The first three chapters are mainly focused on the character Rhoda who you realise is emotionally isolated. As the paragraphs continue Rhoda doesn’t join in and there you see how lonely and different she is from the rest.
“He hadn’t spoke to Rhoda Brook for years”
This shows that Farmer Lodge never cared for Rhoda Brook and had showed no feelings towards her, which would make emotionally hurt. Also how she doesn't respond to others comments aids to this isolation. Physical loneliness is also developed
“milked somewhat apart from the rest”
This shows she milked away from all the other milk ladies and felt lonely and an outsider. Also through the description of where she lives shows she lives far away from the rest of the village.
“their course lay apart from that of the others”
This meant she lived away from the others. Also her intense jealously of Gertrude shows how she looked up to others, as she is unhappy with herself and alone.
“the figure thrust forward it’s left hand mockingly, so as to make the wedding ring it wore glitter in Rhoda’s eyes”
The end of the story concludes Rhoda’s loneliness when still no one communicates with her even after the recent death of the son.
The Boy is also a very important character because of the way Thomas Hardy chooses to not give him a name because his mother and father both reject him. The father goes on ignoring the boy.
“took no outward notice of the boy whatever”
This obviously makes the boy feel rejected and lonely because his father describes him as “one of the neighbourhood”. The boy’s mother uses him as a spy and treats him as a slave.
“hold up the net a moment”
This shows how the boy was shown no love towards him but only used as a spy or to do errands. The story ends with the death of the boy, but Hardy portrays the boy’s innocence throughout the story and you feel sorry for him because he might have been innocent but there was no one to stand up for him. Eventually the boy dies a lonely death.
Another important character is Gertrude Lodge. Gertrude Lodge is important because at the start of the story she is arriving as Father Lodge’s wife and all the villagers were fixated on what she looks like. When Gertrude and Father Lodge entered the church you could see for the first time “the shyness” and how “all other eyes were fixed upon her”. The loneliness of Gertrude is shown fully when she has to turn to Rhoda when her hand is withering away, who actually caused it. The story continues for Gertrude as a desperate struggle to find a cure. You notice Gertrude’s loneliness increase as her husband begins to lose interest in her because of her withered arm and she realises how he only married her because of her looks. You are also aware she is lonely her second journey to Trendle she goes by herself and not with Rhoda as before. Gertrude dies alone like the boy and proves Father Lodge was after only her looks.
The final important character was Father Lodge whose shows no feelings or love to his child, the boy. Also he doesn’t stand by his wife, Gertrude when she is dieing. Or help Rhoda look after the boy. But his loneliness shows in the last chapter. He is shown by Hardy to suffer by ignoring his son, by stopping his love for his wife and not helping his ex. He loses everything he has and dies a lonely old man. Hardy leaves us the reader to realise the death of his son had an effect on him because he leaves his “property to a reformatory for boys”. This showed the death of his son had an effect on him.
Through all the main characters Thomas Hardy was showing loneliness and suffering. Each character became lonelier through the chapters and were shown to all be friendless. Thomas Hardy may have written in this manner because he may experienced that during his life. I think that because he wrote many stories about the place he grew up in.
