On Binary Oppositions In Jude The Obscure

Thomas Hardy is a most distinguished novelist and poet in the later part of the Victorian era. Set in"Wessex", an imaginary countryside, focusing on the relationships between the two sexes, their spiritual struggle and the prevailing ethic and morality, Hardy's realistic novels show the tragic ironies of characters struggling against the passions of human nature and forces of a hostile world. His novels of Character and Environment arouses universal controversy over the institutions of marriage and religious system and are unjustly attached the label of"obscene". However, these novels undoubtedly display Hardy's unique perceptions and deep insight into life and his unparalleled artistic achievements.Jude the obscure, since its publication, has been under heated discussion. Critics home and aboard have done a lot of research work in analyzing its characters, exploring its narrative techniques, disclosing the very themes and examining the author's own attitudes towards love, marriage and religion. The multiple aspects worthy of in-depth discussion fully reflect the great significance and high artistic value that Jude the Obscure possesses.Binary oppositions exist substantially in literary works and binarism has become a very important means in literary criticism. In Jude the Obscure, Hardy employs several pairs of binary oppositions to enhance its artistic values. This thesis, based on the theories done by previous scholars, starts from the principle of structural linguistics, and by analyzing the various pairs of opposing elements, discloses how the employment of binary oppositions successfully depicts the characters, sharpens the conflicts, uncovers the theme and intensifies the tragedy.Chapter one is mainly concerned with the origins of the principle of binary oppositions and its relation with literary criticism. Then the second chapter aims to dwell on the binary oppositions within and between the characters. Chapter three deals with the thematic oppositions in the novel. In the conclusive part, the author further points out the application of binary oppositions in other novels of Hardy and restates the values of binarism in literary appreciation.