Comparing Portrayal of Women in The Withered Arm and Odour of Chrysanthemums

others who chat. As the story progresses, it becomes evident how she differs from the rest and how she is lonely. Her taboo past, including her relationship with Farmer Lodge, has turned her into a social outcast. Farmer Lodge has not spoken to Rhoda Brook in years.

Furthermore, Rhoda's isolation is emphasized by her failure to respond to others' comments, as she is aware of being labeled a witch. This contributes to her physical loneliness, evident in her being "milked somewhat apart from the rest," and in the fact that "their course lay apart from that of the others" according to the description of her living situation. The story's conclusion highlights Rhoda's continued loneliness, as no one reaches out to her even after her son's recent death. Hardy uses descriptive language to establish the desolate atmosphere surrounding Rhoda and her son's home, further emphasizing her sense of isolation.

The environment in the story is portrayed as hostile towards the characters. Rhoda experiences this firsthand, with a "lonely spot" and "dark countenance" surrounding her. Even the journey to Casterbridge and Conjuror Trendle's area is described as a "solemn country" with a "dark atmosphere" and a howling wind. These lonely and depressing descriptions reflect Rhoda's emotion of isolation. Elizabeth also feels isolated at times. Waiting for her husband to return from the pub, she becomes increasingly lonely until he never returns - later found dead in the mine.

Both Rhoda and Elizabeth are portrayed as victims in their individual tales, with Hardy and Lawrence utilizing third-person narration to elicit empathy and compassion for them. Rhoda is a victim of the societal norms during the 19th century that forbid intimate relationships

between individuals from varying social classes. Additionally, she finds herself ensnared by circumstances when her son is mistakenly executed for being present near a crime scene; despite his innocence, he was perceived to be involved in the incident. In parallel fashion, Elizabeth falls prey to her marriage as she must single-handedly raise her child following the passing of her spouse.

Although Gertrude's vanity and rejection due to her arm situation made her a victim, Rhoda and Elizabeth, although they struggled and endured misery reflected in their physical appearance, are depicted as strong and resilient, able to overcome obstacles that life presents. Their pride and dignity are evident in both their physical appearance and their actions. Elizabeth's pride is showcased when she declines to retrieve her husband from the pub, while Rhoda exhibits her dignity by declining to visit Gertrude personally and refusing the Farmer Lodge's annual aid.

Both stories feature characters struggling with their emotions and inner lives. In the case of Rhoda, her repressed jealousy of Gertrude is made clear by the appearance of Gertrude's withered arm, which is further worsened by Gertrude's vanity. Rhoda's jealousy is manifested when an 'evil spirit' that resembles Gertrude attacks her. This same face haunted Rhoda many years later. Additionally, in Rhoda's dream, Gertrude tries to suffocate and smother her.

In the story "Odour of Chrysanthemums," Rhoda's intense jealousy of Gertrude is symbolized by a figure that thrusts forward its left hand, making its wedding ring glitter in Rhoda's eyes. At the same time, Elizabeth battles her own feelings of anger and bitterness towards her alcoholic husband. The chrysanthemums in the story serve as a symbol for the state of

the couple's relationship and evoke unhappy memories for Elizabeth. When one of the men knocks off a vase of chrysanthemums, it represents the end of both the flowers and the marriage between Walter and Elizabeth. This emphasizes the nature of their relationship and also suggests the physical fact of Walter's death.

Just like 'The Withered Arm', the story comes to a full circle where the flowers are featured both at the beginning and end of the story. The fragrance of the flowers is all that remains, devoid of any pleasantness, much like the couple's tenuous marriage. While Gertrude shows no remorse in 'The Withered Arm', we empathize with Rhoda despite her role in causing Gertrude's predicament, as she is plagued by guilt and remorse. In a similar manner, Elizabeth acknowledges her own shortcomings in the relationship.

Both stories use setting, landscape, and atmosphere to convey the character's emotions, thoughts, and circumstances. The mining community in Elizabeth's story lacks bright or natural colors, indicating a dull and unhappy life for the inhabitants. Lawrence also employs flowers, such as "Dishevelled, wintry primroses," to reflect Elizabeth's marriage and correlate with the relationship between Farmer Lodge and Rhoda in "The Withered Arm."

From this perspective, Elizabeth views the 'odour of chrysanthemums' with a twisted importance. The term 'odour' connotes not just fragrance, but also deterioration and decay, much like the withered arm. In the story's conclusion, death looms over both women. Rhoda experiences the loss of her son while Elizabeth mourns the passing of her husband. Despite this, both women demonstrate incredible resilience and pride as they navigate onward in life. Rhoda maintains her dignity by refusing to accept money

from Farmer Lodge while Elizabeth turns her thoughts towards practical matters such as helping the children.

To summarize, the stories depict women as complex individuals with relatable emotions. The characters in "The Withered Arm" engage in gossip, express worries about their appearance, and support each other during difficult times. While Rhoda forgives Gertrude and acknowledges her kindness, she still harbors conflicting sentiments towards her, as evidenced by her comment: "In her secret heart Rhoda did not altogether object to a slight diminution of her successor's beauty, by whatever means it had come about; but she did not wish to inflict upon her physical pain." This extract portrays Rhoda as a genuine person who, along with Gertrude, suffers an unalterable tragic fate.

Throughout the narrative, Rhoda's fate has come full circle, as evidenced by her continuous role as a cow milker from the story's beginning to its end. Despite this, her situation has not improved. She remains isolated and subjected to the harsh and unyielding realm of existence beyond death.

Despite facing various challenges, she successfully juggles everything while continuing to work. Similarly, Elizabeth has resigned herself to the cycle of birth and death, having endured it to the bitter end. Both stories depict women as having few options in life.

Women have less power than men and are reliant on both male actions and the opinions of others. In 'The Withered Arm', Rhoda is referred to as a "lorn milkmaid" as she has been abandoned and left destitute by Farmer Lodge, who refused to marry her. Alternatively, Gertrude is seen as a lady due to her marriage to Farmer Lodge, which allows her to avoid work and

behave as a lady.

The female characters in these stories are portrayed with great detail, with one even noted to "show marks of a lady on her". The reason for this attention to appearance is due to the women's dependence on it. In both 'Odour of Chrysanthemums' and especially in 'The Withered Arm', their physical appearance has a significant impact on their lives. Being attractive allows them to attract men who provide financial support for them to lead a happy life.

'The Withered Arm' portrays how appearance plays a significant role. Farmer Lodge initially finds Gertrude attractive, but eventually her withered arm turns him away. Gertrude is first described by milkmaids as a "rosy-cheeked, tisty-tosty little body" and Farmer Lodge is drawn to her instead of Rhoda, who is described as a "thin fading woman" despite being only thirty years old. Such contrasting descriptions highlight the importance of physical appearance in relationships.

Farmer Lodge disappoints Gertrude greatly when he rejects her due to her withered arm. Despite longing for her husband's return, Gertrude fails to communicate her struggles with her arm and instead focuses solely on regaining her physical beauty, stating "If I could only again be as I was when he first saw me."