The attitudes and beliefs which influence the outcome of the story 'The Withered Arm' by Thomas Hardy
The attitudes and beliefs which influence the outcome of the story 'The Withered Arm' by Thomas Hardy The Withered Arm is a novel based in a 1800s agricultural society. At the beginning we are introduced to the talk of the poor milk maids and men who gossip about the richer members of their community, the main person being Farmer Lodge, a rich land owner who is bringing his young new wife back to Holmstoke. They also talk about one of the milk maids called Rhoda. She has an illegitimate son by Farmer Lodge; she is isolated from the main group as she is suspected as being a witch. From the story it is very apparent to how class divisions were set. Each person knew their place in society. The story is almost a microcosm of society at the time. Throughout the story, the very different attitudes towards men and women are made clear. Men desire to be respected, they want an heir. It is almost as if they have their wives as a trophy. This can be seen from when Gertrude first goes to Holmstoke, Farmer Lodge says to her "You must expect to be stared at just at first my pretty Gertrude". Men didn't marry for love, more for convenience and their own status; however women such as Gertrude want to be loved by their husbands. When Gertrude's arm is getting worse she says to Rhoda "I shouldn't so much mind it if I hadn't a notion that it makes my husband dislike me, no, love me less.
How The Mayor of Casterbridge reflects the social, historical and cultural influences of the period and place in which it is set and during which Hardy lived.
Name Date Can No: Centre No GCSE English coursework The Mayor of Casterbridge-Thomas Hardy How The Mayor of Casterbridge reflects the social, historical and cultural influences of the period and place in which it is set and during which Hardy lived. The Mayor of Casterbridge was written in the second part of the nineteenth century by the novelist Thomas Hardy. He based it on Dorchester and how he remembered the town from his boyhood days during the 1840's. The story circles around a prosperous businessman, Michael Henchard, his shady past and his prosperous present. It shows the power of the corn trade in the early years and also the impact of a newfound belief in the period- Fate. In this essay I will be analysing the book and its contents to see how it reflects the social, historical and cultural influences of the era in which it is set. As a skilled architect, and having a great eye for detail, Hardy included large pieces of narrative about Casterbridge and the key buildings in his novel. His first, general description about the layout of Casterbridge came early on in the book: "It was compact as a box of dominoes. It had no suburbs- in the ordinary sense. Country and town met at a mathematical line." "From the centre of each side of this tree bound square ran avenues east, west and south into the wide expanse of corn-land and coomb to the
Thomas Hardy "The Withered Arm" and "The Sons Veto".
Thomas Hardy - The Withered Arm/The Son's Veto Thomas Hardy born in 1840 in the county town of Dorset is a world famous author. His short stories were written in the 19th century inspired by family tales and personal experiences. From his characterisation of women in his short stories we sense that Hardy disapproved of how women were treated by society. 'The Withered Arm.' Hardy was inspired to write 'The Withered Arm' by the circumstances of an old woman who had a wasting disease like Gertrude in this story. Hardy portrays two women in this story in different paths of life from different classes. Rhoda Brook, the abandoned mistress of Farmer Lodge and an isolated mother of an illegitimate child is a milkmaid who lives as an outcast, 'Their course lay apart from the others' shows us that she lives on the outskirts of the town and as we progress through the story we find out why, She is treated like an outcast as she is from a lower class than the others. We also see that she is only as she keeps to herself and away from the community. 'A thin fading woman of thirty milked somewhat apart from the rest.' We know that Rhoda had an illegitimate relationship with Farmer Lodge, a prosperous farmer of the town. The relationship between Rhoda and Farmer Lodge had been ostracised by society as they both were from different social classes. The society in the 19th century was a rigid
Analysing The First Two Chapters of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' and How They Act As A Prologue To The Rest Of The Story.
Analysing The First Two Chapters of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' and How They Act As A Prologue To The Rest Of The Story This essay will demonstrate and analyse how Thomas Hardy uses the first two chapters of this book as a prologue to the rest of the novel. To establish this, this essay will include Hardy's style and use of language. This sort of style is quite unique, which is probably why he used it. Other important elements are the setting and how they are linked to Hardy himself, the themes and the way he exemplifies characters. The main character, Michael Henchard, is said to be of fine figure and 'swarthy'. He wore a short, brown corduroy jacket, a 'fustian' waistcoat, tanned leggings, white horn buttons and white breeches. Also, he wore a straw hat. At the beginning of the narrative, Michael is holding a tool-bag. This shows that Michael is a man of the trade. This flows with what Hardy says about Henchard being a 'skilled' countryman. Michael's entrance to the story is palpable, but until later on in the novel, we don't actually know his name. Until the 6th page, 3rd paragraph, Michael is referred to as, amongst other things, 'the man'. This gives a bit of suspense as the reader wishes to read further to find out who this person is and what his name. The reader discovers that he is indeed the husband of Susan; the woman he is accompanying. He
How does Hardy create a sense of tension and terror in "The Withered Arm"?
How does Hardy create a sense of tension and terror in "The Withered Arm"? Hardy in "The Withered Arm" creates a sense of tension in the withered arm by his use of mystery at the beginning of the short story, we don't know about the relationship between Rhoda and Farmer lodge, and their son. There is terror in the withered arm is focused around the fears that the characters have and the supernatural that they go through. Rhoda Brooks dream of the incubus was an important turning point in the Short Story, as it was the first point in the story where we see a character frightened for her life. The withering of Gertrud's arm wasn't a single point of life threatening fear for Gertrude, but a build up of terror, the fear that Gertrude feels for her arm builds as the arm worsens. The arm causes an obvious change in Gertrude. In Gertrude see two types of terror the arm as well as the affect that it has on her in changing her from good to evil. Hardy through Gertrude has shown two types terror, that of body and that of character. By doing so he poses the question, which is more terrifying the arm or the change in character? At the beginning of the story Hardy has Rhoda Brook in a stereotypical role as a milker, where at the time women were employed to milk a Farmer's cows. We are entered into Rhodas workplace and the description we see of her is, "tis hard for she,' signifying the
"You could get people wrong," Sandra realises in 'The Darkness Out There'. Assess how effectively Thomas Hardy and Penelope Lively explore this theme in their characterisation techniques.
Wider Reading Unit "You could get people wrong," Sandra realises in 'The Darkness Out There'. Assess how effectively Thomas Hardy and Penelope Lively explore this theme in their characterisation techniques. "The Withered Arm" and "The Darkness Out There" are two different stories with a common theme. Both include main characters that change even though they are from different centuries and backgrounds. "The Darkness Out There" is told through the eyes of Sandra, a girl going to help at the home of Mrs Rutter. Her views and ideas are immature and undeveloped, she only sees the surface of things and is quite naive. Towards the end of the story she realises these views are not realistic and her opinions change. One of the best ways to learn about a character is found in the way they live. Mrs Rutter's environment gives the overriding impression of a harmless old lady. Her house is homely, "filled with china ornaments" of safe, nice characters like "big flop-eared rabbits and beribboned kittens." There are numerous mentions of flowers, which she likes, for example - "She brought out a flowered tin...'Look at the little cornflowers. And the daisies.'" These features are typical of a stereotyped old lady, who is deemed safe and trusted. However, in amongst the safe, innocent atmosphere, Penelope Lively briefly mentions "there was a smell of cabbage," which hints there may be
How does Hardy use his knowledge of the Bible, Art, the universe and Wessex folklore to add depth to his novel?
How does Hardy use his knowledge of the Bible, Art, the universe and Wessex folklore to add depth to his novel? Hardy began writing Return of the Native in 1877 and Hardy includes may of the beliefs and views of the Victorian period in his writing including concerns about God and religion, scientific theories, moral values and cultural attitudes of the people of the day. Hardy wrote the novel at a time when he was happiest, when he had returned to his native Dorset after living for a time in London. He loved the countryside but realized that with this great time of change, with the industrial and agricultural revolution, that the customs of rural England were under threat. He was concerned that local traditions and regional identity would be forgotten through the civilizing of the masses. Hardy was keen to preserve a record of the local folk history and superstition which continued to play a major part in the lives of the Dorset people, even in the 1890's. By drawing on his knowledge, Hardy was able to illustrate to the reader the changing beliefs of the period at the same time as giving deeper meanings to the story and giving the reader a better understanding of the characters through his extensive use of Greek mythology and biblical references. Hardy began his life with strong religious beliefs. He was born into a very active Christian family and regularly attended
Compare and contrast at least two of the female characters in two or more of the female characters in two or more of the tales you have studied
Compare and contrast at least two of the female characters in two or more of the female characters in two or more of the tales you have studied. Gertrude Lodge, Rhoda Brook and Phyllis Grove are all very different women in different situations; however they all suffer an undeserved fate. Gertrude, from The Withered Arm, loses her looks, the love of her husband and her friendship with Rhoda, who in turn loses her only friend, her son and must suffer the shame of an illegitimate child. This was highly unacceptable at the time, especially as the father of the child was of a higher class and people of different classes were not expected to mix. Phyllis lived a reclusive life with her father up until she met Matthäus Tina, the love of her life, whom she later watched die after having to abandon him. All three protagonists are united in the hardship they must each endure. Their suffering was similar in the way that it was partly due to social principles of the time, as women had no independence and were expected to be totally subservient to their fathers and husbands, and this comes through in Hardy's short stories. Gertrude Lodge is "years younger" than her new husband, Farmer Lodge, and there are constant references to her beauty. She is described as a "lady complete" which suggests her high class in society and her respectable upbringing, now married to a suitable man.
The characterization and lives led by Gertrude Lodge and Rhoda Brook in Hardy's The Withered Arm
The Withered Arm The characterization and lives led by Gertrude Lodge and Rhoda Brook in Hardy's The Withered Arm gives a graphic picture of the lives working and middle class women lived in the 19th century rural England. Women lived in a patriarchal society and were below men hieratically. They were therefore deprived of career opportunities and responsibilities. The inequalities existing between the sexes are more than apparent politically and socially; in addition to this the class divisions in society are evident in every aspect of life, as shown in Hardy's narrative. England was predominately a Christian country and those who were Christian lived according to strict moral principles, one of which was the Christian principle of 'no sex before marriage', which was closely followed by women of all classes, but not necessarily men, whom were thought to have had a dominant role in the lives of women. Thus, a woman who was unmarried and also a mother would struggle to survive financially. Hardy's text explores the issue of class, gender, superstition and their affect on the lives of his characters. Hardy paints a negative view of women's lives in rural society and presents them as being quite literally powerless, for example the illicit affair with Farmer Lodge affects Rhoda Brook irrecoverably. The text implies that Farmer Lodge exploited a financially disadvantaged woman
Return of the Native - Notes.
RETURN OF THE NATIVE NOTES BY THOMAS HARDY BOOK ONE CHAPTERS 1-2 Summary Twilight descends on Egdon Heath. It is Saturday, the fifth of November. Egdon Heath, which figures in the Doomsday Book of 086, has changed little since then. Human presence is evident only by the existence of a road and the prehistoric burial mounds that dot the Heath. An old man wearing naval clothes walks along the road; he reaches a spring van beside which walks a reddleman. Though the reddleman is not the talkative kind, the old man is inquisitive and manages to extract enough information from the reddleman to learn that the van contains a young lady. But the reddleman will say no more, and they soon part company. The old man goes onward, and the young one, having turned his van and horses onto the turf, rests awhile. While he rests, the reddleman notices the figure of a woman on top of Rain barrow, the highest point in the heath. Very soon, this figure is replaced by others who light a bonfire. Notes The entire first chapter is devoted to Egdon Heath, even though there is a total absence of any human beings there; but Egdon Heath is very important to the novel. As the setting of the book, it dominates the plot and determines the fate of the characters. The Heath presents a harsh, lonely face on which time has made hardly an impression. Its
