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Park, Sang-man. “The Aspects of Social Inadaptability in Jude the Obscure.” Studies on
English Language and Literature. 34.2(2008): 1-19. This thesis aims to investigate the aspects
of social inadaptability in Jude the Obscure. This work really develops into a battle between
reality and ideal. The hero Jude is confronted with ruin by the struggle between Arabella for
physical sexuality and Sue for spiritual one. Jude the Obscure, one of the best works in the
Victorian Age, shows the aspects of his gloomy and deterministic viewpoint. In this work, The
hero Jude seeking for social success arrives at the downfall in the end due to his burning
desires that he tries to get over social problems. However, Jude’s characteristic weakness,
strong sexual impetus, and habitual drinking cause the hero to destroy his life. In this work,
Hardy indicates the structural contradiction regarding education, marriage, and religion problems
in the Victorian age. Hardy deals with inner problems of human beings oppressed by the
convention of the time. Jude attempts to live his life according to his own nature, rejecting
social convention. In the work, Jude continues to struggle against his life to the end, and finally
the hero Jude is destroyed by the social inadaptability. We can feel venerable as we see Jude
fight against Fate to the end in spite of his character defects. Therefore, we can reach the
conclusion that Hardy’s literature creates the lofty beauty of men’s spirit. (Wonkwang University)