Abstract: Jude the Obscure is one of the greatest works of Thomas Hardy. It describes the suffering of the protagonists Jude Fawley and Sue Bridehead in the period of social transition in the late 19th century, thus the theme of alienation is obvious. This paper intends to focus on Sue’s alienation in the novel. It first analyzes Sue’s alienation and then its causes. Sue’s alienation is mainly reflected in her conflicts with the society, Jude and herself. And Victorian social background, fatalism and her personal flaws are the main reasons of her alienation. This paper aims to help us have a better understanding of alienation problems in modern society.

Key words: Jude the Obscure; Sue; alienation; causes

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

  1.1 Introduction to Thomas Hardy and Jude the Obscure-1

  1.2 Previous Studies on Jude the Obscure-2

  1.3 The Concept of Alienation-3

2. Sue’s Alienation in Jude the Obscure-5

  2.1 Conflicts between Sue and Society-5

  2.2 Complicated Relationship between Sue and Jude-7

  2.3 Sue’s Self-Alienation: from Resistance to Compromise-10

3. Causes of Sue ’s Alienation-12

  3.1 Victorian Social Background-12

  3.2 Fatalism-15

  3.3 Sue’s Personal Flaws-16

4. Conclusion-18

References