The characters in Jude the Obscure are for the most part fully realized and effectively developed. Some, like Jude's aunt Drusilla and Arabella's second husband Cartlett form a one-dimensional contrast for the complex struggles of his major characters who contend unsuccessfully with inner demons we can all understand.

While some of the lesser characters do not get far beyond stereotypes, such as Arabella, exercising variations of the seductive and unscrupulous "floozy," the major characters impress their inner angst upon us. For this discussion we shall restrict out focus to the most tragic, Jude; the most enigmatic, Sue; and the most surprising, Phillotson.

Hardy characterizes Jude as the quintessential victim, of others, of society, of himself, of his aspirations, and perhaps most importantly, of his own idealism.

An orphan, Jude is cruelly treated as a child by his aunt, and as readers we are immediately oriented toward him as...