In her book Towards a Recognition of Androgyny, Carolyn Heilbrum defines androgyny as “a condition in which gender characteristics and human impulses expressed by men and women are not rigidly assigned (Heilbrum 10). In Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, Sue is portrayed in a comparable, non-sexist manner. In the novel's introduction, Dennis Taylor describes Sue as being "distracted and vague in her sexuality" (Taylor xxvi). rather than objects of sexual desire. Through descriptions, Sue is sometimes described in a way that does not emphasize masculine or feminine qualities. Additionally, Sue despises the constraints placed on women in her time. Overcoming the norms of his gender, Paul Morel, in DH Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, faces a similar battle to maintain his masculinity. Mary Burgan writes that Paul Morel is one of the "most powerful defenders of sexual liberation of the 20th century", but that he is defenseless in the face of "sexual freedom". the power of woman" as "the artist's mother" (Burgan 178). Paul Morel and Sue Bridehead's lack of appropriate gender behaviors and characteristics results in their inability to maintain intimate and fulfilling relationships with members of the opposite sex. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay When Jude Fawley first sees Sue Bridehead, he doesn't remember. only vague physical descriptions of her appearance. Instead of recounting her exceptional feminine qualities, Jude says that "she wasn't a tall figure...That was about all he saw." 'there was nothing statuesque about her' (Hardy 90) Without first knowing that this character is a woman named Sue, this initial representation of her could be that of a male or female In his book Hardy and the. Erotic, T. R. Wright writes that Sue has a "curious unconsciousness of gender" and often combines with men "almost as a person of her own sex" (Wright 120). After all, Sue could "do things that only boys do, usually, I saw her go in and down the long slide of that pond, with her little curls blowing in the wind... All the boys except her" (Hardy 112). . Sue is considered a tomboy due to her mannerisms. Even at twelve years old, she refuses to submit to feminine gender norms when her aunt sees her "walking into the pond with her shoes and stockings, and her petticoats pulled above her knees, before I could scream ashamed, she said: “Continue, aunt! This is not a sight for modest eyes! » (Hardy 110-111). The attempt to feminize and control Sue occurs shortly after she meets Jude's friend (and future husband), Richard Phillotson. Phillotson encourages Sue to enroll at the Melchester Teachers' Training College. They plan to marry in two years, when she has finished her studies, and then teach together at a large co-educational school in the city. Sue becomes incredibly unhappy and alone in Melchester. When Jude goes to visit him, he instantly notices that “all his bouncy mannerisms were gone; her curves of movement had become sober lines...She had every appearance of a woman shorn and trimmed by severe discipline” (Hardy 132). Sue talks to Jude about the difficulty of living “with all the bitterness of a young person to whom restraint was new” (Hardy 133). Even the clothing required at school had “a religious simplicity that was imposed rather than desired” (Hardy 136). Unaccustomed to the constraints of being a woman, Sue runs away from MelchesterTraining College to go to Jude's house. She immediately changes her wet clothes, which she describes as "sexless cloth and linen," for Jude's costume (Hardy 145). During a conversation later that night, Sue tells Jude that she has "no fear of men" and that she "mingled with them almost like one of their own sex" (Hardy 147).Although it is not clearly stated, she could be referring to the Oxford undergraduate with whom she "used to walk together like two men almost" (Hardy 148). Sue's "curiosity to seek a new sensation" guides her toward experiences, such as unorthodox living conditions with an undergraduate student (Hardy 173). With “his strange manners and curious unconsciousness of gender,” Sue lives with him for fifteen months before realizing that his companionship was not what he was looking for (Hardy 149). The student wanted to be Sue's lover, but she wanted none of that. Sue assures Jude of her virginity by asserting that “I have remained as I began” (Hardy 149). Sue enjoys the company of men, but does not seem to be sexually involved or interested in any of them. This contradicts the human characteristics and impulses generally attributed to women. Even after her marriage to Phillotson, Sue tells Jude that "although I love Mr. Phillotson as a friend, I don't love him - it's torture for me - to live with him as a husband !” (Hardy 212). Phillotson remarks "Sue's invincible dislike of myself as a husband, though she loves me as a friend, is too much to bear any longer... They [Jude and Sue] seem to be a divided person in two! » (Hardy 229). Later, Sue's obvious disgust with her sexual relationship with her husband is evident when Phillotson speaks with his friend, Mr. Gillingham. He tells Gillingham that "because of my accidental entry into her room, she [Sue] jumped out of the window – her fear of me was so strong!" (Hardy 230). On another occasion, Sue even attempts to sleep in a closet. Just as Sue was “a sort of enigma” to Jude, Phillotson finds her “confusing and unpredictable” (Hardy 134 and 224). Phillotson astutely remarks that "her [Sue's] exact feelings for him [Jude] are a riddle to me – and to him too, I think – perhaps to herself" (Hardy 229). All of Sue's relationships with men prove unsatisfactory. She can't really make the decision to refuse or admit men into her life. This is seen in her self-description as a “cold and sexless creature” for living with Jude, but not wanting to marry him (Hardy 267). When Sue takes the name Mrs. Fawley, she possesses "a dull, timid, apathetic manner," which contributes to the idea of ​​Sue's dislike of her marriage (Hardy 298). Both cousins ​​and people sharing many similarities, Jude and Sue complement each other. However, Sue continues to express her distaste for the marriage when she tells Jude that "we should have lived in mental communion, and no more" (Hardy 352). Thomas Hardy frequently uses the term "asexual" to describe Sue. This is interesting because although Sue lives with men and even has children with Jude, Hardy gives the reader no reason to believe that Sue wanted or enjoyed sex. Fortunately, there is no mention in the text of the conception or birth of his and Jude's three children. In Part 5, Sue tells Jude, “I know other women teach women that they should never admit the whole truth to a man. But the highest form of affection is based on full sincerity on both sides” (Hardy 260). So, if women do not tell the whole truth to men, and yet the highest affection cannot existthat if this truth is intact, then these women must achieve the highest form of affection with other women. Sue's desire for friendship and companionship with men is continuous throughout the novel; however, she is unable to establish a successful sexual relationship with any of them. This is a continuation of the fact that Sue doesn't seem to desire sex. Because of this contradiction with traditional feminine desires and impulses, the reader questions Sue's sexual identity. Through Sue's frequent comparisons to Voltaire, Thomas Hardy creates a nonconforming woman whose sexuality and gender are unclear. In Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence, Gertrude Morel focuses all her dreams and aspirations on her sensitive and artistic son, Paul. His mother's effect on him, combined with Paul's hatred of his father, is so powerful that it could be classified as an Oedipal complex. Even after his mother's death, Paul remains incapable of loving anyone else. Gertrude Morel has the ability to denigrate Paul's masculinity, which results in his inability to maintain intimate and fulfilling relationships with the other women he becomes involved with. When Paul was born, Mrs. Morel initially felt guilty because he was an unwanted baby. However, his emotions soon change. As Lawrence writes: “She had feared this baby like a catastrophe, because of her feelings for her husband. And now she had strange feelings toward the child” (Lawrence 34). In an attempt to make up for her initial feelings, she exclaims that “she would love her all the more now that she was here; she would carry it in her love” (Lawrence 35). However, the bond between Paul and his father was nowhere near as strong. "No one spoke to him [Walter Morel]. Family life was withdrawing, shrinking. But he no longer cared about his alienation" (Lawrence 39). The hypersensitive Paul “hated his father” and often prayed that he would die (Lawrence 58). According to Graeme Russell's report on the role of fathers and its relationship to masculinity, paternal education and the extent to which fathers participate in raising children are associated with "the development of masculinity in sons" (Russell 1174). In reference to Sons and Lovers, Cynthia Lewiecki-Wilson asserts that Paul embraces his “feminine traits” and rejects patriarchal values ​​(Lewiecki-Wilson 143). Paul's lack of masculinity is present in some of his sexually inappropriate conversations with his mother. Combined with his hatred of his father, this clearly demonstrates an Oedipal complex. When Paul and his mother prepare to visit Mrs. Leivers, Paul says that Mrs. Morel's new blouse makes her look like a "Bobby-Dazzler" (Lawrence 117). He continues to comment on his mother's appearance, saying that she is "a good little woman to go out for walks with!" » (Laurent 117). When Paul and his mother go to Paul's interview with Mr. Jordan, the couple feel "the excitement of lovers having an adventure together" (Lawrence 89). The young man's comments about his mother's appearance betray clearly sexual and feminine connotations. The second part of the novel focuses on Paul's attempt to free himself from his mother's influence. However, it ends up being a competition between Mrs. Morel and Miriam Leivers over who can possess Paul's soul. When Paul speaks with his “wives,” Mrs. Morel and Miriam “almost argue over who should listen best and gain his favor” (Lawrence 167). In many ways, Miriam is a lot like Mrs. Morel. She is pure and possessive. Yet Paul “hated her [Miriam] because, in one way or another, she spoiled his ease and naturalness. And he writhed with a feeling of humiliation” (Lawrence 171)., 1989.