Assignment - 4 : The Letter Killeth in Jude the Obscure :
This blog is part of an assignment for the paper 104 - Literature of the Victorian Periods, Sem - 1, 2024
- Personal Information
- Assignment Details
- Introduction
- Jude’s Loneliness and Isolation
- Jude’s Obsession with Knowledge and Texts
- The Reality of Christminster and Jude’s Disappointment
- Sue Bridehead and the Shared Obsession with Books
- The Death of Meaning and the Letter That “Killeth”
- Hardy’s Frustration with the Limits of Novels
- Conclusion
- References
Batch:- M.A. Sem 1 (2024-2026)
Enrollment Number:- 5108240017
E-mail Address:- bhumimahida385@gmail.com
Roll Number:- 03
Assignment Details :
Topic:- The Letter Killeth in Jude the Obscure
Paper & subject code:- 104 - Literature of the Victorian Periods
Submitted to:- Smt. S.B Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar
Date of Submission:- 20th November, 2024
About Assignment:- In this assignment i define the meaning of Letter Killeth in Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy.
Introduction :
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy is a novel that explores the struggles of a young man named Jude Fawley, who dreams of achieving greatness through education. Jude believes that knowledge will help him escape his poor background, but his story is one of heartbreak and disappointment. In his article “The Letter Killeth: The Text as Fetish in Jude the Obscure,” Thierry Goater explores how Jude’s life is shaped by his obsession with texts, books, and signs. Goater argues that Jude’s extreme respect for texts becomes a “fetish” that harms him, and he also suggests that Hardy himself, through Jude, expresses his own frustration with storytelling and the expectations of readers. This essay will discuss Jude’s loneliness, his fixation on books and knowledge, his disappointing experiences in Christminster, and Hardy’s complex relationship with the form of the novel itself.
Through these themes, Jude the Obscure offers a warning about worshipping words or signs too strictly and shows that books alone cannot solve life’s problems.
Jude’s Loneliness and Isolation :
Jude Fawley’s life begins in loneliness, setting the stage for his lifelong search for meaning. As a young boy, Jude is orphaned, and he grows up in Marygreen, a poor, rural village with few opportunities for advancement. Goater describes Jude’s early life as a “metaphysical exile,” which means Jude feels deeply separate from others and cut off from any sense of greater purpose. This loneliness and separation are shown clearly in the novel’s opening scenes, where Jude walks alone through empty fields, observing the world around him. He feels like he has no connection to this place, saying, “How ugly it is here!” Hardy’s description of the landscape around Jude—misty, brown, and lifeless—reflects the emptiness Jude feels inside.
This sense of alienation is not just physical; it is also emotional and spiritual. Jude feels lost in a world that does not give him any real purpose or direction. He is drawn to the idea of education and the possibility of a better life because he believes that learning will help him escape this feeling of emptiness. Jude’s longing for something greater makes him dream of Christminster, a university town that he imagines as a place of wisdom, beauty, and purpose. To Jude, Christminster seems like a “heavenly Jerusalem,” a place where he believes he will find happiness and meaning. His dream of Christminster becomes his escape from the loneliness he feels in Marygreen.
Jude’s isolation and longing for meaning lead him to place his hopes entirely on the idea of Christminster and education, thinking that these things will fill the emptiness in his life. This desire to find a greater purpose becomes the driving force behind his actions, but it also sets him up for disappointment when reality does not match his dreams.
Jude’s Obsession with Knowledge and Texts :
Jude’s desire for knowledge quickly becomes more than just a goal—it becomes an obsession. He believes that if he learns enough, he will rise above his humble background and be accepted in a world of higher learning and respect. Goater explains that Jude’s obsession with knowledge is almost religious, as if books and learning are a type of salvation for him. This obsession begins when Jude decides to teach himself Greek, Latin, and even Hebrew. He believes that by reading the great classical works, he will gain the wisdom and respect he so desperately wants.
To Jude, books are not just tools for learning; they are symbols of everything he wants in life. He becomes fascinated with authors like Homer, Virgil, and Horace, who represent the high culture of Christminster. This intense respect for books and knowledge gives Jude hope, but it also blinds him to the difficulties of achieving his dream. He assumes that if he reads enough, he will be accepted into Christminster’s intellectual community. However, he does not fully understand that his background, social class, and lack of connections will still be major barriers.
This devotion to learning, which Goater calls “the idolatry of signs,” means that Jude treats books almost like sacred objects. He believes they have the power to lift him out of his circumstances and give him a new life. However, Jude’s focus on learning classical languages and reading famous texts reveals his unrealistic expectations. Instead of seeing education as a journey, Jude views it as an answer to all his problems. This unrealistic view of knowledge will lead to his eventual heartbreak when he realizes that books alone cannot change his life.
The Reality of Christminster and Jude’s Disappointment :
When Jude finally arrives in Christminster, he finds that the reality does not match his idealized vision. Christminster is not the “heavenly Jerusalem” he dreamed of but a place that is unwelcoming to people like him. Goater describes Christminster as a place that values old traditions and excludes those who are poor or from lower social classes. For Jude, who imagined Christminster as a city of wisdom and openness, this realization is devastating. The intellectual elite in Christminster see him as unworthy, and he is made to feel foolish and out of place.
This gap between Jude’s dreams and the reality of Christminster is a major turning point in the novel. When Jude tries to impress a group of students by quoting Latin, they laugh at him, highlighting the divide between his self-taught knowledge and the privileged education they have received. This moment shows Jude that he may never be accepted into this world, no matter how hard he tries. Hardy uses this scene to illustrate the class barriers in society that prevent people like Jude from rising above their circumstances, even if they have talent and determination.
Christminster, then, becomes a symbol of Jude’s broken dreams. It represents the false promise of social mobility through education, showing that in Hardy’s world, people are often judged more by their class than by their abilities. This experience deepens Jude’s feeling of isolation, as he realizes that his obsession with knowledge has not brought him closer to acceptance but has instead emphasized the barriers between him and the world he wishes to join.
Sue Bridehead and the Shared Obsession with Books :
In Christminster, Jude reconnects with his cousin Sue Bridehead, who shares his love of books and culture. Like Jude, Sue also has an intense respect for knowledge and classical texts. However, for both of them, this love of books becomes a barrier rather than a bridge to real human connection. Goater describes their fascination with texts as a type of “literary fetishism,” meaning that they treat books as if they have magical power or can replace personal relationships.
Jude idealizes Sue, seeing her as the perfect woman partly because of her knowledge and love of books. He views her as a kindred spirit, someone who can understand his dreams and share his intellectual passions. When he first sees a photograph of her, he thinks of her almost as a saint. This idealization prevents Jude from seeing Sue as a real person with her own feelings and flaws. Their relationship is marked by frequent quotations and references to classical works, which makes their interactions seem formal and distant.
Sue’s and Jude’s reliance on books and quotes shows their difficulty in connecting on a personal level. Rather than using words to share their true feelings, they use literature as a way to keep their distance. This inability to communicate honestly creates problems in their relationship and prevents them from finding true happiness. In the end, their shared obsession with texts and knowledge only isolates them further, highlighting Hardy’s warning about the dangers of idolizing books over real human experiences.
The Death of Meaning and the Letter That “Killeth” :
Hardy’s choice of epigraph, “The Letter Killeth,” becomes a poignant reflection of the fate awaiting Jude, who clings to textual signs rather than human understanding or connection. As Goater notes, the repeated invocation of the text—whether in Jude’s Latin recitations or in the scripture he carves into stone—signifies an almost desperate attachment to the "letter" of texts, which ultimately fails to bring fulfillment or answers.
Jude’s eventual death, still clutching his beloved books, symbolizes his utter absorption in and ultimate failure with the fetishization of text. On his deathbed, surrounded by a Bible and classical texts, he remains unable to let go of his belief that these words contain salvation. Hardy uses this scene to underscore the novel’s critique of a society that upholds the written word as an ultimate truth without recognizing the limitations of such an approach. Jude’s dying recitation from the Book of Job captures his enduring faith in knowledge but also underscores the futility of his lifelong devotion.
Hardy’s Frustration with the Limits of Novels :
Goater suggests that Hardy’s own frustrations with writing novels are reflected in Jude the Obscure. Hardy’s decision to stop writing novels after Jude the Obscure reflects his dissatisfaction with the limitations of the novel form. He felt that novels were too restricted by readers’ expectations and social norms, which limited his ability to explore complex ideas. Goater argues that, like Jude, Hardy may have felt trapped by these restrictions, which is why he chose to focus on poetry, a form he saw as freer and less bound by convention.
In Jude the Obscure, Hardy uses Jude’s obsession with texts to critique the limitations of language and novels in capturing the full complexity of human experience. Jude’s tragic end symbolizes Hardy’s own struggle with the constraints of storytelling, suggesting that novels alone may not be enough to express deeper truths. This shift from novels to poetry allowed Hardy to explore new ideas and themes without being limited by readers’ expectations.
Conclusion :
Through Jude’s story, Hardy criticizes society’s empty praise of knowledge and tradition and warns against worshipping books and texts without understanding their true meaning. Thierry Goater’s article helps us understand how Hardy uses Jude’s obsession with books to show the limits of language and learning in giving life meaning. Jude’s life, filled with disappointment and loneliness, ultimately suggests that true understanding comes not from words alone but from connecting deeply with others and the world around us. By telling Jude’s story, Hardy also reflects his own struggle with the novel form, and his move toward poetry after Jude the Obscure marks a new path for expressing his ideas about life and human nature.
References :
---. “Jude the Obscure | Thomas Hardy, Victorian England, Tragedy.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Apr. 2011, www.britannica.com/topic/Jude-the-Obscure.
Words Count : 1934
Images : 03
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