Feeling Sympathy for Gertrude and Rhoda in The Withered Arm, by Thomas

Feeling Sympathy for Gertrude and Rhoda in The Withered Arm, by Thomas HardyThe Withered arm is typical of Hardys novellas, as it is a tragedy.It involves two principal(prenominal) characters, Rhoda and Gertrude. Rhoda andGertrude both have their own different problems that the must face.Rhoda and Gertrude become friends after they first meet. Rhoda had anillegitimate child to granger lodge who marries Gertrude. Before Rhodaand Gertrude meet Rhoda does non know what Gertrude is like so isbitter about the idea of her marrying farmer lodge who badlyy hintsRhoda is still in love with.Rhoda is described to be erstwhile(a) before her age and works as a milkmaid.She receives no help in the breeding of the boy she had with farmerlodge so she works hard to care for him. The other milkmaids talkabout her and they start to talk about the subject of farmer lodgesnew wife. This part makes you feel some sympathy for Rhoda as she isbeing talked about when she is still there. Because of the t imes Rhodawas not at all respected for bringing up a child on her own besidesinstead she was treated as a social outcast. No one seemed to blamefarmer Lodge for what had happened. The other milkmaids will thinknothing of lecture about her business when she is there. This makesyou feel sympathy for Rhoda because in this day and age the fartherwould be forced to help at to the lowest degree financially with the upbringing ofhis son and Rhoda would be respected for her hard work in bringing upa child on her own.Rhoda is curious about the new wife and sends her son of to check herout, as it would be. She wants to know what his new wife is like.Hardy gives the impression that Rhoda is jealous of the new wife or aleast angry that he is taking a new... ...ge says that he isaway on holiday. You feel piteous at her desperation as she is onlydoing this so farmer lodge will like her for her physical beauty butshe does not seem to mind.The body that she touches happens to be Rhodas son and farmer Lodgeis with her. You feel sorry for both the women equally as much at theend of the story but for different reasons. Rhoda has had her wholelife taken away from her however forgetful it was and Gertrude has nowdied as a result of trying to improve her physical beauty.In conclusion I think that you can not feel much sympathy towardseither woman as they are both in the same boat and it is because ofeach other that they had so much grief and hardship. If they had nether met or had anything to do with each other then they would nothave been like they were. It was all a matter of situation andcircumstances.