Autobiographical Elements in the Novel Jude The Obscure

Hardy and Jude. Hardy and Jude have many things in common between them.
Hardy learned the classical languages utilizing self-study. He was an architect by
profession. The similarity to stonemason is apparent. In 1872 Hardy was struck off the
list of Architectural Association for non-payment of subscriptions more or less in the
manner Jude was dismissed from that body. Like Jude, Hardy had worked for the
renovation of some churches.

Differences with his wife. At about the time of writing Jude, the Obscure Hardy
and his wife had serious differences. Hardy’s cynicism about the Church shocked her
and she resented his unorthodox views about the institution of marriage. Some of the
views of Jude may be considered as echoes of Hardy’s views. Jude says “Strange
difference of sex that time and circumstance, which enlarge the views of most men
narrow the views of women almost invariably.”

Sue and Tryphena. Hardy’s mother’s sister had a daughter named Tryphena. Like
Sue, she was a student teacher in a village school. She was an attractive dark-haired
girl. The description of Sue in the novel may be suitable to her also. “She looked right
into his face with liquid untranslatable eyes that combined or seemed to him to combine
keenness with tenderness and mystery with both. She was not a large figure. She was
light and slight of the type dubbed elegant. There was nothing statuesque in her. All
were a nervous motion. She was mobile, living, yet a painter might not have called her
handsome or beautiful”. There are other passages also where Sue is described and the
description may equally suit Tryphena. In 1868 this girl was dismissed from her school
because she was pregnant illegitimately. Some say that she had Hardy’s child in her
womb. This child must have inspired the creation of Father Time in the novel.

Conclusion. Thus we see some autobiographical elements in the novel and these
facts add to the poignancy of the story. We understand the background and
circumstances that prompted Hardy to write this novel. However, the autobiographical
elements are not indispensable to the understanding of the novel, for the novel stands
the test as an independent work of art. Further, the novel does not follow completely
the course of Hardy’s life and career. Thus while it has autobiographical elements,
which, if known, may make the novel more appealing to us, the novel cannot be called
autobiographical as a whole.