The Withered Arm Essay Example For Students

The Withered Arm Essay The two main characters, Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge, which the story The Withered Arm is based on, are very different. Rhoda Brook is a single mother and is feeling alone and unloved. She is always suspicious of what is happening. She feels guilty if she does something wrong and cannot say no if some body asks her to help them. An example of this is when Rhoda thinks she is to blame for the markings on Gertrudes arm, she also doesnt really want to go see Conjuror Trendle with Gertrude about her arm, but she cannot say no. She isnt really good looking and she is thirty-five years of age and has been divorced once from Farmer Lodge. We will write a custom essay on The Withered Arm specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now She is poor and always has and her job as a milkmaid doesnt pay much, especially when she has to try to support herself and her son. Where as Gertrude Lodge has just been married to farmer Lodge, she doesnt work, but isnt poor as she relies on her husband. She is very pretty and is young. She doesnt feel lonely, but feels deeply in love. Both Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge are connected in the fact that they have both at one time in their life felt deeply in love with Farmer Lodge and have both married him when they were young and pretty. Hardys story is about two women, Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge, who dont even know each other. Rhoda hears about Gertrude and becomes jealous because she has married ex-husband. Rhoda has a dream about Gertrude and she ends up throwing her across the room. The next day Rhoda sees marks on Gertrudes arm and wonders if it was her fault. As you can see Hardys stories are all about families, the conflict, the break up, and even divorces and remarried ones. It is every day life problems, just with a little more imagination. Question and Answers Rhodas background with Farmer Lodge is that she used to be married to him and also had a son with him. She also married him when she was young and pretty. But Rhoda has always been poor. Rhoda worked on Farmer Lodges farm, but as a milk lady, she was very unhappy and has been for most of her life, as mentioned in chapter one. She is a Lorn milkmaid, meaning a very unhappy milkmaid. They broke up and got divorced because Farmer Lodge Thought that Rhoda was in a too much lower class than him. Probably more the reason was that she wasnt young any more and her good looks were fading. This left Rhoda sad and lonely, not earning a lot, and has to try to support herself and her son. Gertrudes background with Farmer Lodge is that she has just recently married him. She has married Farmer Lodge when she is young and pretty she feels deeply loved and not alone. She doesnt work but relies on her husband. Even though she relies on her husband, she has always been wealthy. She is friendly and quite quiet, is always wants to know what is happening. Rhodas dream is about Rhoda asleep then Gertrude coming into her bedroom and showing Rhoda her, the wedding ring. Gertrude teases Rhoda with the ring and keeps on showing it to her. Gertrude then with her left arm strangled Rhoda. In desperate struggle Rhoda swung Gertrude over the bed and onto the floor leaving scratch marks on her. Rhoda then woke up disturbed and scared. When Gertrude visits Rhoda she doesnt wear silk like in Rhodas dream. She wore normal light coloured clothes with a basket on her right arm. Rhoda thought she was going to be evil and mean. .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 , .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .postImageUrl , .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 , .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884:hover , .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884:visited , .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884:active { border:0!important; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884:active , .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884 .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0fd4b26e093425036fd66930c4765884:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Things Fall Apart Characters EssayBut then Gertrude pulled out a pair of boots and gave them to Rhodas son and said Here you go just like I promised, then Rhoda all of a sudden changed her mined and started to find out that Gertrude was kind and gentle. Gertrude does have marks on her left arm and it starts to get infected. It soon becomes all wrinkly and withered. Gertrude is very upset about this and starts to feel Farmer Lodge is falling out of love with her because of her arm. Gertrude hears that Rhoda might know someone called Conjuror Trendle. She then goes with Rhoda to see him. But Rhoda is confused about the fact that people in the town where saying that she knew about Conjuror Trendle. Rhoda was starting to think that she might be a witch. Gertrude goes to see him and he tells her that he cannot do anything but he can show her who did it. *SIX YEARS LATER* Gertrude is still looking for a cure for her withered arm. So she decides to go to Conjuror Trendle to see if he has find out any thing new. Unlike last time he has a cure but it is disgusting and horrid. What she has to do is to put her arm against a newly hanged persons neck. Rhoda on the other hand has received news that her son will be hung for arson. Rhoda writes to Farmer Lodge to tell him about the news. She arranges to meet Lodge at the jail where they will see their son get hung. Gertrude also heard of a mans death of which he was going to be hung. So she decides to turn up. She puts her arm on the mans neck then from behind she hears somebody shout What are you doing here? Gertrude turns around and sees Rhoda and Farmer Lodge crying. Rhoda then tells her that it is their son. Gertrude then faints and dies, probably from shock, but her arm did heal. Conclusion The two characters are very different in the fact that they have different reactions to certain things and the way they need to know what is happening. Rhoda is definitely the bravest, but Gertrude is the most independent. Gertrude has got the worst fate even though Rhoda has lost her son. I think Gertrude is an innocent victim and I dont think Rhoda was evil. I probably prefer Rhoda the best because she is very brave and very helpful, she also is quite independent, and works very hard. The Withered Arm Essay Example For Students The Withered Arm Essay How are the men in the two stories, The Withered Arm and Sweat, portrayed? How far does this portrayal reflect the contexts in which the stories were written? The Withered Arm, written by Thomas Hardy and Sweat, written by Zora Neale Hurston both have a setting in a rural area. Both stories use dialect, however Sweat contains a stronger use. In both stories, the end is anticipated in the beginning and their titles reflect the contexts of the stories. The Withered Arm, which was written in the 19th Century, is partly set on a diary farm in the imaginary village of Holmstoke and town of Casterbridge in Wessex. We will write a custom essay on The Withered Arm specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The story involves a triangle situation with one man Farmer Lodge and two women Rhoda and Gertrude. These three people are the main characters of The Withered Arm. Farmer Lodges mistress Rhoda, is the mother of his child John, and Rhoda soon becomes jealous when she hears of Farmer Lodges new wife Gertrude. Many problems arise when Gertrude has a withered arm and dies along with the death of Farmer Lodges son. In the story, Farmer Lodge is portrayed as a man with great means. He is the offspring of land, which has been owned by his family for over two hundred years. Evidence of this is shown on page 42 Family who occupied the valley for some two hundred years. Farmer Lodge is portrayed as a proud man. This is shown when he brings his new wife home in his bright handsome gig (his car), after successful dealings in the town. Evidence of this is on page 27. Farmer Lodge heightens with pride when he makes his first public appearance with his bride Gertrude. Farmer Lodge was aware beforehand that people would be fixated on Gertrude, and this is shown on page 27 when he said O yes. You must expect to be stared at just at first, my pretty Gertrude. Appearances seem to be important to Farmer Lodge, because his first relationship, or better yet his affair with Rhoda happened when Rhoda was at the tender age of seventeen. But then a floating question comes to mind, What would attract Farmer Lodge to a seventeen year old? Currently Thomas Hardy describes Rhoda as more of the strength that endures in her well-defined features and large frame. This description is quite fair and not degrading, so we could imagine her image when she was seventeen. To answer the floating question, at the age of seventeen Rhoda would have been a girl of a much noticeable attraction to which Farmer Lodge would have been drawn to. This was repeated when Gertrude enters the story. Similar to the age of when Rhoda first met Farmer Lodge, Gertrude is a nineteen-year-old bride. A clear picture of her is seen through the eyes of Farmer Lodges son who comments on her features when he says Her hair is lightish and her face as comely as live dolls page 27, She is not tall. She is rather short, Shes very pretty very. In fact shes lovely page 30. To summarize what Rhoda Brookss son is trying to say is that Gertrude is a small, pretty young woman, doll-like, with fair hair and a soft skin complexion. I believe only her looks is an attraction to Farmer Lodge, as Rhodas looks was once an attraction to him, page 27 Made her dark eyes, that had once been handsome; could this be why the relationship with Farmer Lodge and Rhoda failed, because her looks had differed?