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PART ONE: AT MARYGREEN
Part 1: Chapter I
Summary
Synopsis: Mr. Phillotson leaves Marygreen to go to Christminster for higher studies - difficulty regarding the piano, Jude's suggestion solves the problem for the present -all are sad, specially Jude, his student of eleven - a thoughtful boy - at the well - the old aunt - vivid description of the village.
Mr. Phillotson, the Schoolmaster leaves the village. There was some commotion in the village. Mr. Phillotson, the schoolmaster, was leaving Marygreen for good. His sudden departure made all sad and sorry. The miller had lent him his small cart to carry his goods to his destination. It was loaded with goods, but it was found to be too small to carry, his heavy pianoforte. All were much perplexed. Suddenly a boy of eleven, Jude Fawley, suggested that for the present it could be left at his great-aunt, Miss Drusilla Fawley's great fuel-house. When some of them went to her aunt to get her consent, she readily agreed.
Phillotson's departure leaves a sad and dejected Jude. Jude and Phillotson were then left alone for some time. The teacher expressed his regret for leaving them. The sensitive child's eyes glistened with tears. Jude was not among the regular day-scholars. He only attended the night school during the present teacher's term. But he was a devoted student. In response to his query Mr. Phillotson told him that he was going to live at Christminster, that is Oxford, or near it.
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| Jude The Obscure: Part 1, Chapter 1 |
Phillotson's parting advice. "My scheme, or dream, is to be a university graduate, and then to be ordained." The people returned from Miss Fawley's place. Jude also assisted in loading small articles. The teacher left at nine o'clock and his parting advice to Jude was: "Be a good boy, remember; and be kind to animals and birds, and read all you can." He also advised him to hunt him out, If he ever came to Christminster and try to meet him there.
Jude at the well-his old great aunt. Jude went back to the draw-well where he had left his buckets. He was to draw and carry water to his old aunt's house. The poor and sensitive by, 'who has felt the pricks of life somewhat before his time', sadly remembered his teacher and shed tears, a drop of which fell into the depths of the well. A sudden outcry startled him. It was his old aunt's voice, who came out of her green-thatched cottage, and commanded him rudely to bring in the buckets of water hurriedly. The old well was one of the very few relics of the past. Almost everything old and ancient including the old church, was being pulled down, to construct modern type of cottages and buildings.
Critical Analysis
Jude and his thoughtful nature. In the first chapter we are introduced in a very interesting manner to the hero of this novel, Jude Fawley. He is now a very young boy, quite sensitive and thoughtful. He is very sad and dejected after the departure of his teacher, Mr. Phillotson. We also come to know that our boy-hero "has felt the pricks of life somewhat before his time".
Jude's old and harsh great-aunt. We are also introduced to Jude's great-aunt Drusilla Fawley in this chapter. The way she calls Jude and commands him to bring water reveals to us clearly that she was a rude and harsh type of old woman. We will know more about her later on.
The last paragraph and the description of the village. In the last paragraph we get a vivid picture of the village of Marygreen and its surroundings. Here we find how the old order is changing giving place to the new and Hardy has described this changing order very powerfully. This passage reveals to us quite convincingly the descriptive gift of this great novelist.