From the selection of short stories you have read, comment on the way Thomas Hardy depicts the role and position of women in the 19th century society.

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From the selection of short stories you have read, comment on the way Thomas Hardy depicts the role and position of women in the 19th century society

    The short stories by Thomas Hardy I have read dealt with many issues, including the way women were valued and considers when being compared with men and the economy in the 19th century. They all shared a rural setting, in Wessex, with the exception of the Son’s of Veto which was set in South London. Thomas Hardy depiction of the role of women during this period is limited because of the similarities of the settings and the concentration on a particular type of culture. Though despite the limited roles of women in the 19th century, Hardy`s stories can tell us a lot about there position of society.

    As Hardy`s stories are set in the 19th century many issues that would now be considered as “pretend” state a very clear view of what women could have been doing wrong. Witchcraft is one the many issues. The withered arm is the main story which includes this topic. Rhoda and Gertrud are both named or known as women that have something that to do with witchcraft, this affects there Characters to a major degree and shows how something as little as a rumour can drastically affect their life. Rhoda already has a name as being someone who has something to do with witch craft, that is what made farmer Loger brake away from here.

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   Illegitimacy is not a major part in this story but there is a definite moral which is connected to The Withered Arm where Rhoda does not fell like a complete woman, because her son has never had a father who he could be close to, she desires to be married to him

  Women work in those days was very scares, and the work that there was, was of no important`s in the work environment. Rhoda from the Withered Arm Worked, but only as a milk maid, this kept her and her son alive and to live in a ...

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