Arabella, a young and rather vulgar woman, raised in a poor and uncultivated family represents the absolute antithesis of sensible and intellectually cultivated Jude. This is why, looking their relationship from a rational and logical point of view, it results quite unexplainable how she managed to attract him easily as she did. .
Ironically, Jude's studious and introspective life, the one that should give him the inner strength and knowledge to make objective and impartial decisions, is what betrays him and leads him into a tortuous and condemned marriage. Arabella represents the world he has never met, the world he has closed his eyes to, and in the end, the world that will deceive him. .
Their meeting is straight forward and lacks of romanticism as she abruptly introduces herself by throwing at him a "piece of flesh, the characteristic part of a barrow - pig-. Already since that moment, she is manipulative and cold hearted and forces the encounter. .
Although Arabella is not a particularly beautiful girl, she seems incredible to Jude. He doesn't sense her fakeness and unnaturalness until later in their future marriage, when he becomes disgusted by it. Arabella is well trained in the art of seduction and sensuality and even on their first meet, she lacks of any spontaneous attitude. Her presentation to him is accompanied by an adroit little suck to the interior of each of her cheeks in succession, by which curious and original maneuver she brought as by magic upon its smooth and rotund surface a perfect dimple'. Despite this and other facts, Jude can not stop to consider her as incredible, giving her almost non-human characteristics, observing her arms as firm as marble'.
After their first introduction she unemotionally discusses with her friends how to catch him, as she considers Jude a good marriage prospect. Although she has a hardhearted attitude, it would be quite harsh to condemn her manners considering her past and social formation.
