In The Withered Arm how does Thomas Hardy present the characters of Rhoda and Gertrude through their relationships with the wider community, each other and farmer Lodge?

In ‘The Withered Arm’ how does Thomas Hardy present the characters of Rhoda and Gertrude through their relationships with the wider community, each other and farmer Lodge?

Thomas Hardy’s short story, ‘The Withered Arm’ focuses on the characters of two very different women, Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge. Tragically bought together by fate, the story details the lack of control the two characters are able to exercise over their lives, and how circumstances conspire against them through no fault of their own. Hardy was very concerned about the social inequalities that were an integral part of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and these inequalities often feature thematically in his work through the characters of the two women, ‘The Withered Arm’ can be interpreted as addressing the harsh treatment often experienced by women at the hands of men and society. This essay will examine how Hardy presents the characters of Rhoda and Gertrude through their relationships with the wider community, each other and their respective relationships with farmer Lodge.

The reader’s first introduction to Rhoda immediately establishes her as an outsider. In an environment that is characterised by its warmth and close personal interactions, with the milkers ready to capitalise on the ‘opportunity for a little conversation’, Rhoda is deliberately isolated, sitting away from her peers; she is ‘on the other side of the Barton … somewhat apart from the rest’. The reader is made aware of the reasons for which she is ostracised shortly after her lonely figure is first encountered,

“The thin woman who had not spoken was joined by a boy of about twelve or thereabout,”

The descriptions of her as ‘thin’, ‘fading’ and ‘worn’ make clear that Rhoda Brook has suffered and this contrasts with Farmer Lodge, who is assumed by one milker to be ten years younger than his actual age, suggesting he has experienced far fewer hardships as a result of their encounter than she. There is also an implicit contrast between Rhoda’s faded beauty and the ‘rosy cheeked, titsy-totsy little body’ of his new wife; Rhoda’s reasons for feeling bitter are made very clear.

Although her workmates appear to have some sympathy for her predicament, suggested when one remarks, ‘Tis hard for she,’ the italicised ‘she’ also emphasises Rhoda’s exclusion. Her transgression in having a child out of wedlock means that socially, close contact with her is not tolerated. It is also clear that although responsibility for Rhoda’s lonely fate is widely held to reside with farmer Lodge, who failed to act honourably towards her: ‘He ha’nt spoken to her for years,’ the social cost of their illicit relationship is borne by Rhoda alone. The stark contrast between their two lives is made powerfully in the first scene as the talk revolves around Lodge’s beautiful new wife with only an afterthought for the humiliating effect such talk is likely to have on Rhoda. Through our introduction to Rhoda, Hardy is highlighting the inequalities in attitudes regarding the sexual conduct of men and women.

Whilst she is dignified and silent when in company, the full intensity of Rhoda’s resentment is revealed when she is alone with her son. This resentment communicates itself through her avid curiosity about the appearance of her rival and her making explicit the comparison between her own appearance and that of Gertrude, implied earlier:

“If she’s dark or fair, and if she’s tall – as tall as I.”

It also becomes clear that the son has no contact with his father, the family have been left entirely to their own devices; the boy has to ask, “Is father married then?” After Rhoda sends him to spy on Gertrude, the son’s matter-of-fact manner in relating his father’s refusal to acknowledge him, makes clear that this has happened many times before. It is also significant that the son remains nameless, referred to as ‘the boy’ throughout the story. Hardy is drawing attention to the humility of his birth; his father’s refusal to honour him with a name: although blameless he is made to suffer for the indiscretions of his parents and this punishment of the innocent will be a recurring theme throughout the story.

Rhoda’s enquiries about Gertrude reveals an obsession with Farmer Lodge that appears to be eating away at her – her gaunt appearance is entirely in keeping with her being consumed by her earlier experiences. In light of Farmer Lodge’s obvious rejection of her, and his failure to assume any responsibility for the child he helped to create, Rhoda’s jealousy and resentment towards Gertrude is entirely understandable; the marriage signifies the end of her hopes that he might ever recognise his responsibilities to her. Although Rhoda is initially presented as an ambivalent character, filled with negative emotion, the reasons for this are also sensitively depicted and the reader is likely to sympathise with the injustice of her situation rather than condemn her.

Hardy also emphasises how with time the image of Gertrude comes to dominate Rhoda’s thoughts with the clarity of ‘a photograph’. She is constantly surrounded by gossip about the marriage and her ‘vision’ makes clear the profoundly disturbing effect this is having on her. Her dream is preceded by a period where ‘she contemplated so intently the new wife, as presented to her mind’s eye…that she forgot the lapse of time”. Hardy is making clear that her negative feelings towards Gertrude are becoming all-consuming. Her dream seems almost a natural progression from her waking obsession. The spectre of Gertrude cruelly taunting her with the wedding ring finally embodies the torment she has been experiencing ever since the marriage. The language powerfully conveys Rhoda’s feelings of persecution:

“Rhoda, in a last desperate effort, swung out her right hand, seized the

confronting spectre by its obtrusive left arm,”

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“Rhoda, in a last desperate effort, swung out her right hand, seized the

confronting spectre by its obtrusive left arm,”

The adjectives ‘confronting’ and ‘obtrusive’ are used to convey Rhoda’s sense that it is she who is being attacked. The malevolent presence of Gertrude Lodge in the dream seems to be an externalisation of Rhoda’s feelings of bitterness – it is her own hatred that she sees disfiguring her rival. By having Rhoda deliver the curse in a dream when she herself feels threatened is a means of establishing her as not responsible for what happens. She has no conscious knowledge that the curse has been cast or that she has the power to deliver such a blight. The curse itself symbolises Rhoda’s long-suffering and humiliation at the hands of Farmer Lodge.

It is pertinent to consider why Hardy has Rhoda direct all of her negative energy and anguish at the innocent Gertrude, rather than at the man who has caused her to be in this pitiful situation. Hardy seems to be suggesting that Rhoda has a dark side – that to begin with she has taken the responsibility for her lover’s rejection upon herself. This hurt has been hidden away and nursed, always directed inwards, until her jealousy and resentment have caused the blight to be released on the unsuspecting Gertrude. Our initial impressions of Rhoda are of a woman who is haunted and driven by a terrible burden, we remain sympathetic towards her in spite of her pent-up hatred because the reasons for it are made clear to us.

When the reader is first introduced to Gertrude, she is likewise sympathetically portrayed, which is likely to contradict our expectations – a conventional presentation might well cast Gertrude as a vain young husband-stealer that we are encouraged to hate on Rhoda’s behalf. Gertrude, however, far from being a villain, is also an innocent party. Her lack of experience is emphasised in her first encounter with the boy – she is surprised and discomfited by his undisguised interest in her rather than enjoying the attention. The means by which her character is revealed to us is very different from the milkers’ insinuations about Rhoda that the story began with. Hardy’s description of Gertrude by contrast, dwells very closely on her personal appearance,

“The low sun…rendering every feature, shade and contour distinct,

from the curve of her little nostril to the colour of her eyes.”

The attention to detail in this description is used to suggest the boy is devouring her with his eyes. That the sunlight is the medium by which her beauty is revealed, imparts her with a beauty and grace characterised by its affinity with nature. The prevalence of this kind of description whenever her character appears encourages the reader to feel as if s\he is constantly watching her. This concentration on the physical appearance of his more attractive female characters is a common feature in Hardy’s work and has been termed ‘the gaze’. Although Hardy has sometimes been criticised for his preoccupation with the look of certain female characters, here the technique successfully conveys Gertrude’s lack of self-consciousness and helps the reader to identify with Rhonda’s obsessive picturing of her.

Gertrude’s first visit to the Brook household, occurring on the morning after Rhonda’s dream, helps to create an impression of supernatural coincidence in the reader. This also aids the development of a sense of the two women’s powerlessness; both are being manipulated by a configuration of events that is operating just beyond their capacity to comprehend. However this impression is quickly dispensed with; the boy’s description of Gertrude’s friendly offer of help does much to dispel the uncanny atmosphere of the dream and the lingering impression of evil that the reader shares with Rhoda, Hardy makes the contrast between the night-time visitation and the everyday reality explicit,

“Her voice was so indescribably sweet, her glance so winning, her smile so tender, so unlike that of Rhoda’s midnight visitant, that the latter could hardly believe the evidence of her senses.”

When confronted with every proof of Gertrude’s good nature, and the realisation that she is in no way responsible for her suffering; at this point Gertrude knows nothing of her husband’s involvement with Rhonda and the boy; Rhoda begins to feel guilty,

‘Rhoda’s heart reproached her bitterly. This innocent young thing should

have her blessing and not her curse.”

The focalisation on Rhoda’s feelings in the second sentence suggests that she already unconsciously believes that she has delivered a blight upon Gertrude and this unvoiced suspicion is confirmed for her upon their next meeting. Gertrude shows Rhoda the marks upon her arm and Rhoda ‘discerned in them the shape of her own four fingers.’ Rather than ‘reason on the freaks of coincidence’ Rhoda’s customary common sense deserts her and she becomes infected by her neighbour’s superstitions. She begins to wonder whether the social stigma that has led some people to brand her a witch is actually motivated by something more sinister – a real power that she possesses. For Rhoda her association with Gertrude is leading to events spiralling out of her control and a sense that she no longer knows herself. The supernatural elements to the story are clearly believed in by the majority of the characters, however whether they are narrated in a way designed to make them credible to the reader is debatable – Hardy is always careful to undermine any straightforward supernatural reading of events by emphasising the subjective nature of the characters’ beliefs – Gertrude’s belief in the revelation of Rhonda’s curse is based on an ‘indistinct form’; ‘what she thought she saw’ rather than a vision that revealed the truth.

In spite of the damage that each has inadvertently inflicted on the other, the two women are able to form a friendship that while it lasts, seems to be based on genuine regard for each other – Gertrude confides her fears to Rhoda, who, in turn comes increasingly to view her as a friend, however Rhoda is plagued by fears that discovery of her ‘malignant influence’ might ‘lead her friend to hate her forever.’ In spite of her misgivings Rhoda still feels obligated to aid Gertrude in discovering the cause of her mysterious illness – even if this implicates her. Rhoda’s selfless act in taking Gertrude to see conjurer Trendle is very costly; by giving her neighbours the opportunity to elaborate and embroider their small-minded allegations that she is a witch, her actions lead to her losing the little respect she could still command as a fallen woman. Hardy is again making clear that Rhoda is essentially a good person influenced by evil circumstances, and as she departs from the narrative, ‘sadder and thinner’ the reader’s sympathy remains with her.

With Rhoda’s departure, the narrative focuses instead on the plight of Gertrude – like the boy she is an innocent who is being punished for the sins of her husband; his father. Her misfortune has much in common with the difficult situation that had twisted her friend. Both, once loved by the same man, suffer rejection at his hands because of his perception of a lessening in their physical attractiveness. This similarity is made clear to the reader when Gertrude confides that her disfigurement, ‘makes my husband – dislike me – no, love me less. Men think so much of personal appearance.’ Rhoda’s reply makes clear that her own rejection by the farmer was of a similar nature: ‘Some do – he for one.’ At thirty Rhoda has a twelve-year old son, which would have made her almost an identical age to Gertrude when she first became involved with Lodge. The section of the narrative detailing Gertrude’s deteriorating marriage and increasingly blighted appearance correspond to Rhoda’s suffering before the narrative began – the suffering that twisted her and led to her unconscious cursing of Gertrude. The paths that the two women’s lives follow are clearly parallel, made so by their involvement with the same man.

With time, Gertrude’s barely concealed rejection by her husband leads to a subtle corruption of her good nature,

“The once blithe-hearted and enlightened Gertrude was changing into an irritable and suspicious woman.”

The comparison with Rhoda is becoming increasingly clear; she does not blame or hold Lodge responsible for his ‘usually gloomy and silent’ demeanour, instead she takes the fault upon herself, wishing she could be ‘as I was when he first saw me!’ Despite her youth, her obsession with improving her appearance ironically leads to its deterioration: although only five and twenty, ‘she seemed older.’ Gertrude’s loss of attractiveness mirrors that experienced by Rhoda previously and despite her natural generosity, her all-consuming obsession with finding a cure leads her to behave in ways that are completely alien to her nature. Although her natural inclination is to ‘shrink in terror from the possibility of’ the gruesome ‘hangman’s’ cure suggested by Trendle, Hardy makes clear her motivation to regain her looks has become the ‘mastering desire’ in her life,

‘Her woman’s nature, craved for renewed love, through the medium of renewed beauty’

By describing her feelings in terms of stereotypical ideas about women, Hardy is suggesting that her behaviour is perfectly understandable given the circumstances, and so the reader’s sympathy is maintained, in spite of her obsession leading her to wish harm upon another,

‘Oh Lord, hang some guilty or innocent person soon!’

Both here with the specific mention of ‘guilty or innocent’ and later with the hangman’s assertion that ‘if ever a young fellow deserved to be let off this one does’, Hardy is emphasising Gertrude’s culpability – that she has become so self-obsessed that she is capable of wishing an innocent person dead, however, as with Rhoda’s curse, this prayer remains unconscious and is an unnatural response to the extreme circumstances she finds herself in, thus allowing the reader’s sympathy to be maintained.

The climax of the plot comes with the hanging of the nameless boy. Gertrude’s fate becomes intertwined with that of her husband’s bastard son. The responsibility for the deaths of both, and the destruction of his own and Rhoda’s lives, seem ultimately to reside with Lodge; it was he who left his son nameless and hence a potential scapegoat: it seems reasonable to infer that the son of a wealthy landowner would never be hanged for a crime he did not commit. It was he who, despite his money, left the mother of his child to poverty and social exclusion, leading to her becoming bitter and resentful, a course of action that culminates in the curse of his wife. Finally it seems he marries solely on the basis of physical attractiveness, because as soon as Gertrude’s limb is afflicted he rejects her and it is this rejection that motivates her to embark on the desperate course of action that leads to her death.

It is possible to read ‘The Withered Arm’ as merely a macabre tale of the supernatural, however on a deeper level, the tragic outcomes of the two central protagonists encourage the reader to look for reasons as to why they are made to suffer in such unjust ways. This inevitably leads to a consideration of their relationships with the community in which they live and with farmer Lodge.

Although Lodge’s choices dictate the action of the narrative, he features only as a minor character. This is significant as it used to expose the unequal nature of relationships between men and women; the lives of the two main characters are distorted and manipulated by events and unlucky coincidences seemingly beyond their control, however on closer examination we see that it is their inability to exercise any control over the malignant influence of Lodge’s choices that leads to their downfall. As well as their unequal relationships with Lodge it is the petty and judgemental attitudes of the village that maintain and rationalise the two women’s powerlessness. To begin with, the villagers justify Lodge’s behaviour towards Rhoda by ostracising her and calling her a witch, and later their small-minded and superstitious beliefs encourage Gertrude to dream of a ‘cure’ rather than recognise her husband’s responsibility for her unhappiness. Thomas Hardy manipulates the structure of ‘The Withered Arm’, using it as a means of exposing society’s unequal and often hypocritical treatment of women.

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Essay Plan: The Withered Arm

In ‘The Withered Arm’ how does Thomas Hardy present the characters of Rhoda and Gertrude through their relationships with the wider community, each other and farmer Lodge?

Introduction: Introduce story and characters to be examined – the lack of control Rhoda and Gertrude exercise over their own lives relates to Hardy’s concern about social inequalities – these often feature in his work. The story explores harsh treatment of women, both by men and the community – essay will examine the two women’s characters through their relationships with each other, the wider community and farmer Lodge.

Reader’s first impressions of Rhoda – an outsider - quote. Contrast between her fellow milkers’ gossip – quote – comment on her silence and isolation – arrival of son tells us why she is ostracised – socially unacceptable to have a child out of wedlock. Analyse physical description of Rhoda – quote – what does this tell us about her life? Contrast with milker’s estimation of Lodge’s age - quote – shows she has suffered more for their indiscretions than he has. Also implicit contrast between his new wife – quote - and Rhoda – we understand why she feels bitter.

Workmates appear sympathetic – quote – but she is also clearly excluded – explain how we know this. Although people consider Lodge has treated her badly it is she who is punished and treated as an outcast – support for this comes from contrast between his life (centre of village life and all attention is on him and his new wife - quote) and hers (people openly discuss him in front of her without considering her feelings) Hardy is bringing sexual inequalities within society to reader’s attention.

Contrast between Rhoda’s dignity and silence in company and her resentful intensity when with her son – communicated through her obsessive curiosity about the appearance of Gertrude, her rival - quote. It is also revealed that the boy has no contact with his father (shown when Lodge ignores the boy and how he relates this with no sense of surprise). The boy is never given a name. Hardy is drawing attention to the disgrace of his birth. He is an innocent punished for the sins of others – a recurrent theme in the story.

Rhoda’s obsession with Gertrude – eats away at her, e.g. gaunt appearance. Reader sympathises given Lodge’s treatment of her (describe). The marriage means he will never make amends to her. Although she has a dark side we understand why and do not blame her.

Hardy emphases Rhoda’s growing obsession with Gertrude’s physical appearance – quote – she is affected by the constant gossip and negative feelings are overwhelming her – vision seems a natural progression from this – e.g. Gertrude taunting her with the wedding ring. Language shows Rhoda feels persecuted – quote – she acts in self-defence and has no knowledge of the curse – this suggests to the reader she is not responsible. Curse represents build up of emotion and suffering as a result of Lodge’s treatment of her.

Consider why Rhoda directs her negative energy towards innocent Gertrude rather than Lodge – seems to be because blame has always been directed inwards onto herself and never expressed until her jealousy becomes the trigger for all the suffering to be unconsciously released so she has no knowledge or control over where it goes – reader sympathises because we understand why Rhoda behaves as she does.

Gertrude is also portrayed sympathetically – this is unconventional – it would be more usual to cast her as a conniving husband-stealer that the reader hates on behalf of Rhoda – but Hardy keeps the blame with Lodge. Gertrude is shown as innocent and inexperienced - e.g. she is uncomfortable when the boy stares at her rather than enjoying it.

Strong contrast with the way Rhoda’s character is revealed – through insinuations by other villagers, and how Gertrude is shown – direct physical description – quote, detailed comment. Readers feel like they are always watching her – technique Hardy uses with attractive female characters – called ‘the gaze’. Feminists have criticised him for it, but here it shows she is not self-conscious and vain and helps us identify with Rhoda’s obsession with her looks.

First time two women meet – the morning of the dream – seems a supernatural coincidence – this helps to suggest two women are not in control of what happens to them. There is a strong contrast between the evil Gertrude of the dream and how she appears in daylight – quote – once Rhoda sees how nice Gertrude is she begins to feel guilty – quote, detailed comment. This feeling is stronger next time they meet when she starts to suspect she has delivered the curse – quote. This leads Rhoda to take on her neighbour’s superstitions and think she might be a witch. Find quotes to suggest the narrative voice undermines a straightforward acceptance of the supernatural aspects of the story by emphasising the subjective and superstitious nature of those who believe in it.

Despite the unintentional damage they have done each other the two women become friends – quote – in spite of her doubts Rhoda accompanies Gertrude to Conjurer Trendle in order to help her friend. This proves costly for Rhoda as it gives the village gossips further ammunition to blacken her name – quote - she is effectively driven out of the village – she is a victim and the reader continues to feel sorry for her.

When Rhoda goes the narrative concentrates on Gertrude’s suffering – describe obvious parallels with Rhoda – rejection by the same man because they lose their looks – quote, and suffering and loss of self respect because of this (explain).

This suffering leads to a corruption of Gertrude’s good nature – quote – like Rhoda, she blames herself for his rejection rather than Lodge – quote. Her obsession with improving her looks leads to her losing them – quote. Her obsession leads her to behave in ways unnatural to her – example – the hangman’s cure. Despite this deterioration leading her to wish harm upon another – quote, detailed comment, as with Rhoda’s curse this wish is unconscious and we understand how much she has suffered and so our sympathy is maintained.

Climax of plot – hanging of nameless boy – his and Gertrude’s fates become intertwined and responsibility for both lies with Lodge – hangman makes clear boy is innocent – if his father had acknowledged him he would have a name & therefore could not be used as a scapegoat, Lodge failed to act honourably towards Rhoda – leaving her to bitterness and social exclusion and leading to the curse upon his wife and his shallow rejection of his wife because she is not physically perfect leads to her desperate course of action that ends in her death.

Conclusion – story can be read as merely a macabre supernatural tale, but the tragic ends of the two central characters encourages the reader to look for reasons for their unjust treatment – leads to a consideration of their relationships with the community and Lodge. Lodge’s choices form the basis of the story but he is only a minor character – this shows the inequality between men and women – the two women’s lives seem to be manipulated by unlucky events beyond their control (supernatural functions metaphorically to represent their powerlessness), but on closer examination it is Lodge’s selfish choices that cause their tragedy. The judgemental and superstitious attitudes of the villagers make things worse for the two women, ostracising Rhoda and calling her a witch and encouraging Gertrude to find a ‘cure’ instead of questioning why her husband treats her so unfairly. Hardy structures the story to expose society’s hypocritical treatment of women.