Oppression in Thomas Hardy's 'Jude the Obscure': Discussion of Class and Gender

In Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy presents two characters whose dreams and ambitions ultimately end in failure and tragedy. It can be argued that this is due to oppressive social forces; Jude is unable to fulfil his dreams due to his class, and Sue due to her gender. However, there are many other factors, both personal and social, that contribute to their downfall. Throughout the course of his life, Jude's great aspiration is to be …

…of Latin and ancient Greek. Jude's aspirations are therefore shown to be of limited usefulness in the real world. Overall, the ultimate failure of Jude and Sue cannot be seen as due solely to class and gender. It is an unfortunate combination of these social prejudices, the failings of their own flawed characters, as well as the way others act towards him. As a result of these different factors, their dreams ultimately end in disaster.