Thomas hardy goes into great detail mainly about class discrimination and how women do not have the freedom they have now. He mentions their lack of independence, the fact they have a lot of respect for their husbands, the way that women do not have jobs, they have to ask permission for marriage from he man of the house hold and depend on husbands for money. The particular story I am talking about is ‘The Son’s Veto’ where after Gertrude husband dies she refuses to marry because she has too much respect for her husband. Another main reason she does not marry is that she does not want to marry a man in a lower class than her. The man she is in love with is in a lower class than her. Another reason she does not marry Sam is because her son Randolph, who was sent too private school and brought up in a high class society, does not want his step-father to be in a much lower class than his mother and him. It was said that the priest who married Sophy was said to commit social suicide because he married his maid who was in a lower class to him.
“ Mr Twycott knew perfectly well he had committed social suicide by this step, despite Sophy’s spotless character, and he had taken his measures accordingly. An exchange of livings had been arranged with an acquaintance who was incumbent of a church in the south of London”
Also in the withered arm Rhoda was a single mother. This was frowned upon by all the town people. She is different compared to the towns’ people. This makes her suspicious and is thought to be a bit of a loner. Another factor which makes her more suspicious is the fact that she lives far away from the village. She is accused of witchcraft.
Witchcraft comes under the category of traditions. 19th century traditions are mentioned through out both stories. These plant a picture in the readers mind about life in the 19th century. Mainly in the withered arm traditions are mentioned. When Gertrude’s arm starts to hurt she goes to doctors and they can not help. It is when she goes to a ‘quack doctor’ he tells her to touch the arm of a man who has been freshly killed. This is a remedy which has no medical proof that it works.
“ I want to touch him for a charm, a cure of an affliction, by the advice of a man who has proved the virtue of the remedy.”
Also the justice in the 19th century is a lot different. When someone committed a crime such as theft, arsonist and rape in the 19th century, they would be hung to be made an example of. When a person was to be hung, nearby villages would flock to see. It was like a public occasion. The rope which was use for the hanging was sold as memorabilia.
Thomas hardy also paints a picture of the 19th century in his books by using language from the 19th century. The sense of structure is a lot different in his books to more recent books .
