Hardy’s Vision of Love in Jude the Obscure: Marriage As a Sordid Social and Legal Contract vs. Free Love As Comradeship
Starting from the observation that Thomas Hardy’s vision of marriage, as reflected in Jude the Obscure (1895), should not be oversimplified into a straightforward denouncement of this institution, this paper offers evidence that his views are much more refined. By delineating marriages and the free union of its main characters, the novel intends to address …