Thact : jude

1)  What is the significance of epigraph written by hardy - 'Letter Killeth' - for this ,novel jude the obscure . 

   The epigraph "Letter killeth but the spirit giveth life" by Thomas Hardy in his novel Jude the Obscure holds significant meaning and reflects the themes explored in the book.

   Firstly, the epigraph highlights the power of interpretation and the limitations of written communication. It suggests that the mere words in a letter or any written form can be destructive and lead to misunderstanding or harm. This idea resonates throughout the novel, as Jude and other characters often experience miscommunication and suffer the consequences brought about by the misinterpretation of letters or messages.

   Furthermore, the epigraph implies that the true essence or spirit behind words holds greater significance than the words themselves. It suggests that a deeper understanding and connection can be found beyond the literal words written down. In the context of the novel, this highlights the importance of empathy, emotional connection, and the ability to truly understand others in order to prevent the destructive consequences of miscommunication.

     excess of meaning characterizes the experience of the tragic character in Hardy’s fiction. The biblical slogans painted in red on the wall are meant for Tess, unmistakably; they inscribe on the “blank” page of her body the Other’s knowledge about her fault, and to make sure that meaning is properly conveyed to the reader’s heart, the words are hammered in by means of commas placed after each word. In Lacanian terms, that parodic punctuation, which actually bores holes into the reader’s heart, may be understood as a sort of “quilting” operation gone mad — the “quilting-points” being those points in discourse at which the signified and the signifier are knotted together, not on a one-to-one basis  but by a retroactive effect; for according to Lacan the signified is constantly sliding under the signifier, and the function of the “quilting-points” is to put a halt to what otherwise would be an endless slippage. In the biblical slogan painted in red, the free flow of language is arrested in a coagulation that conflates the signifier , the signified and the referent in a solid mass, the commas making the slippage of meaning impossible. There is no escaping the meaning of the words that an omniscient Other paints in glaring red letters for Tess to read.

  This is where the literary letter comes in useful: for where the staring vermilion words “shout themselves out”, where the voice of a knowing Other drives home its cruel messages, the literary letter restores a form of silence and turns meaning into something shifting, uncertain, problematic. It is at this point that that the “crushing, killing” letter may turn into a letter that vivifies, that the death-drive may be reversed into a life-drive. For instance, the “sticky blights” that make “madder stains” on Tess’s skin in the garden at Talbothays  are another occurrence of the motif of the red stain, the “scarlet letter” that brands Tess as a fallen woman. Here too the visual space is saturated by meaning, here too nature and culture are conjoined  for the signifier “blight” refers both to the real stain on Tess’s arm, and to the moral blemish of sin .

2) Is it  possible to connect the meaning of epigraph of' Esdras' at the beginning of the first chapter of novel and the myth of bramhasur ?

Yes, it is possible to connect the meaning of the epigraph of "Esdras" at the beginning of the first chapter of a novel to the myth of Bramhasur, but it would depend on the specific content and context of both the epigraph and the myth. 

The epigraph is typically a quote, passage, or poem that sets the tone or provides a thematic framework for the novel. It could be used to introduce a specific idea, theme, or symbol that will be explored throughout the story. If the epigraph contains elements or themes that are similar or related to the myth of Bramhasur, then there could be a connection between them.

The myth of Bramhasur, on the other hand, is a traditional Hindu mythological story about a powerful demon who obtains a boon from Lord Brahma, but it eventually leads to his own destruction. This myth has themes of power, desire, and the consequences of arrogance.

In some instances, an epigraph will be a simple one-line quote or saying and in other examples it could be several lines of poetry or prose from a literary work. It is totally down to the writers’ discretion how many lines, or how many epigraphs they decide to use. 

So now that we understand what an epigraph is, it’s important to establish its purpose in writing and why you might consider using in your book.