Thomas Hardy

Jude The Obscure Thomas Hardy

Jude Fawley is a studious eleven-year-old schoolboy who lives in the village of Marygreen with his Aunt Drusilla, a baker. Jude is the only student who is upset when the village schoolmaster, Mr. Richard Phillotson, leaves to pursue a college degree in the nearby university town of Christminster. However, Mr. Phillotson's leaving inspires Jude to romanticize the city of Christminster, and he gets into the habit of climbing a hill outside the village to get a view of the city. He hears from some laborers that Christminster isn't a good place for working-class people like him, but he ignores these warnings. Jude decides that he will become an academic. After a failed attempt to procure some Greek and Latin textbooks from Physician Vilbert, the local quack-doctor, he writes to Mr. Phillotson, who gamely sends him some texts. For the next three or four years, Jude diligently studies the classical languages. He also takes an apprenticeship in stonemasonry so that he will be able to save money for his studies.