Jude the Obscure: Part Fourth

by Thomas Hardy
Jude Fawley dreams of becoming a scholar, but he is thwarted by his working-class background and an ill-fated marriage. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part First, Part Second, Part Third, Part Fourth, Part Fifth, Part Sixth

Here are links to our lists for other works by Thomas Hardy: The Return of the Native, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Mayor of Casterbridge
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. aberrant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
    But I am not really Mrs. Richard Phillotson, but a woman tossed about, all alone, with aberrant passions, and unaccountable antipathies....
  2. severance
    a personal or social separation
    It was absolutely necessary to communicate with Sue, though two or three days earlier they had agreed to mutual severance.
  3. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    "Is it wrong, Jude," she said with a tentative tremor, "for a husband or wife to tell a third person that they are unhappy in their marriage?"
  4. dogma
    a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
    He said, looking away: "It would be just one of those cases in which my experiences go contrary to my dogmas. Speaking as an order-loving man — which I hope I am, though I fear I am not — I should say, yes. Speaking from experience and unbiased nature, I should say, no...Sue, I believe you are not happy!"
  5. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    She let go the casement-stay and put her hand upon his, her moonlit face regarding him wistfully.
  6. culpable
    deserving blame or censure as being wrong or injurious
    I am in the wrong. I always am! It is as culpable to bind yourself to love always as to believe a creed always, and as silly as to vow always to like a particular food or drink!
  7. preposterous
    inviting ridicule
    But I cannot agree to such a preposterous notion as your going to live with your lover. You would lose everybody's respect and regard; and so should I!
  8. amenable
    disposed or willing to comply
    "If you will send me some of the manuscript to copy at any time, as you used to, I will do it with so much pleasure!" she said with amenable gentleness.
  9. equanimity
    steadiness of mind under stress
    But she recovered her equanimity by the time they had travelled a dozen miles.
  10. candid
    openly straightforward and direct without secretiveness
    Even at this obvious moment for candour Sue could not be quite candid as to the state of that mystery, her heart.
  11. palpable
    capable of being perceived
    You are made for each other: it is obvious, palpable, to any unbiased older person.
  12. latent
    potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
    "He's a good fellow, isn't he!" she said with latent tears.
  13. intermittent
    stopping and starting at irregular intervals
    It grew dusk quickly in the gloomy room during their intermittent chat, and when candles were brought and it was time to leave she put her hand in his or rather allowed it to flit through his; for she was significantly light in touch.
  14. incipient
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
    There had arisen in Sue's face that incipient fright which showed itself whenever he changed from friend to husband, and which made her adopt any line of defence against marital feeling in him.
  15. supplant
    take the place or move into the position of
    When he called on the next occasion after Sue's visit his friend was downstairs, and Gillingham noticed that his restless mood had been supplanted by a more fixed and composed one.
Created on Mon Jun 27 20:00:27 EDT 2016 (updated Thu Jul 31 18:05:22 EDT 2025)

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