# Sue Bridehead — Jude the Obscure character guide > Sue Bridehead in Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Sue, Susanna, sweet Sue, dear Sue, Bridehead, free Sue Bridehead, The unwitting Sue, Dear Sue, Dear faithful Sue, Miss Bridehead **First appearance:** 0001-jude-the-obscure ## Who they are Jude's brilliant, unconventional cousin, Sue Bridehead dreads marriage's iron contract even as she draws him toward a love society will not permit. ## Relationships ### [Jude Fawley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/jude_fawley) _romantic_ Intense, tragic love affair marked by intellectual kinship, emotional turmoil, and societal persecution. ### [Richard Phillotson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/richard_phillotson) _romantic_ Unhappy marriage where Sue feels trapped and Phillotson is torn between love and moral duty. ### [Arabella Donn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/arabella_donn) _rivalry_ Bitter rivalry over Jude, with Arabella viewing Sue as a pretentious rival and Sue seeing Arabella as coarse. ### [Gillingham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/gillingham) _social_ Acquaintance who observes Sue's unconventional behavior with disapproval. ### [Edlin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/edlin) _friendship_ Sympathetic older woman who provides shelter and understanding to Sue in her darkest moments. ### [Father Time](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/father_time) _family_ Unstable stepmother-stepson relationship, with Sue trying to love the troubled boy who ultimately kills her children. ### [Jude Fawley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/jude_fawley) _romantic_ Intense, tragic love affair marked by intellectual kinship, emotional turmoil, and societal persecution. ### [Jude Fawley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/jude_fawley) _romantic_ Intense, tragic love affair marked by intellectual kinship, emotional turmoil, and societal persecution. ### [Richard Phillotson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/richard_phillotson) _romantic_ Unhappy marriage where Sue feels trapped and Phillotson is torn between love and moral duty. ### [Arabella Donn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/arabella_donn) _rivalry_ Bitter rivalry over Jude, with Arabella viewing Sue as a pretentious rival and Sue seeing Arabella as coarse. ### [Richard Phillotson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/richard_phillotson) _romantic_ Unhappy marriage where Sue feels trapped and Phillotson is torn between love and moral duty. ### [Arabella Donn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/arabella_donn) _rivalry_ Bitter rivalry over Jude, with Arabella viewing Sue as a pretentious rival and Sue seeing Arabella as coarse. ## In the story ### [Part II: At Christminster](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/part-ii-at-christminster) First introduced through a photograph Jude discovers; becomes the object of his romantic and intellectual fascination. ### [Jude's Arrival in Christminster](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/i) Jude recalls seeing a photograph of his cousin Sue at his aunt's house, which becomes a motivating factor for his move to Christminster. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/ii) Sue is seen by Jude near Crozier College; she appears elegant, mobile, and unaware of his presence. Jude thinks of her as a cousin and idealizes her. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iii) Attends the cathedral service; later buys pagan statuettes and hides them from Miss Fontover, reading Gibbon and poetry in her room. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iv) Agrees to become a pupil-teacher for Phillotson; reveals her conflict with Miss Fontover over broken statuary; attends church where Jude sees her. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/v) Works as a pupil-teacher under Phillotson; criticizes the Jerusalem model; faints during an inspector's visit; later walks home with Phillotson, allowing his arm around her waist. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/vi) Discussed through recollections of her childhood; described as a spirited and talented girl. ### [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/vii) Sue compassionately takes in Jude when he arrives at her cottage in distress, offering him rest and care. She represents the one person he feels he can turn to. ### [Part III: At Melchester](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/part-iii-at-melchester) Training as a teacher at Melchester Normal School; she is intellectually vibrant but emotionally conflicted about Jude. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/i) Now a student at the Melchester Normal School, she is unhappy and conflicted about her engagement to Phillotson. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/ii) Sue expresses a desire for freedom, calls herself an 'Ishmaelite,' and gives Jude a photograph of herself before returning to her college. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iii) Sue escapes from the Melchester Training School by wading through the river and comes to Jude's lodgings. She is cold, wet, and ill, and falls asleep in his room. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iv) Expresses her unorthodox religious views, discusses her past with a Christminster undergraduate, and shows intellectual independence. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/v) Runs away from the Training School, stays with a friend, writes to Jude retracting her earlier rejection, and reveals her expulsion due to rumors about them. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/vi) Recently expelled from the Training School; she meets Jude in the market-house and reacts with distress upon learning of his marriage. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/vii) Announces her marriage to Phillotson, stays at Jude's lodgings before the wedding, and displays nervousness and emotional inconsistency. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/viii) Married to Phillotson; Jude longs for her and writes to her about her aunt's illness. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/ix) Sue, now married to Phillotson, comes to Christminster out of worry for Jude. She reproaches him gently for not meeting her as promised. ### [Jude's Spiritual and Emotional Turmoil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/x) Now living near Shaston, working as an assistant teacher; sends a contrite letter inviting Jude to visit. ### [Part IV: At Shaston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/part-iv-at-shaston) Wrestles with her own desires and the expectations of marriage and society. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/i) Now Mrs. Phillotson, she meets Jude at the school, plays the hymn, and reacts emotionally to his accusations. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/ii) Sue reveals her unhappiness in her marriage to Phillotson, citing a physical and emotional aversion. She shares her regret and seeks solace in Jude, though she resists fully admitting her feelings. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iii) Kisses Jude, then feels guilty; confesses to Phillotson about holding Jude's hand and requests to live apart or with Jude. ### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iv) Sue leaves Phillotson to join Jude, expressing gratitude and a desire to remain friends. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/v) Leaves Phillotson to join Jude, but is jealous and hurt upon learning of Jude's past with Arabella, and insists on a platonic relationship. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/vi) Sue visits Phillotson during his illness, showing concern but maintaining emotional distance. She is torn between pity for him and her commitment to Jude. ### [Part V: At Aldbrickham and Elsewhere](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/part-v-at-aldbrickham-and-elsewhere) Lives with Jude, challenging societal conventions and dealing with the emotional toll of their situation. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/i) Sue argues against marriage, fearing it would extinguish their tenderness. She assists Jude with his stonecutting work and manages their household. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/ii) Sue is deeply troubled by Arabella's visit, pleads with Jude not to go to her, and waits in anxious suspense for his return. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iii) Sue is initially dismayed by the news but supports Jude's decision to adopt the child; she also expresses her aversion to legal marriage. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iv) Nervous and hesitant about the wedding, she is disturbed by the registry office atmosphere and the family tragedy story. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/v) Enjoys the flowers and the outing; reflects on Greek joyousness and the shadow of sorrow; affectionate with Jude. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/vi) Assists Jude with the church lettering; feels deeply the community's judgment; expresses fear of losing the child and desire to move. ### [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/vii) Selling Christminster cakes at the fair; pregnant; distressed by Arabella's questions and Jude's unchanged idealism. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/viii) Seen by Arabella at Kennetbridge fair; described as not thriving, with her husband ill. ### [Part VI: At Christminster Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/part-vi-at-christminster-again) Struggles with guilt and religious doubt, her spirit increasingly broken by the harsh realities of their life. ### [At Christminster Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/i) Accompanies Jude, tries to shelter him from rain, trembles upon seeing Phillotson, expresses dread of conventions. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/ii) Sue is staying in a depressing lodging near the colleges, struggling with poverty and the children's distress. She confesses to Father Time about the coming baby, and later is overcome with grief and guilt after the children's deaths. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iii) Convalescent and spiritually tormented, expresses submission to God, guilt over her marriage to Phillotson, and retreats to the church to pray alone. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/iv) Sue is in a state of deep religious remorse after the death of her children, deciding to return to Phillotson as an act of penance. She meets Jude at the cemetery to say goodbye, insisting that her marriage to Jude was not valid and that she must go back to Phillotson. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/v) Returns to Marygreen to remarry Phillotson, pale and shaken, driven by guilt and a sense of purification after her children's deaths. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/vi) Referenced as having remarried Phillotson; Jude is tormented by her decision. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/viii) Sue meets Jude in a church porch. She is torn between her love for Jude and her religious convictions, ultimately refusing his plea to run away. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/ix) Confesses to Mrs. Edlin that she still loves Jude, and resolves to perform a penance by fulfilling her marital duty to Phillotson. ### [Jude's Decline and Arabella's Schemes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/chapters/x) Mentioned as having chosen to submit to Phillotson out of self-punishment, causing Jude deep sorrow. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters/sue_bridehead - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jude_the_obscure_se/characters