Comparing the Suffering Between Rhoda in The Withered Arm and The Son's Veto
in the tale 'The Withered Arm' in the story 'The Son's Veto' are both very lonely women. Both of these women and have been mistreated by men, but none of them ever speak out for themselves to tell the men that their behaviour is unacceptable. Women who were treated by men were just expected by their fathers (if the husband is rich) to just keep quiet and be happy that they are financially supported. Rhoda is a social reject. She has been isolated to a small, dilapidated cottage in the middle of a lonely field. Rhoda is of the poor working class. She has received no education and is illiterate. Her son wears worn out
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Towards the end of the story, as Gertrude seeks a cure for her withered arm, her husband ends up cursing her, "Damn you! What are you doing here?". This shows how the relationship turned quite quickly from happiness and affection to resenting and unhappiness. It also shows an example of lovers ending up in a sorry state as their relationship goes badly, as Gertrude dies after receiving the 'cure' for her spookily withered arm.
Hardy was also very interested in writing about fate and coincidence in his work for his readers. As this shows in the 'The Withered Arm'. Rhoda feels such a strong dislike for Gertrude, her ex-husbands new wife, that she subconsciously grasps her by the arm in a dream. Also, another strong coincidence is that Gertrude is told to receive her cure for the arm by pressing it against the neck of a hanged person. The coincidence is that the hanged person turns out to be Rhoda's own son, who had be hanged for stealing. The son of the woman who seems to have caused the illness, was the same person that offered her the cure, although Gertrude dies very soon after.
'The Son's Veto' presents another moral issue. A lower class woman marries an upper class man. To avoid judgement they move away. When this man dies, she meets a past love, but because he is now of a lower class, her son forbids her to marry him and she dies an unhappy lady. The
A young boy who quickly became chaotic because of where he came from and the people that surrounded him. His mother, his brother
The sons character is a symbol of hope to the father throughout the novel. In the father’s perspective the son is almost described as holy, “if he is not the word of god. god never
As the story quotes, " 'Mother, what are you doing?' he asked. 'Do not worry, my son,' she answered gently. 'I am just marking the was so you will not get lost returning to the village.' " This quote generally means that the mother and son are very close and they both share a very detailed relationship. The feelings the story bring to the characters is showing how much the characters love and care for each other. But some others characters show different emotions like the young lord, he was very mean and treated most people with no respect. An example would be when the story quotes, " 'Fools!' the lord cried angrily. 'What good is your wisdom if you cannot help me now?' ". This quote shows how the young lord did not have confidence in his wise
His father had been in jail then went AWOL from the Army. His father had beaten him severely. He was taken back to family court after an incident with a cousin and stealing from an old woman. “Both sets of grandparents work during the day, and, apart from not being able to physically look after the defendant, they also felt they could not control him.” (3) Eventually, he was sent back to his mother in New York City. She is the one who gave him a quarter and told him to “never darken this door again”. (4)
Also, after walking past a village, the son claims to have seen a little boy and begs his father if they can go back and get him. The man then says “Stop it. We can’t[,]” (McCarthy 80) and thinks that his son sees things. Again, the selfish desire to survive prevents him from helping others. He does not want to go back because he does not want to do anything that will risk their lives. The thirst for survival becomes greater than his conscience. Hence it prevents him from giving into his son. Another time this occurs is when the man and his son are robbed by a stranger. The man catches him and takes back their stuff, along with the thief’s belongings. The son begs the father to show mercy on the criminal, but the father does not care and so “they set out along the road south with the boy crying and looking back at the nude and slat-like creature standing there… Shivering and hugging himself.” (McCarthy 229).
and a young man from different paths find each other and fall in love, and in both, they
”A Burned Letter, Conflicting Stories, and an Absent Son HelpedSend Mary Surratt to the Gallows.” paragraph
father to hell, even though he was the one man she followed around like a lost puppy dog waiting
The boy and the father have strong morals demonstrating a high level of authenticity, especially in a world where morality is extremely uncommon. To be ‘authentic’ means to genuinely be yourself. Although, as presented by Existentialism, one cannot be their true self until one has defined themselves. First, one must create their authentic selves, then they must live according to that (Varga). The father and the boy have strong principles to do what is right, even when their fellow survivors have completely abandoned morality altogether. At times, the father struggles with following said principles, however, he then justifies his actions which are purely for the safety of his son. This depicts that the father will do anything and everything to assure that the boy lives. The father expresses that “He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke” (5). When a man holds a knife to the son's neck, the father does not hesitate to kill him. Although this is
character in the family from the novel. The first perspective was told by the youngest son in the
woman as her father died when she was younger and she has no one to
his father from which he has not freed himself” (“Writer”). He has not been able to do so since
What is most important about this passage is the idea of refuge. The child, when reprimanded, finds comfort in the arms of its mother. The man, when convicted of certain crimes returns to his motherland and finds comfort from his relatives. This fully illustrates the power of a
unknowingly killed his father, and married, and bore children with his mother. He must find the
I cannot set more stores by the woman’s death. She killed her husband, guardian of their house.