An Analysis of the Main Tragic Images in <i>Jude the Obscure</i> from the Perspective of Fatalism

Jude the Obscure, a representative masterpiece of Thomas Hardy, narrates the tragic life of Jude, a rural youth, in a pathetic style. Under the influence of Hardy's fatalism, there is always an invisible force in the novel that predicts and controls the fate of the hero, pushing him step by step into the abyss of tragedy. This paper first illustrates Hardy's fatalism, then explores the manifestations and causes of the tragic fate of the characters in the novel through a detailed analysis and interpretation of Jude and Sue, so as to explore the significance of Hardy's fatalism more deeply. Finally, this paper concludes that Hardy, as a cross-era observer and witness, experiences the devastating blow brought by the great changes of Times to the common people, and he arranges fatalism into the tragedy of the characters to explain the tragic fate of the protagonist.