The relationship between Rhoda and Gertrude in The Withered Arm

Discuss the relationship between Rhoda and Gertrude in The Withered

Arm.

The Withered Arm is a pre-20th century book by Thomas Hardy; the plot

of the story is in and around the writers' imaginary village of

Holmstoke and town of Casterbridge.

One of the main themes of The Withered Arm was Jealousy it was

portrayed through Rhoda Brook, 'a thin fading woman of thirty' 'that

had once been handsome', who had an affair with Farmer Lodge and bore

him a son.

Farmer Lodge left Rhoda to bring up their son on her own and later

married a new wife, who was 'years younger than him', called Gertrude.

In this essay I am going to discuss the relationship between Rhoda and

Gertrude in The Withered Arm.

The relationship between Rhoda and Gertrude is a triangular one. It is

between Rhoda, her ex-partner Farmer Lodge and his wife Gertrude.

Rhoda heard about the coming of Farmer Lodge's new wife Gertrude

through her fellow 'milkers' who were gossiping while at work. She

then sent her son several times to go and 'give her a look'; she was

mainly interested in the appearance of the new wife. She specifically

asked her son to see "if she's dark or fair show marks of the lady'

and to 'notice if her hand be white or are like a milkers hands like'

hers.

It was obvious that Rhoda wanted to compare herself with Gertrude but

was disappointed when her son came back with news of the new wife

being 'A lady complete', 'and her face as comely as a doll's' as she

kept on asking her son questions like 'Her eyes not dark like mine?'

and 'Is she tall?' 'as tall as I'. All the answers Rhoda got about

Gertrude were so positive that when she heard that Gertrude was

'rather short' she said to her son 'with satisfaction', 'that's al...

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...onduct. In fear of loosing

Farmer Lodges love, Gertrude resorts to most despicable cure, which

led to her death.

In The Withered Arm Thomas Hardy used Rhoda's son to start a good

relationship between Rhoda Brook and Gertrude. The quirk of fate in

the situation is that Rhoda's son, the ill fated boy's life mutually

brought Gertrude and Rhoda together in the beginning of the story and

his death made them meet again, this time the last, not as friends but

as enemies.

The boy's carving of the chair instead of helping his mother cook and

his poaching, which eventually led to his death were suggestions of

his early and tragic death.

It seems that as long as the two women were alive their link kept

their relationship going whether good or bad, and it was only after

Gertrude's death that the relationship between her and Rhoda brook

finally came to an end.