Hardy uses contrast between the countryside and the city to reflect the effect this view has on Sophy’s life. In the countryside, Hardy uses the words ‘pretty’, ‘free’, ‘trees’ and ‘fine peal’ . In the city, Hardy uses the words ‘clangour’, ‘dusty’, ‘narrow’ and ‘long’. The comparison between the two gives the impression that in the upper class society, Sophy is imprisoned and choking, almost trapped from happiness. In the lower class, she was free to happiness and is allowed to do what she wants. Hardy may have done this to show that he is on side with the lower class citizens. From research, Thomas Hardy was bought up in a working class Victorian family; therefore, it is more likely he will favour the lower class citizens.
The title of the story (Son’s Veto) shows contrast between Mother and Son. Her son, Randolph, rudely corrects his Mother’s grammar and shames her; this implies her son’s lack of respect for her. The reader would figure out that Sophy wasn’t originally part of an upper class society, she has incorrect grammar and uneducated. Her lack of authority of her son makes us feel considerate for Sophy. We know that women had little or no influence over their sons, so she cannot retaliate towards her son. In a modern society, her son’s behaviour towards her would not be tolerated, this once again emphasizes that the Victorian era was much more male dominant. Sophy can be argued a victim because she cannot have a relationship with her son, they are in two worlds.
Hardy uses the word ‘deficiency’ to describe Sophy’s grammar. The language employed by Hardy suggests that she lacks a certain qualities, qualities to fit into the upper class society. Already, we are aware that she cannot fit into an upper class society because of her incorrect grammar, but more sadly, she cannot have a relationship with her son. It is as if that Sophy can be taken out of the lower class society, but the lower class statue never leaves her.
Her son vetos the idea of Sophy becoming married to Sam, because of this, Sophy declines to Sam’s proposal and obeys her son. Sophy is now part of an upper class society, if she married a lower class citizen, this would be frowned upon. However, Sophy listens to her son and not her heart, if she was to marry Sam, her son’s reputation would go down, and her son wouldn’t be respected in the upper class community. Hardy makes it clear that Sophy does love Randolph, but he has no love for her. Her son vetoing her marrying Sam highlights his lack of respect for his mother, showing he doesn’t give a damn for her and only worried of his eminence. Once again, we observe Sophy as a victim, because she will never be happy.
Through her relationship with Sam, we see that Sophy is comfortable with being a lower class citizen. During her relationship with Sam, she pulled the strings in the relationship; she was the one to be pleased. In reversal, in the upper class society, she was the one who had to please, but because of her grammar, she was looked down upon.
Hardy suggests what marriage to Sam would’ve been like for Sophy. Throughout the story, Sophy speaks a sentence at a time when she is talking to her son and her husband, Mr Twycott. When she is with Sam, we speaks freely, she had to reason to hide her true self, she is only truly herself and at ease when she is with same. She doesn’t have to try with Sam, however, with Mr Twycott, she has to try hard and speak properly and act like a ‘lady’. Her excitement when she is with Sam portrays her only care in life, this emphasizes that she may regret her decision of marrying Twycott.
Sophy’s incapacitation is symbolic of her loss of control of her life. After Twycott’s death, she has no control over finance, she has no control of her own son, she has no control where to go and even marrying Sam, or she feels she cannot. This is a complete comparison to life in the countryside; she had control of life, including her relationship with Sam. After marrying Twycott, her only control was to say no to Sam, this highlights she lost all control of her life as soon a she married Twycott.
Hardy creates sympathy for Sophy, we see that she may never be happy again in her life because of her son vetoing the idea of her marrying Sam, he only happiness. We see that Sophy is only living to die. A modern day reader would be angry towards her son as he uttlerly lacks compassion fir hid Mother although, during the Victorian period, this was common, The fact that son’s had no influence from their Mothers means that they could almost tell them was to do, a role reversal. Despite all this, we see Sophy accepts his son’s path because she loves her and understands his motives. Sophy accepts the situation, this results her being trapped between two worlds.
We see that Hardy himself, favours lower class society. Hardy uses harsher words and illustrates a dark gloomy surrounding for upper class citizens such as ‘dirty’, ‘tortured’ & ‘dusty’. He uses friendlier words and colourful surroundings to illustrate a lower class citizen such as ‘pretty’ and ‘fine peal’. We can expect Hardy to favour lower class citizens because he himself was bought up in a working class family and experienced what it was like to be part of a lower class society. We can expect him to have harsh views on the Upper class Society because of their lack of understanding and lack of consideration towards the working class people. Despite this, we do not see a happy ending in the terms of a modern day reader. We would want Sophy to marry Sam despite the vetoing of her son, instead Sophy dies unhappy.
Sophy doesn’t have a happy ending, she dies alone and unhappy, for the reason she cannot marry Sam. Either Sophy is a victim to a class conscious society or she simply made too many bad decisions. When Twycott proposed to Sophy, she didn’t have to accept, however, she felt that she couldn’t. This once again shows how the Victorian Society was class conscious, the lower class citizens felt that they couldn’t defy upper class citizens; therefore it shows how much that the class has bearing on her. She also didn’t have to listen to her son and go and marry Sam, but again, the class system would show and she made the decision no to go with Sam. On the other hand, Sophy can be declared a victim, she was forced to move away from her friends and families, her own wedding was a hushed up secret, people glance and gossip about her, she has no friends and her own son has no respect for her. My view on this is that Sophy is a victim of a class conscious society because of the decisions she made.
