A study of the novel Jude the Obscure using contemporary feminist and literary theory.

Illustrated, with notes and a bibiography.

Jude the Obscure (1895), Thomas Hardy's last novel, is a sister (or brother) book to Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891), before he turned to poetry and other forms of writing. The author attacks similar targets: the family, politics, religion, marriage, education and sexuality. Hardy was on fire when he wrote Jude the Obscure - it is a very angry work.

Jude the Obscure, though, contains far more polemic and...

There are surprisingly few feminist analyses of the work of British novelist Thomas Hardy, and most do not get beyond vague notions of gender bias and sexism, in the Kate Millett and second wave feminist manner. Margaret Elvy's book, however, uses up-to-date research in the fields of cultural studies, feminist poetics, gay, lesbian and queer theory. This new, postmodern and incisive exploration of Thomas Hardy offers an exciting and radical reappraisal of the discourses of gender, desire, class, economy, socialization, identity and...

There are surprisingly few feminist analyses of the work of British novelist Thomas Hardy, and most do not get beyond vague notions of gender bias and sexism, in the Kate Millett and second wave feminist manner. Margaret Elvy's book, however, uses up-to-date research in the fields of cultural studies, feminist poetics, gay, lesbian and queer theory. This new, postmodern and incisive exploration of Thomas Hardy offers an exciting and radical reappraisal of the discourses of gender, desire, class, economy, socialization, identity and...