Critical Analysis Of Sue Bridehead

Sue Bridehead: the Unmarried Feminist

"The social moulds civilization fits us into have no more relation to our actual shapes than the conventional shapes of the constellations have to the real star-patterns. I am called Mrs. Richard Phillotson, living a calm wedded life with my counterpart of that name. But I am not really Mrs. Richard Phillotson, but a woman tossed about, all alone, with aberrant passions, and unaccountable antipathies" (Jude the Obscure 1895)

Sue represents the new woman, a woman who was not submissive to the stereotypical women roles of her society. She may seem to not have already gone through a successful process of self-formation, however Jude, gets impressed by her liberal ideas.

Sue is not similar to Hardy’s other

She tries to seeks something that no woman in her age would even think of, which became very popular in modern societies which is 'live-in’ relationship. Sue is aware of herself as a woman. Her ideas contradicts other women's point of view. Hardy questions the rules and laws of the society which are purely man made from stereotypical, sexist and patriarchal ideologies in the name of religion and tradition. He suggests that these ideologies should be changed. He uses Sue to speak for him by saying to Phillotson “Domestic laws should be made according to temperament, which should be classified. If people are at all peculiar in character they have to suffer from the very rules that produce comforts in others!" (Ibid

She says “If a marriage ceremony is a religious thing it is possibly wrong, but it is only a sordid contract based on material convenience in house holding, rating and taxing, and the inheritance of land and money by children making it necessary that the male parent should be known." (Ibid p. 208) Sue realises the consequence of fighting against the social taboos as she gets back to Phillotson to set the things right in the traditional manner. But she only does that because of religious and social forces. Fate is also to blame of making this decision because her children die at the same time. After all being a mother she stops and decides to go back to the same social norms to which she used to criticise. She is brainwashed by the religious thoughts and so she considers her unconventional act as the cause for her children’s death. After her final downfall she utters “We must confirm! All the ancient wrath of the power above us has been vented upon us, His poor creatures, and we must submit. There is no choice. We must. It is no use fighting against God." (Ibid p.