This is assignment is a comparative essay, in which Thomas Hardy”s Jude the Obscure and Honore de Balzac”s Lost Illusions will be discussed. Compare the theme of illusions in these two texts, citing textual evidence. The thesis is the two protagonists, Jude and Lucien, are spurned into action because of their illusions; however, along their journeys of becoming a poet and a scholar, Lucien loses his illusions, whereas Jude does not. Provide evidence of their illusions and demonstrate the negative consequences of their adherence to them. The texts” endings show the end result and thesis support: Jude never gives up his illusions, and his sadness and defeat are a testament to this perseverance. Conversely, Lucien gives up his illusions, and this is shown by his decision to go with the priest and live the good life, rather than pursue his poetic dreams. Cited sources need only be the two texts themselves.


