Jude the Obscure
Sue the Obscure: Hardy’s Asexual Character
Alicia Kristen Roberts
Eng 460: Hardy & Lawrence
Dr. Barbara Schapiro
5. 4. 2009
Sue the Obscure: Hardy’s Asexual Character Sue Bridehead, in Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure, puzzles critics across the board. She’s part pre-Feminist, part conformist, part transcendent, part vain. Of all her qualities, however, her sexuality confounds critics the most. Compared to Arabella, she seems part of a whore/virgin dichotomy, like Richardson’s title character in Pamela, but she does not initially aspire to virtue as Pamela does. In addition, Hardy seems to favor her above Arabella, even though he shows his appreciation of healthy sexual urges through other aspects of the novel. Most of the conflict around Sue’s sexuality appears in her relationships with Jude and Phillotson, through which we see her resisting sex for a number of reasons. Sexual aversion cannot account for all of these conflicts and the descriptions Hardy assigns to them. Rather, Sue demonstrates all signs of being an asexual before the dominant ideology became aware of or understood asexuality. Asexuals, as opposed to sexuals, do not experience sexual attraction or desire for sex. This of course puts her in conflict with the dominant ideology of sexuals like Jude, so that she becomes overwhelmed by the pressure and engages in sex against her will. Remarkably, few critics have seen the novel from this perspective, in which Sue’s asexuality separates her from the masses more than Jude’s interest in learning does for him, and the oppression she faces causes an unfortunate tragedy as she lets herself be taken by the forces of the dominant ideology. Hardy receives much attention for his exploration of sexual desire. Jude demonstrates this quality of his work, especially in the characters of Arabella and Jude. Arabella, with her overt sexual desire, serves as a foil to Sue. From the moment she throws the pig’s pizzle, she
Alicia Kristen Roberts
Eng 460: Hardy & Lawrence
Dr. Barbara Schapiro
5. 4. 2009
Sue the Obscure: Hardy’s Asexual Character Sue Bridehead, in Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure, puzzles critics across the board. She’s part pre-Feminist, part conformist, part transcendent, part vain. Of all her qualities, however, her sexuality confounds critics the most. Compared to Arabella, she seems part of a whore/virgin dichotomy, like Richardson’s title character in Pamela, but she does not initially aspire to virtue as Pamela does. In addition, Hardy seems to favor her above Arabella, even though he shows his appreciation of healthy sexual urges through other aspects of the novel. Most of the conflict around Sue’s sexuality appears in her relationships with Jude and Phillotson, through which we see her resisting sex for a number of reasons. Sexual aversion cannot account for all of these conflicts and the descriptions Hardy assigns to them. Rather, Sue demonstrates all signs of being an asexual before the dominant ideology became aware of or understood asexuality. Asexuals, as opposed to sexuals, do not experience sexual attraction or desire for sex. This of course puts her in conflict with the dominant ideology of sexuals like Jude, so that she becomes overwhelmed by the pressure and engages in sex against her will. Remarkably, few critics have seen the novel from this perspective, in which Sue’s asexuality separates her from the masses more than Jude’s interest in learning does for him, and the oppression she faces causes an unfortunate tragedy as she lets herself be taken by the forces of the dominant ideology. Hardy receives much attention for his exploration of sexual desire. Jude demonstrates this quality of his work, especially in the characters of Arabella and Jude. Arabella, with her overt sexual desire, serves as a foil to Sue. From the moment she throws the pig’s pizzle, she
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