Thomas Hardy's The Withered Arm Introduction ------------ "The Withered arm" is a pre-twentieth century short story written by Thomas Hardy. This story was published in 1888 appearing in "The Blackwoods Magazine". The Withered arm forms part of a collection of short stories by Thomas Hardy referred to as the Wessex Tales. The withered arm is about a society in which an upper class man, Farmer lodge; a successful and wealthy man who appears to be in his 40-50s(it doesn't mention it in the story)has an affair with a lower class woman, Rhoda Brook; a poor and bitter milkmaid(30). This is an actual past even in both of their lives but this catches up with all of them when he marries Gertrude; a young(18-20), fresh faced upper class girl/woman. It turns out that Rhoda Brook still has strong feelings for her past secret lover, Farmer Lodge. Rhoda ends up making friends with the fresh faced Gertrude(Farmer Lodge's wife) though thereis still hate there by Rhoda she appears to accept her more due to her kindness and generosity. Rhoda appears to the village as a loner and a mysterious woman, maybe even a witch.She is an outcast. A whole mysterious plot unravels leaving a nasty & shocking ending. This story was set in Holmstoke, I believe that's he based the society of Holmstoke on his current Society that he lived in. This society was very superstitious and class-aware. It seems in this story that everyone was expected to stick to a particular stereo-type, usually depending on their class to be accepted at all in this community. Rhoda Hardy introduces Rhoda as an aging, unmarried woman with a twelve year old bastard son. Living in the society of 1800's rural England. Rhoda was treated as an outcast, not only for her having a child out of wed-lock but for having an affair with an upper class man, Farmer Lodge. To this narrow minded society this was seen almost as if she had
“Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen” (“Brainy Quotes” 1). In Edith Wharton’s framed novel, Ethan Frome, the main protagonist encounters “lost opportunity, failed romance, and disappointed dreams” with a regretful ending (Lilburn 1). Ethan Frome lives in the isolated fictional town of Starkfield, Massachusetts with his irritable spouse, Zenobia Frome. Ever since marriage, Zenobia, also referred to as Zeena, revolves around her illness. Furthermore, she is prone to silence, rage, and querulously shouting. Ethan has dreams of leaving Starkfield and selling his plantation, however he views caring for his wife as a duty and main priority. One day, Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to assist the Frome’s with their daily tasks. Immediately, Mattie’s attractive and youthful energy resuscitates Ethan’s outlook on life. She brings a light to Starkfield and instantaneously steals Ethan’s heart; although, Ethan’s quiet demeanor and lack of expression causing his affection to be surreptitious. As Zeena’s health worsens, she becomes fearful and wishes to seek advice from a doctor in a town called Bettsbridge giving Ethan and Mattie privacy for one night. Unfortunately, the night turns out to be a disastrous and uncomfortable evening. Neither Ethan nor Mattie speaks a word regarding their love for one another. Additionally, during their dinner, the pet cat leaps on the table and sends a pickle dish straight to the floor crashing into pieces. To make matters worse, the pickle dish is a favored wedding gift that is cherished by Zeena. Later, Zeena discovers it is broken and it sends her anger over the edge. Furious, Zeena demands for a more efficient “hired girl” to complete the tasks ar...
Many people oppose society due to the surroundings that they face and the obstacles that they encounter. Set in the bleak winter landscape of New England, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is the story of a poor, lonely man, his wife Zeena, and her cousin Mattie Silver. Ethan the protagonist in this novel, faces many challenges and fights to be with the one he really loves. Frome was trapped from the beginning ever since Mattie Silver came to live with him and his wife. He soon came to fall in love with her, and out of love with his own wife. He was basically trapped in the instances of his life, society’s affect on the relationship, love, poverty, illness, disability, and life.
The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado are two stories written by Edgar Allen Poe in the 18th century. Both of these stories are primarily focused on the mysterious and dark ways of the narrator. Since these stories were written by the same author, they tend to have several similarities such as the mood and narrative, but they also have a few differences. For instance, the characteristics of both narrators are different, but both stories portray the same idea of the narrator being obsessive over a certain thing.
The scientific and technological advancements of the early 20th century entered people’s daily lives with the intention of bringing the whole of humanity into a brighter, more modern era. However, the darker side of such immense achievement was the increasing encroachment on the previously untouched natural world. Many great minds grew weary of such advances and conveyed their apprehension through the popular literature of the time. The pivotal novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy explores the impact that industrialists with access to technology had on the pastoral countryside and lower classes. Conan Doyle expands on this message in his novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, by examining how the well-educated elite began using science to their advantage, threatening nature in the process. While each novel warns against abusing available technologies, the authors differ in how they believe nature will eventually respond and have incited a debate that has lasted well into the 21st century.
One of the main symbols of the story is the setting. It takes place in a normal small town on a nice summer day. "The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day; the flowers were blooming profusely and the grass was richly green." (Jackson 347).This tricks the reader into a disturbingly unaware state,
and killing the puppy, we know that it is only a matter of time before
Thirdly, the setting of the story is set in Salinas, California. Ironically, the author was born in Salinas. It is the time of the Great Depression and middle-class has been hit hard. The story begins in Weed, a California mining town.
“A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of” (Austen). The bluntness of this quote fully encompasses the main theme of an advantageous marriage for the English novelist, Jane Austen. Her realism, biting irony and social commentary have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics (Southam). Austen’s major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, were composed between the years 1795-1815. During those twenty years England was at the height of its power facing many historical landmarks (Thomson). It is no coincidence that Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, coincides directly with the historical events of this time period.
Edgar Allen Poe has explored three different themes: His own life, the nameless narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and the literary criticism on “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Edgar Allen Poe began his life in Boston, MA on the 19th of January in the year 1809 (Kennedy). He was the 2nd son of David Poe, Jr., a famous actor, and the actress known as Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe. David, his father, deserted his family a year after Poe was born, and died the following year, in December (Kennedy).
"Now this is the point. Your fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me"(42 Backpack Literature). Reading such words can create a wide imagination about what the character is truly like. The narrator in the story has an indirect personality where as you read you find out more and more about him.The narrator in Edger Allan Poe's "The Tell- Tale Heart" seems like he makes himself completely insane but as readers we are never told of any psychological problems, if any, that he may have.The characterization by Poe of the narrator crease a puzzle which makes the story interesting. I would characterize the narrator as being secretive, insane and nervous.
Rumens, Carol. "Poem of the Week: The Darkling Thrush, by Thomas Hardy." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Dec. 2009. Web. 5 April. 2014. .
Have you ever got hooked on a book of murder? Have you ever got hooked on a book of when the person did it, why they did, and what happened next? That’s the book named “Tell-Tale Heart”.Tell-Tale heart is a short story that Edgar Allan Poe made. Tell-Tale heart is a story about why the author killed the old man. Because of his eye. The author said that the old man had the eye of a vulture. Yes,it is all coming back to me. I strongly believe that the story”Tell-Tale Heart” is appropriate for my age group(if they can handle it!!)
American Author, Edgar Allan Poe, wrote short stories that were completely different than any of the other stories you would hear during the nineteenth century. They did in fact though, have a great impact on people’s lives. Poe’s stories were mysterious, dark and sinister. People credit Poe with the invention of Science Fiction and Mystery genres. Poe had an impact on not only American Literature, but also on many writers through the years and even singers today. Those are some reasons why Poe should and is included in a school’s curriculum.
seems to be dull and boring. She works as a milk maid, then when she
...y a set of expectations and values that are established on mannerisms and conduct challenged by Elizabeth. From this novel, it is evident that the author wrote it with awareness of the class issues that affect different societies. Her annotations on the fixed social structure are important in giving a solution to the current social issues; that even the class distinctions and restrictions can be negotiated when an individual turns down bogus first impression s.