How women are portrayed in the Wessex Tales

Authors Avatar

Wessex Tales Coursework

In this essay I will explore the ways that Thomas Hardy portrays women in his book the Wessex Tales.

Women’s reputations and their appearances were of paramount importance. A woman’s role during 1840 and after in society was to look very decorative towards men.

In the tale “The Withered Arm” there is two main female characters Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge and from the very beginning of this tale these two women are contrasted, mainly because of their appearances.

Gertrude Lodge is described as a “rosy cheeked, tisty-tosty little body” while Rhoda Brook is describes as solitary, “thin” and a “fading woman of thirty” While Gertrude is described as blooming and beautiful like a flower in full bloom. Rhoda is described as a withered old flower which has been neglected. This description is true, because Farmer Lodge neglected Rhoda, because she was getting older and he only went for young, beautiful and attractive women. Farmer Lodge sonly after he had neglected Rhoda for the beautiful Gertrude as a good replacement.

This suggests that women need men just for survival and in order to blossom.

Thomas Hardy portrays women in all different kinds of ways throughout his Wessex Tales. Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge are heavily portrayed during the tale “The Withered Arm”. Hardy gives all women throughout his tales a fully descriptive description which helps the reader understand what women were like in the 19th century.

Join now!

Most of Hardy’s tales are about very young and beautiful women throwing themselves at men and marrying them at a young age. Soonly after the man realises that the woman he married isn’t beautiful anymore he moves out and divorces her and finds another young lady to marry.

In the Three Strangers, there is only one main female character, Mrs Fennel, the wife of a shepherd which it tells us at the beginning of the tale. At the beginning of the tale, Hardy portrays women at a party by telling the reader all about their appearances and what ...

This is a preview of the whole essay