In his work, Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy tells the story of two people desperately in love, struggling with internal and external conflicts to pursue this love and have some semblance of normal life. life together. Set in England in the late 19th century, this story chronicles Jude and Sue's struggle to overcome the harsh pressures of society's strict class structure in order to live their lives together. Since the day they met, Jude and Sue have experienced countless setbacks that prevent them from achieving happiness. Although their bond is very strong and it seems like they are meant for each other, the couple is unable to stay together. Interestingly, many of the disasters that befall this unfortunate couple and the difficult situations they are forced to face are ironic. Hardy strategically uses irony in subtle ways throughout Jude the Obscure to develop the book's overall theme of marriage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The first way Hardy uses irony in correlation to the theme of marriage is through the two main characters' personal experiences with marriage. Jude Fawley was sneakily tricked into marrying Arabella at a young age after she told him she was pregnant with his child and had nowhere to turn. This relationship quickly fell apart after Jude discovered there was no child on the way and he realized a life with Arabella would be an unhappy, confined existence he wanted no part in . In a similar situation, Sue Bridehead was married to Jude's childhood schoolmaster, Richard Phillotson, also at a young age. This marriage was based more on convenience for Sue than love, as Phillotson promised a strong financial future for his new wife. Sue entered into this union because she saw no other sensible candidate for marriage. Ultimately, the commitments Jude and Sue made to Arabella and Phillotson posed enormous obstacles standing in the way of their life together, causing both emotional pain and social alienation. The irony of this situation is quite profound. Neither Jude nor Sue really wanted to be married to their partner, but instead wanted to follow their hearts and get married. They both got married out of necessity, and ironically, it was those same marriages that kept them from starting a real family together. Hardy, by using this clever device, hints to his audience about the implications of marriage and the effect it has on people's lives. In an effort to further develop the theme of marriage throughout the book, Hardy again uses irony regarding Jude and Sue's children. . The first child that enters their lives is Little Jude, also known as "Little Father Time" or simply "Time". Ironically, this child isn't even Sue's. He is the byproduct of Jude's dysfunctional marriage to Arabella, his very existence unbeknownst to Jude until the days immediately preceding his arrival. Little Jude therefore constantly reminds Sue of the illegitimate nature of her relationship with Jude, as if she did not have enough reason to doubt this relationship beforehand. The children's situation becomes even more complicated after the birth of two other children, both mothered by Sue this time. This doesn't seem to be a problem until Little Jude, acting in a way he believes to be noble, kills his two siblings and himself in an attempt to solve the problems Jude and Sue are facing. . Through the horror of this catastrophe, the irony of., 342).