion, and intellectual freedom?

Yes, in Jude the Obscure, the “letter” represents law, dogma, and textual authority the rigid rules of institutions like the Church, marriage, and education. Hardy contrasts this with the “spirit,” which symbolizes human desire, compassion, and intellectual freedom.

• Jude’s rejection by Christminster shows how academic institutions value status and rules over passion for learning 
• His and Sue’s loving relationship is condemned because it doesn’t fit legal marriage, showing how law kills genuine emotion.
• Sue’s emotional breakdown and return to her former husband after tragedy reflect how religious dogma overrides personal belief and freedom.

Activity 2

The Epigraph of Esdras and the Myth of Bhasmasur

Hardy opens Jude the Obscure with the epigraph from Esdras:

“Yea, many there be that have run out of their wits for women, and become servants for their sakes.Many also have perished, have erred, and sinned, for women…O ye men, how can it be but women should be strong, seeing they do thus?” — Esdras

• This biblical quotation foregrounds the power of desire and the consequences of passion, particularly Jude’s relationships with Arabella and Sue.

• The passage suggests that men’s folly, servitude, and even destruction stem from their entanglements with women a perspective that can be read both as patriarchal moralizing and as Hardy’s ironic commentary.

Myth of Bhasmasur:

• In Hindu mythology, Bhasmasur is granted a boon that allows him to reduce anyone to ashes by placing his hand on their head. Blinded by desire, he attempts to use this boon against his own benefactor and eventually destroys himself.

Can Jude’s passion and obsession with women (first Arabella, then Sue) be seen as a similar self-destructive force?

Yes, Jude’s intense passion and obsession with Arabella and Sue can be seen as a self-destructive force, much like the myth of Bhasmasur, who destroys himself through desire. Jude’s longing for love and companionship blinds him to harsh realities and traps him in damaging relationships. 

Does Hardy imply that Jude’s tragedy comes not simply from social institutions (Church, university, marriage) but also from his own relentless, almost mythic enslavement to desire?

Hardy suggests that Jude’s tragedy arises from both external and internal forces. On one hand, rigid social institutions like the Church, the university, and marriage laws impose harsh restrictions and condemn Jude’s desires, contributing heavily to his downfall. On the other hand, Jude’s own relentless pursuit of love, intellectual aspiration, and idealistic longing reflects a deeper, mythic enslavement to desire that blinds him to compromise or practicality. 

1. How should we read Hardy’s use of this epigraph?

Hardy uses the epigraph from Esdras ironically — not to endorse the idea that women cause men’s ruin, but to set the stage for a critique of that very belief. The quote reflects a traditional, patriarchal mindset that the novel exposes as flawed. As Jude’s story unfolds, it becomes clear that his downfall is not simply due to women, but to the social systems and moral codes that make love and desire dangerous.

2. Is it a misogynistic warning that blames women for male downfall?

On the surface, the epigraph seems misogynistic, blaming women for men’s errors. However, Hardy complicates this view. Arabella and Sue are not villains; they are victims of their own social constraints. Jude's suffering stems more from his own idealism and the oppressive structures around him than from any fault of the women. 

3. Or is it an ironic criticism of a society that codes desire as dangerous and turns natural affection into ruin through rigid laws and moral judgments?

Yes  Hardy’s real target is the society that condemns natural human desires. Jude and Sue are destroyed not by love, but by the institutionsthat refuse to accept non conformity. Like the myth of Bhasmasur, Jude’s passion becomes self-destructive because it clashes with societal norms, not because love is inherently fatal.  

By juxtaposing this with the myth of Bhasmasur, reflect: is Hardy warning about the perils of desire itself, or about a society that weaponizes desire into guilt and destruction?

By juxtaposing Jude’s story with the myth of Bhasmasur, Hardy is not warning against desire itself, but against a society that weaponizes it. Like Bhasmasur, Jude’s natural longing becomes destructive only because it exists in a world that turns love into sin and punishes those who defy rigid norms. Hardy shows that it’s not passion that ruins Jude, but the guilt, judgment, and repression imposed by society.

Activity 3

Challenging Point for Critical Thinking

1.Hardy was accused of writing a “pessimistic” and “immoral” novel. Yet, many scholars

argue that Jude the Obscure is not simply destructive but prophetic. People often said Jude the Obscure was too negative or immoral, but many readers and scholars believe Hardy was actually trying to show the truth about a harsh society. The novel may feel sad, but it's not just about pain it's a strong warning against unfair systems like marriage rules, religion, and education that hurt people who don’t fit in. 

2.Do you think Hardy anticipates modern existential dilemmas questions of meaning, identity, and belonging in an indifferent universe?

Yes, I can definitely interpret Jude the Obscure as anticipating modern existential dilemmas  and here's how to frame that in your interpretation, using simple and critical language:

Hardy’s novel shows that Jude is not just struggling with society, but also with deeper questions about who he is, what his life means, and where he belongs. He faces a world that offers him no clear answers  the Church rejects him, the university excludes him, and even love brings pain. 

3. In your blog, argue whether Jude the Obscure should be read merely as social criticism of Victorian institutions or as a proto-existential novel that resonates with later thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Camus, or Sartre.

In my view, Jude the Obscure should not be read only as a criticism of Victorian society. While Hardy clearly attacks unfair institutions like marriage, religion, and education, the novel also goes deeper. Jude’s pain is not just because of social rules it’s also about his inner struggle with meaning, identity, and belonging. He keeps asking: Why am I here? What is the point of all this suffering? These are the same kinds of questions that later existential thinkers like Kierkegaard, Camus, and Sartre explored.  

 References:

https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Jude-the-Obscure/themes/?utm

https://www.litcharts.com/lit/jude-the-obscure/themes/marriage?utm

https://journals.openedition.org/fathom/139?utm

https://www.litcharts.com/lit/jude-the-obscure/themes/social-criticism?utm