withered arm

Hardy creates a strong, vivid story in the ‘The Withered Arm.’ He starts of writing about a farm. The story ends up on the farm again with everything back to normal. In between the story is a very carefully, dramatic story. It starts up with four main characters: Rhoda Brook, Rhoda Brook’s son, Gertrude and Farmer Lodge.

The setting is very intense. It doesn’t let us move much from initial places such as the farm in the beginning and end. After the dream, the story of the book suddenly became more interesting when Gertrude tries to find how she got the withered arm. The setting changes to the village, and then changes again the goes back to village and so on.

Thomas Hardy puts the story in one chapter, 6 years later. He wants everyone to know that everyone has moved on except Gertrude because her arm is irritating her and she has not chance on finding a cure. Rhoda and her son left the village because Rhoda has been found out and she is scared of having people interrogat...