Jude the Obscure

1. What specific things does Jude lose when Mr. Phillotson leaves, and why does this hit him harder than the other villagers?

2. Why does Phillotson believe that being near the university will help him achieve his goals, and what does this reveal about how opportunity works?

3. Why does Jude get fired from his job scaring birds, and what does this reveal about the economic system he's trapped in?

4. How does the village's attitude toward education ('crazy for books') reflect broader social attitudes about who deserves knowledge and opportunity?

5. What does Jude actually see when he looks at Christminster, and how does his imagination transform it?

6. Why does Jude build his entire future around a place he's never visited and knows only through secondhand stories?

7. What specific promises did Vilbert make to Jude, and what did he actually deliver?

8. Why was Jude so willing to believe Vilbert's offer, even though he knew the man was selling fake medicines?

9. How does Jude turn his bread delivery route into study time, and what obstacles does he face?

10. Why does Jude switch from studying classical Latin texts to the Greek New Testament and church writings?

11. What exactly happens to derail Jude's confident walk home from work?

12. Why does Jude, who's so disciplined about his studies, become 'simple as a child' around Arabella?

13. What was Jude doing at the beginning of the chapter, and what completely derailed his plans for the day?

14. Why do you think one afternoon with Arabella made Jude question everything he'd been working toward for years?

15. What specific tactics does Arabella use to keep Jude interested and pursuing her?