Jude Fawley grows up in the poor rural village of Marygreen, harboring dreams of studying at Christminster. However, reality is harsh, and he makes a living as a baker. In his youth, he impulsively marries Arabella Donn, but their marriage is filled with conflict, and she eventually leaves him. Determined to pursue his academic ambitions, Jude finally sets off for Christminster, only to realize that the path to education is far more difficult than he had imagined. There, he meets his distant cousin, Sue Bridehead, and is immediately drawn to her intelligence and independent spirit. However, Sue is already engaged to a schoolteacher named Phillotson. Jude tries to suppress his growing feelings for her, but he finds himself falling deeper in love.
