Jude the Obscure: Week 3 - Part Third

[Everyman]

S. Rosemary wrote: "I recognize that [Sue] is confused and unhappy and searching, but she reminds me powerfully of an adolescent- confused, unhappy, searching, and massively self-absorbed.

Granted, I don't like Jude much better. UGH. (But that's why I haven't really been keeping up with this discussion . . .) "

I understand. I have been much less impressed with Jude on this reading than I have been in the past. Perhaps because this time I'm looking for meaning to discuss, whereas in the past I was "just" reading it as a story and skimming over without much thought parts that weren't appealing or enjoyable.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.), Founder]

Great comments, Folks!

Things that really jumped out at me include--

"bildungsroman"
"anti-hero"
"Job"
"tragedy" (or, not)
"lamentations"

I think we are all set up quite nicely now for "Part Fourth" of the novel!

[Ellen]

MadgeUK wrote: "Further to my post 182: A classic Greek tragedy has the following elements although not all may be followed by a modern author such as Hardy. I think I see some of them in Jude though:

'Unificati..."

This is the "definition" of tragedy that I remember being taught in college. The importance of the character's free will in bringing about his/her own downfall is integral, I think, to the question of whether or not a plot is a classic tragedy or not.

[Everyman]

Ellen wrote: "MThis is the "definition" of tragedy that I remember being taught in college."

It is useful in analyzing Greek drama, where these principles were developed and generally (though not universally) followed. Tragedy in English literature, though, from Shakespeare onward, has tended less to follow the classical model than to create its own ideas of what constitutes tragedy. And even more, the concepts of tragedy seem questionable when applied to the novel, which has the scope and breadth to incorporate many different genres (tragedy, comedy, historical, romance, etc.).

[MadgeUK]

Ellen wrote: The importance of the character's free will in bringing about his/her own downfall is integral, I think...

I agree Ellen and I am rather inclined to think that in Jude's case, that being 'low born' may also be a factor so far as Hardy's interpretation is concerned. It will be interesting to see how the novel develops so that we can ascertain how near to the Aristotlean model he keeps, especially as he mentioned that ideal in his correspondence about Jude.