Examine Thomas Hardys portrayal of women in twi if the stories you have read, "The Withered Arm" and "The Distracted Preacher".
Examine Thomas Hardys portrayal of women in two of the stories you have read Thomas Hardy portrays the main female character in "The Distracted Preacher." We are first told about Lizzie Newbury at the very start of this story at the very beginning when she agrees to let Mr Stockton lodge with her as no accommodation had been arranged for the "stand in" minister. We are told that are not unsuitable for the lodge, these are the curates, the parsons friends or such like." The reasons for this unfold as the story progresses. Thomas Hardy portrays Lizzie as a gentle woman with great kindness to others. She is an excellent landlady who should be held in high esteem and is a respectable widower, "he saw before his eyes a fine and extremely well made young woman," (pg. 144) Lizzie was also a religious woman and goes to church daily. "She was one of the trimmers who went to church every day." However, Lizzie also shows a rebellious side to her character very early, when she takes Mr Stockton to find a cure for his cold, "something more likely to cure it than that cough stuff." The honesty of her nature was held up for scrutiny when she admitted to refilling the barrels with water after they had released some alcohol. Lizzie was a traditionalist who wanted to carry on helping with the smuggling as her father and husband has done before her: "my husband used to know of their
Compare the effects of the values and attitudes of the 1800s on the role and status of women in the Withered Arm, Melancholy Hussar and the Yellow Wallpaper.
Compare the effects of the values and attitudes of the 1800s on the role and status of women in the Withered Arm, Melancholy Hussar and the Yellow Wallpaper During the 1800s there were many different attitudes concerning the roles and positions of the individuals within society. These included the attitudes towards witchcraft and superstition, the legal system, and most importantly the views and outlooks on the roles that women played in the community. There are many short stories written by an array of authors, which highlight these effects particularly. Such stories include many of Thomas Hardy's works including the novel "Tess of the D'Urbervilles", "The Withered Arm" and The "Melancholy Hussar". Even authors in other countries than England wrote stories which picked up on the attitudes towards women, one being Charlotte Perkins Gilman coming from America, who wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper", which caused a stir in the American society. Amazingly, although these stories were written far apart from each other they appear to consider much the same views towards how the society behaved towards women of the time. Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset, on June 2nd 1840 and was well educated, getting taught in a number of schools, public and private. From 1862 to 1867 he worked as an architect but also wrote poetry. His poetry was not well appreciated and in 1874 he started
What kind of a woman does Hardy describe Eustacia as being?
What kind of a woman does Hardy describe Eustacia as being? You should consider: * Where you would picture Eustacia as being, her native place * Character descriptions * The way Hardy describes her in contrast to other characters Eustacia Vye is a character within Thomas Hardy's book, "Return of the Native", who seems to be set apart from all the other characters. By this, I mean that Hardy describes her as unique and different from all other characters. The chapter devoted to Eustacia starts with a perfect description of her to reflect the way I think Hardy wanted her to be portrayed to the reader. "Eustacia Vye was the raw material of divinity." This opening line immediately draws the reader into the illusion of mystery surrounding Eustacia's character. We realise that she is not like the other characters in the book, and this is shown by Hardy's references to her as a "model goddess". This gives the reader the impression she is set apart from this world, with a status above every other character else in the book. I think Hardy describes Eustacia in this way to create this higher standing and instantly make the reader feel there is something unusual about Eustacia. Hardy creates this beautiful imagery of her soft, pale skin and her black hair that was so dark that "a whole winter did not contain darkness enough to form its shadow" and it was like "nightfall
Examine the statement Tesss life is damned from the start of 'Tess of The D'urbervilles' by Thomas Hardy'
Examine the statement 'Tess's life is damned from the start of the Novel' Imogen Rossi 12ASR Hardy creates Tess Durbeyfield, an individual, eye-catching, complex, pure, fallen woman in 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles', someone who David Snodin (producer of the 2008 BBC TV series) believes to be 'one of the great beauties of literature'. It could be argued that Tess's life in Victorian society is not chosen by herself, but powered by many influences around her such as men and her family, and that who she was determined many of the events to occur in her life, events which she did not have any control over as she was who she was. Firstly, her family have shaped her life in many ways, including her naivety, purity and her relationships with men. The pure selfishness of her parents, with interests in their money, status and themselves leads Tess to be sent to the D'Urbervilles' to get money from their ancestors and hopefully to marry a rich gentleman, a trip in which her upbringing faults her tremendously, and it could be seen that all the events that lead could not have been helped by her as her life has been damned from the start - from her family. 'Why didn't you tell me there was danger?' Tess blamed her mother for not teaching her about the world and her naivety towards men after her rape by Alec. In Victorian society, a girl was to learn about the world and its 'dangers'
Social attitudes, her own choice or Fate? - The Withered Arm.
Social attitudes, her own choice or Fate? - The Withered Arm Prior to reading The Withered Arm , I believed that it is possible to have a certain amount of bad luck coincidentally, but Rhoda Brook s superfluity of bad luck is past my certain amount . This brings me to believe that, amongst other things, Fate must be one of the main factors, causing discontent in the unlucky milkmaid s life. I do not believe though, that there is one main cause. Perhaps if she had chosen different paths originally, then her son could wouldn t have been the one in the gallows. Form the beginning of the story Rhoda milks somewhat apart from the rest , and we get the impression she has been ostracised by her community from the day the village found out she was having Farmer Lodge s baby. Tis hard for she bringing up a son, on a milkmaids wage, which couldn t have been much and being known as odd or a witch by her local people couldn t have helped matters for her. At that time, having a child out of wedlock was thought to be a wrong thing to do. If I had been Rhoda, I would most certainly have chosen different paths, IE getting what I could from Farmer Lodge, her son s father. She on the other hand does not. She takes a passive role and gives him a very easy ride causing him no trouble at all, as if nothing had ever happened Lodge allows Rhoda to take all the blame and himself to lead a normal
In the short story entitled the withered arm, Thomas Hardy introduces us to a world in which single, working class women, are faced with enormous difficulties. A rich farmer called Lodge has dumped Rhoda Brook a milkmaid in her 30s.
Coursework Matthew Regan 10 E Essay title The Withered Arm In the short story entitled the withered arm, Thomas Hardy introduces us to a world in which single, working class women, are faced with enormous difficulties. A rich farmer called Lodge has dumped Rhoda Brook a milkmaid in her 30s. She lived in a cottage, which is falling into disrepair in a rural village in the West Country round about the 19th century. She was a very poor woman and had to try and feed herself and her own son. They both must off had a very poor diet. They also have very poor clothes and rags and the boy's shoes are falling apart. They were that bad they caught the attention of a stranger called Gertrude farmer Lodges new wife who had brought him a new pair. Rhoda worked very hard for very little money a day. She Worked as a milkmaid, she got up very early in the morning and got back very late for very little. The work she did was physically draining she had to be a very strong woman to keep going. The rumors of Rhoda being a witch would of made her life harder than it was because she would off been scared off being hurt or killed for being a witch or even her son being bullied about it. Her life would off been hard without all off these other problems to go with it. Just because she was a woman. Men were very
Whether of High or low estate
"Whether of high or low estate, Hardy highlights how women are either insignificant workers or pawns in Male power-games in his novel, "The Mayor of Casterbridge". To what extent do you agree" The treatment of women in Hardy's novel "The Mayor of Casterbridge" may bring into question whether Hardy has highlighted that Women are either insignificant workers or Pawns in Male-Power struggles, as the statement argues. Hardy has also portrayed that whether indeed they are of High estate like Susan and Lucetta or of Low estate like the furmity women; women are indeed still controlled by men. Hardy's novel "The Mayor of Casterbridge" brings into question Victorian patriarchal Morality through Henchard's treatment of Women. For example, Henchard treats Susan like property. The reader can immediately see this in the first chapter, where he sells Susan for five guineas. Furthermore, as the novel progresses, Henchard has a reunion with Susan. Henchard attempts to have control over Susan, as shown for example, in his letter which reads "Meet me at eight o'clock tonight....Keep her so till I have seen you" and with that letter, he sends 5 guineas, conveying how he sees her as property and how he wants to have patriarchal dominance over her again. This therefore makes the statement agreeable, as it is clear, that women, despite their estate, are continued to be controlled by men, due to
Discuss how Hardy introduces the characters of the three women, how their fates are intertwined and what importance they have in the rest of the novel.
Discuss how Hardy introduces the characters of the three women, how their fates are intertwined and what importance they have in the rest of the novel. The Return of the Native is set in the vast and gloomy Egdon Heath, and is based around the small community that inhabits it. To Hardy, the Heath itself is a character and the first two chapters of the novel are dedicated to it, in the first not a single human appears and in the second, Hardy persists to leave his characters nameless. However, in spite of the fact that the main characters are yet to be identified the routes of their lives are foreshadowed by the foreboding quality of the Heath. The first eleven chapters make up the 'Book First', 'The Three Women', those three women being Eustacia Vye, Thomasin Yeobright and Mrs.Yeobright. Eustacia Vye is a highly strung, coldly passionate and self-involved young lady who desperately craves the glamour and intensity of the life she was forced to leave behind in Budmouth. She is first introduced, unnamed, in chapter two, when she is seen by Diggory Venn on the mount of the Heath on bonfire night. She is poetically described, "Such a perfect, delicate, and necessary finish did the figure give to the dark pile of hills that it seemed to be the only obvious justification of their outline." Chapter five of the novel is then dedicated to her, entitled 'The Figure against the Sky',
How important is Dr Treves’ dream to the theme of ‘The elephant Man’?
How important is Dr Treves' dream to the theme of 'The elephant Man'? Scenes 17 and 18 are a twisted parody of scenes 2 and 3 at the beginning of the play, and are a turning point, where we see Treves and therefore his general society change roles with Merrick and the rest of the 'freaks'. It is at this point in the play that we clearly see the problems with the Victorian society, and we are shown for certain that Treves is unsure of who he really is and what his intentions are. Scene 17 In scene 17, Merrick has taken the place that Treves was in during scene 2, and Gomm has taken Ross' place. The fact that the roles have been reversed is brought to the fore when Merrick calmly says, "I am Merrick. Here is my card. I am with the mutations across the road." The simplicity of the statement, and the way that Merrick says it completely deadpan, is almost funny, and drives the point home. It is a reversal of a mixture of statements Treves makes in scene 2, where Merrick tells Ross that he is at the London across the road, and gives Ross his card. From the very beginning of the scene, we are shown Treves' uncertainty of himself when 'Merrick' says "If he is merely papier mâché and paint, a swindler and a fake". This is a direct copy of what Treves says about Merrick in scene 2, but it is taken in a different context here, especially when you read Merrick's later
Sue of Jude the Obscure.
Sue of Jude the Obscure In the film version of Jude Obscure, a book written Thomas Hardy, the character of Sue Bridehead has many issues in her life that stem from the idealistic persona that she tries to develop. These problems can be seen through Sue's relationship with Jude, her reaction to the deaths of her children, and her ultimate reconciliation to the Christian beliefs that she had once shunned for their conventionality. Sue Bridehead is a very headstrong person and attempts to reflect the character of a person that possesses deep social convictions. Sue is opposed to marriage ceremonies because she feels there is a lack of necessity. If two people love each other she does not advocate the need for a ceremony. All of her beliefs stem from her disregard for Christianity. She does not like organized religion and the effect that Christianity has on the society in which she lives. She believes that individuals should be able to pursue their desires which Christianity by its doctrines does not allow to take place. She ultimately fails in upholding her beliefs because in actuality they are not as strong as she believes them to be. After Sue left Mr. Phillotson and went to Jude to profess her love for him. They live together but sleep separately because Sue refuses to be intimate with Jude. Both of their divorces become final and Jude suggests that they marry. Sue backs
