Summary
Arabella's unexpected return creates a crisis that forces Sue and Jude into marriage. When Arabella appears at their door claiming to be in trouble, Sue's jealousy wars with her principles. She begs Jude not to go to his ex-wife, but he insists on helping her out of basic decency. Faced with losing him, Sue finally agrees to marry Jude—not from love's triumph, but from fear of abandonment. The next morning, guilt consumes Sue for her selfishness toward Arabella. She visits the inn to check on her rival, where Arabella reveals she's received a telegram from her Australian partner asking her to return and marry him properly. Arabella advises Sue to legalize her relationship with Jude quickly, warning that unmarried women have no legal protections. This chapter exposes how past relationships never truly end—they resurface at crucial moments, forcing decisions we're not ready to make. Sue's capitulation to marriage comes not from readiness but from desperation, while Jude's divided loyalties reveal the complexity of human obligation. Hardy shows how external pressure can push people into life-changing commitments for the wrong reasons, setting up potential future conflicts.
Coming Up in Chapter 37
Sue and Jude take their first steps toward making their union legal, but Sue's preoccupation suggests Arabella's visit has left deeper marks than expected. Their silent walk together hints at unspoken tensions that may complicate their path to the altar.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
T was an evening at the end of the month, and Jude had just returned home from hearing a lecture on ancient history in the public hall not far off. When he entered, Sue, who had been keeping indoors during his absence, laid out supper for him. Contrary to custom she did not speak. Jude had taken up some illustrated paper, which he perused till, raising his eyes, he saw that her face was troubled. “Are you depressed, Sue?” he said. She paused a moment. “I have a message for you,” she answered. “Somebody has called?” “Yes. A woman.” Sue’s voice quavered as she spoke, and she suddenly sat down from her preparations, laid her hands in her lap, and looked into the fire. “I don’t know whether I did right or not!” she continued. “I said you were not at home, and when she said she would wait, I said I thought you might not be able to see her.” “Why did you say that, dear? I suppose she wanted a headstone. Was she in mourning?” “No. She wasn’t in mourning, and she didn’t want a headstone; and I thought you couldn’t see her.” Sue looked critically and imploringly at him. “But who was she? Didn’t she say?” “No. She wouldn’t give her name. But I know who she was—I think I do! It was Arabella!” “Heaven save us! What should Arabella come for? What made you think it was she?” “Oh, I can hardly tell. But I know it was! I feel perfectly certain it was—by the light in her eyes as she looked at me. She was a fleshy, coarse woman.” “Well—I should not have called Arabella coarse exactly, except in speech, though she may be getting so by this time under the duties of the public house. She was rather handsome when I knew her.” “Handsome! But yes!—so she is!” “I think I heard a quiver in your little mouth. Well, waiving that, as she is nothing to me, and virtuously married to another man, why should she come troubling us?” “Are you sure she’s married? Have you definite news of it?” “No—not definite news. But that was why she asked me to release her. She and the man both wanted to lead a proper life, as I understood.” “Oh Jude—it was, it _was_ Arabella!” cried Sue, covering her eyes with her hand. “And I am so miserable! It seems such an ill omen, whatever she may have come for. You could not possibly see her, could you?” “I don’t really think I could. It would be so very painful to talk to her now—for her as much as for me. However, she’s gone. Did she say she would come again?” “No. But she went away very reluctantly.” Sue, whom the least thing upset, could not eat any supper, and when Jude had finished his he prepared to go to bed. He had no sooner raked out the fire, fastened the doors, and got to the...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Crisis-Driven Decisions
Making major life commitments under external pressure rather than internal readiness, leading to choices we're not prepared to sustain.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how external pressure can push us into life-changing commitments for the wrong reasons, overriding our internal compass.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel pressured to make big decisions quickly—ask yourself if you're choosing from fear of loss or genuine readiness for change.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Common-law marriage
A relationship where couples live together as husband and wife without formal legal ceremony. In Hardy's time, this was socially scandalous and offered women no legal protections. Society viewed such arrangements as immoral, regardless of the couple's commitment to each other.
Modern Usage:
Today we call this 'living together' or cohabitation, and it's widely accepted, though legal protections still vary by state.
Feminine jealousy
The complex emotions women feel when threatened by rivals, especially former partners. Hardy explores how jealousy can override moral principles and force impulsive decisions. This wasn't seen as a character flaw but as natural feminine psychology.
Modern Usage:
We still see this when exes resurface on social media or show up unexpectedly, triggering insecurity even in confident people.
Moral obligation
The duty to help someone in need, even when it conflicts with personal desires. Victorian society emphasized duty over emotion. Jude feels bound to help Arabella despite the cost to his current relationship.
Modern Usage:
Like feeling obligated to help an ex who calls in crisis, even when your current partner objects.
Marriage as security
The Victorian view that marriage provided women with legal and financial protection. Unmarried women had few rights and could be abandoned without recourse. Marriage was often more about survival than romance.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how people today might rush into marriage for health insurance, visa status, or financial stability.
Past relationships haunting present
How former romantic partners can reappear and disrupt current relationships. Hardy shows that the past never truly disappears—it resurfaces at the worst possible moments, forcing unwanted choices.
Modern Usage:
Like when an ex slides into your DMs right when your current relationship hits a rough patch.
Decision under duress
Making major life choices while under emotional pressure or threat. Sue agrees to marriage not from readiness but from fear of losing Jude. These pressured decisions often lead to future regret.
Modern Usage:
Like agreeing to move in together or get engaged during a fight to prevent a breakup.
Characters in This Chapter
Sue
conflicted protagonist
Faces her worst fear when Arabella returns, forcing her to choose between her principles and her security. Her jealousy overrides her intellectual objections to marriage, showing how emotion can defeat reason.
Modern Equivalent:
The independent woman who suddenly gets possessive when her partner's ex shows up
Jude
torn protagonist
Caught between his obligation to help Arabella and his commitment to Sue. His insistence on doing the right thing creates the crisis that pushes Sue toward marriage.
Modern Equivalent:
The guy who can't say no to helping his ex, not realizing it's destroying his current relationship
Arabella
disruptive catalyst
Her unexpected return triggers the chapter's central crisis. Though she needs genuine help, her presence forces Sue and Jude into a marriage neither is truly ready for.
Modern Equivalent:
The ex who shows up with drama right when you're trying to move on
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I don't know whether I did right or not!"
Context: When telling Jude about turning Arabella away
Sue's uncertainty reveals her internal conflict between jealousy and morality. She knows she acted from selfish motives but can't admit it directly. This self-doubt shows her struggle between who she wants to be and who she actually is.
In Today's Words:
I know I was being petty, but I'm not ready to own it yet.
"But I know who she was—I think I do! It was Arabella!"
Context: Revealing her suspicion about the visitor's identity
Sue's breathless revelation shows how the mere possibility of Arabella's return has shattered her composure. Her certainty mixed with uncertainty reflects how jealousy distorts perception and makes us see threats everywhere.
In Today's Words:
I just know it was your ex—call it woman's intuition, but I'm freaking out.
"Heaven save us! What should Arabella come for?"
Context: Reacting to news of Arabella's visit
Jude's shocked response reveals his own anxiety about his past intruding on his present. His immediate concern shows he understands the threat Arabella represents to his relationship with Sue.
In Today's Words:
Oh no, what does she want now? This can't be good.
Thematic Threads
Jealousy
In This Chapter
Sue's jealousy of Arabella overrides her principles about marriage, forcing her into a decision she's not ready for
Development
Evolved from Sue's earlier intellectual opposition to marriage into raw emotional desperation
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when fear of losing someone makes you agree to things that don't align with your values
Obligation
In This Chapter
Jude feels duty-bound to help Arabella despite the cost to his relationship with Sue
Development
Continues Jude's pattern of being pulled between competing moral demands
In Your Life:
You see this when helping one person requires hurting or disappointing another
Legal Protection
In This Chapter
Arabella warns Sue that unmarried women have no legal rights, revealing marriage as practical necessity
Development
Introduced here as a harsh reality underlying romantic idealism
In Your Life:
You encounter this when realizing that principles don't protect you from practical consequences
Past Relationships
In This Chapter
Arabella's return demonstrates how former partners can disrupt current relationships at crucial moments
Development
Builds on earlier hints that the past never truly stays buried
In Your Life:
You experience this when ex-partners, former friends, or old obligations resurface during important life transitions
Guilt
In This Chapter
Sue feels guilty for her selfishness toward Arabella, showing how crisis decisions create new moral conflicts
Development
New layer of Sue's character showing her capacity for self-reflection and remorse
In Your Life:
You feel this when protecting yourself requires being less generous than you'd like to be
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What forces Sue to finally agree to marry Jude, and how does her reason differ from what we might expect?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Jude feel obligated to help Arabella despite being with Sue, and what does this reveal about his character?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people making major life decisions out of fear rather than readiness in today's world?
application • medium - 4
How could Sue have handled her jealousy and fear differently to make a decision from strength rather than panic?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter teach us about how past relationships continue to influence our present choices?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Crisis Decision Points
Think of a major decision you made under pressure—a job you took, a relationship choice, a financial commitment. Write down what the external pressure was, what you were afraid would happen if you didn't decide quickly, and what your gut was telling you at the time. Then consider: what would you have chosen if you'd had more time and less fear?
Consider:
- •Notice the difference between urgent and important—crisis makes everything feel urgent
- •Consider who benefited from your quick decision and who paid the cost
- •Ask whether the feared outcome was actually as catastrophic as it seemed
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you felt cornered into a major decision. What would you tell someone facing a similar situation now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 37: The Unexpected Child Arrives
The coming pages reveal unexpected responsibilities can force major life decisions, and teach us legal marriage feels different from chosen commitment. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.