Presentation of Marriage in “Tony Kytes the Arch-Deceiver and “The Half Brothers Essay Example

thoughts towards marriage at that time. Moreover, writers of this period would often present characters opposing conventional views on marriage to add intrigue to the stories. It is noteworthy that the two short stories are by different writers.

Although they both explore the theme of marriage, Thomas Hardy's "Tony Kytes, the Arch-Deceiver" and another author's work focus on different aspects of society and different personas. Hardy's story centers on the lives of ordinary people in Wessex's countryside, particularly those from the lower and working classes, as was common in the Victorian era. "Tony Kytes, the Arch-Deceiver" was first published as one of several stories in "Life's Little Ironies," which was released in 1895.

Elizabeth Gaskell, like Thomas Hardy, explored the challenges faced by the "working class" in her work, particularly in "The Half Brothers." Unlike Tony Kytes, Gaskell delved deeper into the intricacies of marriage and highlighted the hardships and economic struggles that often come with starting a family.

"The Half Brothers" by Elizabeth Gaskell and "Tony Kytes, the Arch-Deceiver" by Thomas Hardy were written during the Victorian Times. The former was published 37 years before the latter and only a year after the official declaration of the Divorce Act. Despite the significant gap between their publications, both short stories share a common theme of marriage. The lives of ordinary people during that time were depicted in these stories, which were mainly set in small village communities where majority of people resided.

The narrative of "Tony Kytes, the Arch Deceiver" immerses the reader into the story, creating a feeling of following the characters as their events unfold. Tony Kytes plays the central role of the tale, encountering

three female characters and briefly meeting a male character. The story starts with Tony returning from completing an errand for his father and encountering Unity Sallet.

Despite already being engaged to Milly Richards, Tony's fondness for multiple women doesn't appear to have changed. Prior to getting engaged, he had a strong relationship with Unity and another girl named Hannah. Even though he's committed to another woman now, Tony still shows affection towards Unity and Hannah. He willingly gives Unity a ride home, helping her into his wagon.

As Tony embarks on his journey with Unity by his side, he displays flirtatious behavior towards her that she reciprocates. Such conduct would have been considered inappropriate in Victorian Times, particularly if one was already engaged to someone else. Despite his commitment to Milly, Tony disregards this fact and instead focuses on enjoying himself with Unity, until he sees Milly approaching in the distance. Realizing that such behavior would not be acceptable in society, Tony convinces Unity to hide under some tarpaulin in the back of his wagon by making false promises that he may marry her instead of Milly.

Tony invited Milly to ride home with him, with Unity stealthily hidden in the back of his wagon. Milly, unaware of Unity's presence, accepted the invite. As they drove along with Unity under the tarp and Milly at his side, Tony spied Hannah Jolliver in the distance. Tony had been intimately close to Hannah before meeting Milly, and he well knew of the falsehoods he had likely imparted to her. He couldn't risk driving past her and being seen with Milly.

By using his love for Milly and their upcoming wedding

as a means of persuasion, Tony convinced her to hide under some sacks at the front of the wagon in order to avoid encountering Unity, who was concealed at the back. Tony proceeded with his journey to meet Hannah. When she asked for a ride home, Tony couldn't decline without revealing the truth about Milly and Unity. Therefore, he offered her a spot next to him and continued on their journey. Similar to how he had expressed his affection towards Milly and Unity earlier, Tony professed his love for Hannah and desire to marry her by stating that she was even more beautiful than Milly.

Tony continued his journey with Milly at the front and Unity at the back, while Hannah sat beside him. Unexpectedly, they came across Tony's father. In contrast to the other women in the wagon, there was no romantic involvement between Tony and his father. With three potential marriage partners available, Tony found it difficult to choose one. Eventually, he entrusted Hannah with controlling the horses and turned to his father for guidance. Adhering to societal conventions, Tony's father suggested that he wed the woman who did not request a ride.

Milly was the only girl invited by Tony. While Tony spoke to his father, Milly and Unity met in the wagon and later, Hannah lost control of the horses causing the wagon to fall and all three girls to tumble out. Tony was stunned and knew he had to choose one of them to marry despite his father's advice. Defying his father's counsel, he proposed to Hannah, but her father arrived, putting a damper on their plans.

After Hannah's father

rejected Tony's proposal to her, he sought out Unity for marriage but she declined as she didn't want to be considered a backup option. With no other options, Tony propositioned Milly about marrying him.

Despite not being ready for marriage and continuously changing his mind about whom he wanted to marry, Tony Kytes convinced Milly to marry him after filling her with more lies about his previous intentions with Unity and Hannah. The banns for their marriage were put up the following Sunday, but this story goes against many Victorian beliefs surrounding marriage. Tony was simply conforming to societal expectations, unable to make a firm decision for himself. This led to numerous complications, as he found himself wanting to marry not only Milly but also Hannah and Unity.

Tony's continuous deceit in his relationships with Milly and other girls caused significant problems for him. In the Victorian era, it was customary to stay committed to one's partner for life, and failing to do so was deemed highly disrespectful. Consequently, Hannah's father forbade Tony from marrying his daughter due to his behavior which outraged him. "The Half Brothers" is narrated from the viewpoint of one of the main characters in the third person.

Despite being the protagonist and storyteller, the narrator or brother remains unnamed throughout the story. He gives brief accounts of events that occurred before his birth or during his infancy, which he learned from others. Among these accounts, he introduces his mother to us. The cast of characters comprises of three adults and two children, who are half brothers.

The narrator introduces us to his mother, Helen, who became a single mother at the young

age of twenty-one after being widowed with one child already and another on the way, and with no financial resources to rely on. Unfortunately, this was a common struggle faced by many women like Helen. The unborn child she was carrying came to be known as Gregory, who was the narrator's half brother.

Regrettably, a child passed away from scarlet fever two weeks prior to Gregory's birth. Despite the loss, Helen did not cry, even refraining from attending the funeral and remaining dry-eyed. However, when she held her new son, Gregory, she shed her first tear. Helen's sister, Aunt Fanny, came to assist the family with financial matters during this time.

While Aunt Fanny assisted with looking after Gregory and doing housework for Helen, both sisters secured employment at prominent sewing merchants in Glasgow. This provided them with sufficient income to manage, until Helen's vision started deteriorating, rendering her unable to work. Consequently, the family relied solely on Aunt Fanny's wages. It was during this period that William Preston entered their lives, making several visits to see Helen. One Sunday after Church, he proposed to her.

Helen reluctantly agreed to marry Preston despite not loving him, mainly because she knew he could financially support her and their child Gregory. Although she regretted her decision, she felt it was best for Gregory's future. Helen tried her best to please Preston and fulfill her duties as a wife, but her love for him never grew. This made her love for Gregory stronger, which angered Preston. He began to despise their son and even tried to make Helen love him less. Meanwhile, Helen became pregnant with Preston's child. One day after

an argument, she fell ill and went to bed.

After giving birth to the narrator, Preston experienced both joy and sadness. He was thrilled to have a son but also heartbroken for the condition he left his wife in. Sadly, Helen passed away and Aunt Fanny took over the household and children's care. This tragedy fueled Preston's animosity and resentment towards Gregory even further.

Despite sharing a mother, the narrator and Gregory had a strained relationship and even the narrator disliked him. One day, while Gregory was shepherding with his dog on the farm, their father sent the narrator on an errand with strict instructions not to return via the Fells as it would be getting dark. However, due to laziness and disobedience towards his father, the narrator disregarded the warning and returned home through the Fells. As night fell and temperatures dropped, the narrator became lost in the heart of the Fells.

As his half brother failed to return home, his father and Aunt Fanny grew increasingly worried about his whereabouts. Hearing about their distress, Gregory overcame the family's animosity towards him and embarked on a search for his sibling alongside his faithful dog. Eventually, he found his brother, who was cold, tired and frightened. Despite their unsuccessful attempts to find the way back home, the duo stuck together while Gregory generously gave up his coat to keep his sibling warm. Finally, he sent his dog to fetch their father and Aunt Fanny while they waited together.

The narrator was found unconscious and Gregory was dead from the cold the next morning by Preston and Aunt Fanny. Despite having been hated by his brother his

whole life, Gregory had died while taking care of him. This made the family feel remorseful and guilty for their treatment of him. "The Half Brothers" presents a rare type of woman in the Victorian era, as she had been married twice with two children from different fathers, which would have been highly disapproved.

Many women, particularly those with families, experience poverty and may resort to marrying for financial security and shelter instead of marrying for love. Helen was likely not an exception in this regard. However, her lack of affection towards her spouse ultimately led to her untimely death.