Comparing Social Conventions in Country Lovers and The Withered Arm

between the living standards of black and white people. Black people typically live in mud huts in close-knit communities with many families, while white people are wealthy and reside on large farms and employ black individuals for labor. In 'The Withered Arm,' Hardy highlights the differences between classes through Rhoda's humble abode, made of mud walls and wood. Despite her former lover Mr. Lodge's wealth and probable ownership of a bigger house and dairy, she still resides in a modest home. Additionally, 'Country Lovers' addresses social conventions dictating that whites cannot fraternize with blacks.

The difference between social classes is evident in 'The Withered Arm', while in both stories the scene is set in the opening paragraphs. 'Country Lovers' sets the scene by presenting the usual dynamic between interracial friendships, whereas 'The Withered Arm' provides insight into the community through eavesdropping on gossip and revealing a lack of secrets. The two stories follow different patterns; 'The Withered Arm' begins after the relationship has ended and is in the past, while 'Country Lovers' starts at the beginning of the relationship.

Despite the variation in the pattern, similarities and events occur in both stories. One such similarity is the presence of a love child - in 'The Withered Arm', the child was born to Rhoda and Mr. Lodge, while in 'Country Lovers', it was Paulus and Thebedi's. However, both love children meet their demise towards the end.

The relationship between Thebedi and Paulus in "Country Lovers" comes to a complete end when Paulus kills their baby. By the end of the story, they no longer speak. In "The Withered Arm," Mr. Lodge experiences a change of heart and

becomes kind, giving his money to an orphanage for boys before he dies. However, his relationship with Rhoda also falls apart and disappears.

Comparatively, in 'The Withered Arm', the reader is left feeling sympathetic towards Rhoda in the final paragraph as it sheds light on the tough social conventions of the time. 'Country Lovers', on the other hand, prompts one to question Thebedi's motives for changing her story and letting her white lover escape. Both stories depict the progression of relationships- from good friends to lovers in 'Country Lovers'. However, their relationship is ill-fated due to racial discrimination as they are forced to hide their love affair from society.

During their summer holidays, they frequently visited the riverbed and would gather beforehand to go together...

"Thebedi was tired of the child because it was biracial (father was white), but her community did not find it shameful."

Even though they did not comment, the acceptance of the situation was acknowledged. Paulus, however, was immensely apprehensive due to the fact that it was clear that the baby was his and if anyone were to discover this information, it would ruin him.

In 'The Withered Arm', the story commences after the breakup of Rhoda and Mr. Lodge, as their disparity in social class caused a rift between them. Similarly, in another story, Paulus kills a baby to save himself, leading to the destruction of his relationship with Thebedi. Initially, Thebedi loathes Paulus and even tries to send him to jail. However, she alters her account of events and moves on after having another child with her husband, thereby avoiding unnecessary complications and avoiding the reopening of old wounds.

Lodge and Gertrude, who

were classmates, were married but eventually broke up. Following the split, Mr. Lodge disregarded both Rhoda and their child. When asked if he paid attention to them, Rhoda replied, "None." Despite the entire village being aware, Mr. Lodge failed to inform Gertrude about their existence.

Rhoda's relationship with her son is strained as he does not pay much attention to her, as evidenced by his promise made absentmindedly while he cuts a notch in a chair with his pocket knife. Due to her breaking social conventions, the community sees her as an outcast and speaks about her behind her back, completely cutting off communication with her. Mr.

Farmer Lodge consistently ignores both his wife and son, causing them to feel rejected. However, towards the end, he experiences guilt and attends his son's execution with Rhoda. This act briefly brings them closer together. Lodge has a positive transformation and decides to leave money for Rhoda and a reformatory for boys in his will: "He had bequeathed the whole of his not inconsiderable property to a reformatory for boys." Despite this change, Rhoda does not forgive him and refuses to accept his money. If it weren't for social norms, Lodge would have married Rhoda with no negative consequences.

Although set in different physical locations (England and Africa), both "Country Lovers" and "The Withered Arm" take place in rural communities. The reception of the protagonists also differs: Thebedi's community in "Country Lovers" accepts her relationship, while Rhoda in "The Withered Arm" is ostracized. Third person narration is utilized by both Nadine Gardimer and Thomas Hardy; the latter also shifts between two perspectives (Rhoda and Gertrude) before shifting solely to Gertrude on

page 18 when Rhoda and her son leave Holmstoke.

The story 'Country Lovers' employs multiple perspectives to evoke sympathy for one character over the other, in contrast to 'The Withered Arm'. Metaphors are employed in both stories to describe the relationships between characters; in 'The Withered Arm', for instance, Gertrude's withered arm serves as a metaphor for her deteriorating relationship. By relying more heavily on direct speech, 'The Withered Arm' paints a clearer portrait of its characters and plot than 'Country Lovers' does.

Both 'Country Lovers' and 'The Withered Arm' aimed to challenge social conventions in their respective communities. In 'Country Lovers', legal terms are used towards the end to indicate the breakdown of the relationship between the characters. In contrast, 'The Withered Arm' uses irony when Rhoda and Mr. Lodge's son is hanged, leading to Gertrude's demise.

In my opinion, both books effectively conveyed their message. 'The Withered Arm' presented a challenge to the prevailing social norm that restricted relationships between people of different classes. For instance, relationships between individuals from the lower class such as Rhoda and those from the upper class like farmer Lodge were not allowed and those who disobeyed were ostracized.

Both the 'Country Lovers' expressed their disagreement with the social norm that prohibited and criminalized interracial relationships. Violating this custom could result in expulsion from the country. They both contend that societal conventions are harmful and detrimental to people's lives. The story 'Country Lovers' effectively illustrates how certain societal norms can drive people to behave foolishly and desperately. Paulus murders his own child out of fear that someone might discover his relationship with Thebedi. This incident had a

profound impact on me since there is nothing more desperate than taking a life to preserve one's respect and social status. This behavior is unacceptable, and if the societal custom did not exist, Paulus, Thebedi, and their baby might have enjoyed a happy family life together.