Thomas Hardy Essay

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Thomas Hardy Essay

English novelist, short story writer and poet Thomas Hardy was born in 2nd June 1840 in Dorchester, England. His short stories included The Withered Arm and Tony Kytes, The Arch Deceiver. When Hardy is writing short stories, the technique he uses is called Suspense. Suspense is the tension of the story which is the interest about the outcome of certain actions often used in short stories, it creates a dramatic impact and a mood of tension encouraging the reader to engage with the text. Hardy has also deliberately used frequent omissions and the alternate use of long and short sentences to create drama and the effect of leaving the reader guessing.

In his short story called The Withered Arm, Hardy creates the theme of suspense throughout the portrayal of one main character named Rhoda Brooks. He describes Rhoda as being lonely and apart from the others, as 'a thin and fading woman'. This creates immediate atmosphere of suspense making the reader draw into empathisement with her.

It appears that Farmer Lodge and Rhoda have had a past relationship previously and resulting from the affair, the farmer had fathered Rhoda's son. This becomes part