How Thomas Hardy Presents Women in His Short Stories Essay -- essays r

How tough Presents Women in His Short Stories Thomas Hardy wrote about society in the mid 1800s and his tales have rural settings in the fictional name he gave to the South-West of England, Wessex. The unequal stories reflect this time and the author also demonstrates the crystalise division in rural society - rich and poor - and the casualness of the communities. Almost e preciseone belonged to the labouring classes and worked on the land.People of around 150 years ago were very superstitious and marriage was important. If a woman did not bind by a certain age she was thought of as a witch, or spinster. Her only intentions were to be faithful to her keep up and to bear a son to become heir. The role of women was very different from todays society - it was orb dominated and run by men. In the first of the three sententious stories, ?The Withered Arm?, Hardy writes of two women of different classes who are join by one man. The first of the women is Rhoda Brook. Sh e is a milking wet-nurse who is not inwardly the milking circle. She is physically and metaphorically outside because she had an illegitimate son. Rhoda ?milked somewhat apart from the tarry?. Having a child out of ?wedlock? was frowned upon, some people were in public condemned in the 1800?s. She is the occasional subject of gossip and with being a adept mum back then she would have been in a very difficult position. Hardy presents this well in his tales, as he shows Rhoda?s predicament. The father of Rhoda?s son, Farmer Lodge, was of a much higher stead than herself. He would never have married a milk maid and does not face the same condemnation as Rhoda does. Rhoda?s anterior lover, Farmer Lodge, is to marry a young woman as during a conversation between the mil... ... Milly is the most foolish of the girls as she believes every word Tony says to her, however this shows that she will do anything to gain a husband. In ?The password?s Veto? Sophy is shown to be dominated by both her husband and her son. Decisions are mostly made for her giving Sophy little freedom in her own home. Her son denied her the opportunity to marry and be happy once more as the man she was in love with was not a valet of class, which was all too embarrassing for him. Sophy is weak and feeble and dies a solitary and unhappy woman.In Thomas Hardy?s three short tales, the presentation of women is negative, however typical of the 1800?s. His stories show just how women lived in these generation and how it was difficult. They received few opportunities and choices as most were made for them. Their main role in life was to be a good mother and a devoted wife.