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Tony Kites, the Arch Deceiver is written by a male (Thomas Hardy) and deals with a male and female relationship. The females in this story are portrayed as quite stupid and easily led on. When considering the time of when the prose was written (1870’s) then the women would of also been quite presumptuous and […]

During the preceding month, we have examined and read two stories from a volume named “Stories then and now”. The initial narrative is entitled “Tony Kytes, The Arch Deceiver” and was created by Thomas Hardy in 1894. The second story is “Tickets, Please” by the author D.H. Laurence, and was written in 1924. Despite their […]

In this essay, my aim is to examine how Thomas Hardy foreshadows events in the opening pages of three short stories. Specifically, I will be analyzing ‘The Withered Arm’, ‘The Son’s Veto’, and ‘Tony Kytes the Arches Deceiver’. Each story will be briefly described. The latter tale centers around Tony Kytes, who is pursued by […]

I will compare two stories: ‘Country Lovers’ and ‘The Withered Arm’. Both ‘Country Lovers’, written by Nadine Gardimer and published in 1975, and ‘The Withered Arm’, written by Thomas Hardy and published in the 1870s, explore the themes of couples defying social conventions of their time. These social norms were determined by their respective communities […]

‘The Withered Arm’ is a short story about the supernatural, based in the rural landscape of eighteenth century England. Thomas Hardy, the author, creates various atmospheres and settings by using a number of very effective techniques and also, by his general use of language. Hardy focuses chiefly on imagery, in particular the use of light […]

“Survival” and “The Son’s Veto” although are stories of a very different genre and written in different times were both written for the same purpose: for the writers to try to expose difficulties faced by women within their society. “The Son’s Veto” deals with a working class woman who marries a middle class vicar. Sophy, […]

Both texts explore the theme of young women being deceived by men. The women’s innocence and obedience are highlighted. This is emphasized when the women in ‘Tony Kytes’ choose to hide under tarpaulin just to avoid confrontation, as stated in the quote: “(Insert Quote).” However, there are also differences between the two texts in terms […]

Thomas Hardy’s short stories frequently explore the theme of conflicting priorities between family and romantic relationships. Many tragic stories share a common theme of a main character with a fatal flaw, torn between fulfilling responsibilities and pursuing desires. In ‘An Imaginative Woman’, the protagonist is Ella Marchmill – a middle-aged mother whose husband is described […]

The Withered arm, authored during a time when society was divided into tiers, is a literary work that explores the human condition. Exploring social class and envy, the story of Rhoda Brook, a lonely and aging milkmaid, focuses on her jealousy towards her ex-boyfriend’s wealthy new wife, Gertrude. As a social reject among her colleagues, […]

The Fish is an interesting poem that illustrates an encounter with a “tremendous” fish. The animal is anything but beautiful and is described in almost sick-like detail. In the end, the speaker releases the fish with joy. My reasoning for this is that the speaker understands the years of fighting the fish gave to survive. […]

The works of Thomas Hardy, including both Tony Kytes and The Mayor of Casterbridge, demonstrate his strong feelings towards the societal roles and statuses of men and women during the 19th century. Through the use of metaphor, Hardy vividly depicts his perception of how men and women were valued in society. The title of the […]

Ted Hughes was born in 1930 and since then throughout his life many wars have occurred during this time. Ted Hughes’s poem Thistle portrays the events of war and what it truly represents. Simply the title itself ‘Thistle’ is an exceptional word, which adequately suites the poems image for the reason being that the first […]

In this essay, the portrayal of women is analyzed in two short stories: ‘The Withered Arm’ by Thomas Hardy and ‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’ by DH Lawrence. Despite being set in different historical periods – ‘The Withered Arm’ in the 18th century and ‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’ in the early 20th century, both stories share similarities. The […]

Both ‘Tony Kytes’ by Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) and ‘Turned’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) explore similar themes but have contrasting messages. ‘Tony Kytes’ delves into how young love can make fools out of people, whereas ‘Turned’ presents a biased perspective against men, portraying them as wicked towards the virtuous female characters in the story. The […]

“When the Bomb Drops” is about a lady trying to chooses a family who live on her road to share her bomb shelter with. She uses a process of exclusion rather than including and through this she portrays her character as a narrow- minded, snobbish housewife. “Those people without an inside loo should be crossed […]

The poem titled “The Seduction” by Eileen McCauley narrates a story set around the 1980s in the uninviting Birkenhead Docks of Liverpool during night time. This poem revolves around the seduction of a young girl, and the location is portrayed as dirty, dilapidated and isolated. The boy, who is only around 15-16 years old, was […]

In both of the poems, ‘At Castle Boterel’ by Thomas Hardy and ‘Piano’ by D H Lawrence, the main idea is the thought of reminiscence for a lost loved one. The two poems show the tragic side of love, especially lost love. Also the two poets have used nostalgia, which means that you are happy […]

“The Son’s Veto” is a story about a mother who sacrifices everything for a son who doesn’t seem to care about her. Originally she had been a servant who worked for Mr Twycott, the local vicar. During her work period she falls down the stairs and becomes disabled. Because of guilt Mr Twycott asks Sophy […]

This piece of work aims to compare two different stories: “The Withered Arm” by Thomas Hardy, which is a pre twentieth-century narrative set in 1819-1825 and written in 1888, and “The Darkness Out There”, a short story by Penelope Lively that was written during Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1986. […]

In this assignment, I will be discussing two stories: “The Withered Arm” by Thomas Hardy and “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. The focus of my analysis will be on the characters Rhoda Brooks and Gertrude Lodge from “The Withered Arm,” as well as Sergeant Major and Mr. White from “The Monkey’s Paw.” These characters […]

Thomas Hardy was a profound poet and novelist of his time, being influenced by writers such as William Wordsworth. He was born in 1840 on the Egdon Heath in Dorset. His interest in Latin poets was influenced by his Mother, who provided for his education. He began reading, more intensely, studying French and Latin, as […]

I have studied five poems written by Ted Hughes. There are two poems that contrast two opposites and there are two poems that illustrate the power of nature and how it defeats man. The last poem is completely different to the others. It is narrated not by Ted Hughes but it is written as if […]