Guilt, Duty, and Unrequited Love Essay Example

own role in her life. Despite the peculiarity of Michael's presence beyond death, his involvement significantly affects Gabriel and Greta's relationship, fueled by Greta's guilt. Unlike "The Dead," Sue's guilt in "Jude" operates on a religious level. Similar to Greta, Sue also experiences the death of a sick man who made great efforts to see her. However, this event does not greatly impact the love triangle between Jude, Sue, and Philotson, as Sues' return to Philotson had already reached its climax. If anything, Judes' death simplifies Sues' promise to never see him again. The reader remains uncertain about whether Judes' death intensifies or lessens Sues' guilt as it occurs at the end of the novel.The text describes Sue as "tired and miserable," "years and years older," and a "quite a staid worn woman," who is still repulsed by Philotson (Hardy 431). Sue's guilt stems from societal pressures and emerges after the death of her children. Despite knowing that being with Jude after her divorce from Philotson is frowned upon, Sue does not conform to the same morals and values of society and therefore does not expect punishment. She interprets the tragic death of her children as a divine admonishment, leading her to view marriage differently and become more religious (Hardy 369). In order to make their deaths meaningful, Sue returns to Philotson, adding complexity to their love triangle. Before Jude's death, Sue's final words to him are a plea to leave her (Hardy 412). Even after Jude's demise, the love triangle may not be broken because Sue truly loves him while only feeling a sense of duty towards Philotson. Philotson is not portrayed as a

villain in the story but rather as a victim, just like Sue and Jude. The real antagonists seem to be Sue's guilt and the judgmental society that compels her to perform acts of senseless duty that contribute to the construction of the love triangle. One notable act of duty is when she agrees to marry Philotson, despite her feelings for Jude.Another major event occurs when Sue actually marries Philotson, which goes against her principles. Philotson, who is a mentor figure to Sue, had gained her favor and she felt obligated to appease him due to the scandalous rumors about her and Jude. In a letter to Jude about the impending marriage, Sue acknowledges the awkwardness of her situation, admitting that it was her fault for being expelled (Hardy 176). However, Jude fears that Sue's true motive for marrying Philotson stemmed from his revelation about his marital status. Despite the convoluted reasoning, Sue fulfills her duty of marriage but not the duty of the bedroom. She chooses to sleep in a closet rather than with Philotson. As her disgust grows, so does her desire for Jude and freedom from the constraints of marriage. Poor Philotson, aware of Sue's affections for Jude and her distaste for him, allows her to leave the marriage. So Sue gains her freedom, but despite her unconventional values, she can't seem to go long without feeling overwhelmed by a sense of duty. She is torn between her own beliefs and the societal values that have been imposed on her and are constantly reminded to her. She takes it deeply to heart when she and Jude are not deemed fit to complete their

job of painting the Ten Commandments. "I can't bear that they, and everybody, should think people wicked because they may have chosen to live their own way!" (Hardy 318).The arrival of Father Time intensifies her torment over the marriage dilemma. However, she cannot bring herself to perform this act of duty, which simplifies her decision to return to Philotson after the death of her children. She illogically considers Philotson her true husband. On the other hand, Greta fulfills all her wifely duties for Gabriel, including bearing his children. He initially believes that she happily performs these duties, until he realizes her attachment to Michael. Greta acts as a loving ornament at Gabriel's aunt's party, making it seem as though Gabriel is the center of her world. During their dance, Gabriel feels proud and happy about her grace and behavior as a wife. As they leave, Greta's cheeks have color and her eyes sparkle. However, it is not Gabriel but Michael who causes this expression. Despite Greta's anguish over the song and the associated memories, she tries to stroke Gabriel's ego, kissing him and calling him a very generous person. Gabriel's joy at this attention is later crushed when he realizes that Greta has been comparing him to someone else in her mind all along. Throughout their marriage, Greta's sense of wifely duty towards Gabriel has shielded him from this knowledge.With the revelation of the truth, Gabriel may never be able to go back to the comfortable illusion that Greta had allowed him to live for so long. It is unclear whether Greta will prioritize her sense of duty to their marriage or to Michael's memory.

While Greta rests and recovers from the memories brought by The Lass of Aughrim, Gabriel reflects on the relationship between his wife and Michael. He realizes the extent of Michael's love for Greta, a feeling he had never experienced towards any woman himself, but recognized as love. This makes him wonder if Greta felt the same for Michael or if their love was unrequited on some level. When asked about her relationship with Michael, Greta ambiguously responds that she was "great with him at that time". Gabriel questions the honesty of her answer. He comes to realize that his love for Greta is not as profound as Michael's, and perhaps it was actually his love for her that went unreciprocated, due to Greta's strong attachment to Michael. Gabriel's confidence as an exceptional husband and lover falters after Greta's confession when he gazes into the mirror and sees a ridiculous figure, acting as a servant boy for his aunts, an anxious sentimentalist trying to impress common people, and idealizing his own foolish desires.The knowledge that Michael possesses and the fear of comparison he endures have resulted in him feeling inferior and filled with self-doubt. This state of mind is similar to what Philotson felt when he realized that his love for Sue was unrequited. It is truly damaging to a man's ego when he discovers that his wife would rather sleep in a closet than with him. Philotson humorously wonders how intense a woman's aversion must be if it surpasses her fear of spiders (Hardy 232). To his dismay, Philotson's wife exhibits extreme terror towards the idea of being intimate with him, and even jumps out

of a window in order to escape his presence. He recounts this incident to his friend Gillingham, stating that her fear of him was so strong that she resorted to such drastic measures (Hardy 241). This event serves as the final straw, and Philotson grants her a divorce. However, Philotson is not the only one who experiences unrequited love; Jude does as well, though not to such an extreme degree. Despite Sue's love for Jude, she does not seem to love him enough to stay with him in the way he desires. He dreams of having her as his wife, but she is satisfied with reverting back to being just friends. She asks if they can still be dear friends, as if it were easy for Jude to simply dissolve his romantic feelings for her (Hardy 374). Throughout the novel, Sue's one true love appears to be her own values and moral urges, which constantly fluctuate. Love, with its ability to evoke both agony and ecstasy, proves to be a reliable source of drama, whether it be within a novel or a soap opera.The presence of a third party adds tension to the love relationships in both Jude the Obscure and The Dead. Without Philotson, Jude and Sue's relationship could have been much simpler. Sue might have considered marriage to Jude as the right choice, without the need to rectify the death of their children. They could have gotten married and been content. However, for some reason, Hardy chose not to let this happen. Instead, he wanted to leave the reader with a bleak view of love, where happy endings are not always guaranteed. Similarly,

if Greta had not revealed her past to Gabriel, their evening together would have ended differently. Gabriel would have likely satisfied his desires, but the novel would lack the insightful moment that Greta's confession brings him. The themes of guilt, duty, and unrequited love enhance the complexity and effectiveness of these specific love triangles.