Discuss the Portrayal of Women Characters of The Withered Arm and The Pangs of Love. Refer to social, historical and cultural beliefs.

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Discuss the Portrayal of Women Characters of The Withered Arm and The Pangs of Love. Refer to social, historical and cultural beliefs.

By Holly Jackson 111

Although both The Pangs of Love and The Withered Arm are very different, they do share some similarities. Throughout this essay I intend to demonstrate these likenesses and compare both the stories.

The most striking similarity I think is perhaps how both of the main characters, the seventh mermaid and Rhoda Brook have been treated badly by men, and are generally let down by the people they fall in love with.

Rhoda Brook fell in love with Farmer Lodge. He is an upper class man that she works for. They had a child outside of marriage and then farmer Lodge left her. This left Rhoda alone with illegitimate child. She was looked down upon by the church because of this and others in the village turned against her because they saw it as her climbing the social ladder.

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The seventh Mermaid is very confident and out spoken. Her family is very prosperous and so the S.M lives comfortably. She knows about the tales of her older sister, and claims she will not be this foolish. But when she visits the Prince, we see that perhaps she does have feelings for him. The prince announces his love for her and they agree to marry, soon after the prince lets her down and changes his mind once he discovers what he must give up for her love. On they outside the S.M says that “I’m not suffering. I’ve just proved ...

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