The relationship between Rhoda and Gertrude in The Withered Arm Essay

Discuss the relationship between Rhoda and Gertrude in The WitheredArm.The Withered Arm is a pre-20th century book by Thomas stouthearted the plotof the story is in and around the writers imaginary village ofHolmstoke and town of Casterbridge.One of the main themes of The Withered Arm was Jealousy it wasportrayed through Rhoda wear, a stretch fading woman of thirty thathad once been handsome, who had an affair with Farmer Lodge and borehim a son.Farmer Lodge left Rhoda to bring up their son on her own and latermarried a new wife, who was years younger than him, called Gertrude.In this essay I am going to discuss the relationship between Rhoda andGertrude in The Withered Arm.The relationship between Rhoda and Gertrude is a triangular one. It isbetween Rhoda, her ex-partner Farmer Lodge and his wife Gertrude.Rhoda heard about the coming of Farmer Lodges new wife Gertrudethrough her fellow milkers who were gossiping while at work. Shethen sent her son several times to go and give her a look she wasmainly interested in the appearance of the new wife. She specificallyasked her son to see if shes dark or fair show marks of the brothel keeperand to notice if her hand be white or argon analogous a milkers hands likehers.It was obvious that Rhoda wanted to compare herself with Gertrude butwas disappointed when her son came back with news of the new wifebeing A lady complete, and her face as comely as a dolls as shekept 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 aboutGertrude were so positive that when she heard that Gertrude wasrather short she said to her son with satisfaction, thats al... ...onduct. In fear of loosingFarmer Lodges love, Gertrude resorts to intimately despicable cure, whichled to her demise.In The Withered Arm Thomas Hardy used Rhodas son to start a goodrelationship between Rhoda Brook and Gertrude. The quirk of fate inthe situation is that Rhodas son, the ill fated boys life mutuallybrought Gertrude and Rhoda together in the beginning of the story andhis death made them graceful again, this time the last, not as friends butas enemies.The boys carving of the chair instead of helping his mother cook andhis poaching, which eventually led to his death were suggestions ofhis premature and tragic death.It seems that as long as the two women were alive their link kepttheir relationship going whether good or bad, and it was only afterGertrudes death that the relationship between her and Rhoda brookfinally came to an end.