“ Tis hard for she, signifying the thin ,worn milkmaid”
The word “worn” shows that even though she seems to be ignoring the gossip about her, its is wearing her out inside and she is emotionally worn as well as physically worn. Rhoda is referred to as a “she” , not a person but an inferior being because of her disgraceful affair with the wealthy farmer Lodge.
“He hadn’t spoken to Rhoda for years.”
This is a statement made by another milkmaid, this is significant because upfront it obviously means that farmer Lodge has not has anything to do with Rhoda since the affair but also that the milkmaid is talking about Rhoda as if she wasn’t there but she is only a few metres away.
Rhoda lives in a small hut not far from the border of Egdon heath, it is basic but her and her son seem to be coping alright .
Farmer Lodge has married a young women called Gertrude and in the story, the impression that is given is that he has only married her because he wants to look good in public, he sees her as a “Status Symbol”.
“Mr Lodge, he seemed pleased and his waistcoat stuck out and his golden seals hung like a lords.”
Farmer Lodge goes to church with his new wife and wearing all his finery and best clothing. This is to emphasize that he wants to look good at public occasions.
Gertrude’s arm begins to worsen and farmer Lodge shows that he is selfish by beginning to not love her anymore because of her appearance.
“Half a dozen years passed away, and Mr and Mrs Lodge married experience sank into prosiness, and worse. The farmer was usually gloomy and silent.”
Farmer Lodge now dislikes Gertrude because of her arm and their marriage is suffering. He is described as “Gloomy and silent”. This means that like the cloudy sky, the clouds hide what the sky is really like and this is being applied to farmer Lodge who’s gloomy face and silence is hiding his inner emotions.
rural Wessex, “The Withered Arm” tells a tale about a poor middle aged woman named Rhoda Brook. Rhoda previously had a child with a rich landowner named Mr. Lodge. But because of the huge difference in class Mr. Lodge left her and never looked back. Over the next twelve years Rhoda lived her life as an outsider, simply because she was a single mother. Rhoda earned her living as a milk maid, it was here where she overheard Mr. lodge was getting married. She overhears many things about this woman “Gertrude”, and finds herself hating her before she even meets her. One night she had a nightmare about her, she ends up grabbing Gertrude’s arm and then waking up. Surprisingly when Rhoda first actually meets Gertrude she is a sweet kind person, they become friends and Gertrude reveals a mark on her arm which had been bothering her. It was in the exact same place where Rhoda had grabbed her in the nightmare, and it appeared on the same night. Rhoda didn’t tell Gertrude about the dream as she feared she would loose her new found friend. Gertrude Experimented with lots of cures, both scientific and magical. None worked and the mark got worse. She went to see a conjurer who told Gertrude it was Rhoda who inflicted the wound. Gertrude and Rhoda stopped talking, and six years later Gertrude still hadn’t got rid of the mark. During the six years Mr. lodge had grown less fond of Gertrude and her arm. Rhoda’s son had been accused of arson and was set to be hanged. Coincidently Gertrude had been told that if she rubbed her arm over a freshly hanged mans neck her blood would “turn” and she would be cured. She had no clue that the boy she rubbed her arm on was Rhoda’s son, that is until she turned around to see Rhoda and Mr. lodge standing behind her she realized who it was and died of shock.