INTRODUCTION- Chapter one of the withered arm written by Thomas hardy in 1888 as part of the Wessex tales has

a successful opening because the writer Introduces the characters well and explains the dark sinister mood making you want to read on.

OPENING PARARAGH-In creating a successful opening chapter Thomas Hardy introduces the characters in an interesting manor . Rhoda brook is the main character in this story. Her job is a milkmaid , she also has a son , the father of her son is farmer lodge but they are not married because different classes couldnt marry and he hasnt ever spoken to his son and the son doesnt no that he is the father . Farmer lodge has got a new wife miss farmer lodge. MOOD Hardy creates a dark and sinister tone in chapter one. I know this because the title a lorn milkmaid this means that the story will be sad about someone who has no friends and lives a verside life. One of the quotes in the story says there is a thin fading woman with a boy of twelve , there course lay apart from the rest to a lonely spot. That makes it sound scary. Another quote is the title the withered arm it means that someone is going to have a withered arm alive or dead. Another quote is they crept up the hill in the twilight it makes it sound spooky. So thats how we now Thomas hardy creates a dark and sinister mood. UNANSWERD QUESTIONS Thomas hardy makes us think about what might happen next in the story. One question that I would like to know the answer to is why farmer lodge didnt marry Rhoda brook ? I think this is because different classes couldnt marry each other in them days. Another question left unanswerd is why was Rhodas son cutting a notch in the chair with his pocket knife I reckon he is going to go and kill farmer lodge because he married someone else and not his mum Rhoda brook. Another unanswered question is the title the withered arm who has got the withered arm? One more question is why doesnt farmer lodge see his son? I think it is because Rhoda brooks son might not no that farmer lodge is the father. This makes the reader want to read the rest of the story.

"The Withered Arm" by Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy (1940 to 1928) is one of the giants of Victorian literature. He wrote numerous novels now considered an important part of the canon such as Return of the Native, The Mayor of Casterbridge, and Far From the Madding Crowd as well as some very wonderful poems. It has been a long time since I have read any of his books so as soon as I got the suggestion to read this from Mrs B of The Literary Stew I decided this would be a good opportunity to renew my acquaintance with Hardy and I am very glad I did.

The story is set in rural England in the 1880s on a milk farm. As the story opens we meet a strange solitary milkmaid, Rhonda Brooks who works for the farm owner, Mr Lodge. She has a 12 year old or so son and we quickly gather there was once a relationship between her and Mr. Lodge and we think
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Mr Lodge is probably the father of her son. A rumor spreads around the farm that Mr Lodge is to marry. Everyone, especially Rhonda, begins to at once wonder what the soon to be Mrs Lodge is like.

Hav' anybody seen her?' said another.

There was a negative response from the first. 'Though they say she's a rosy-cheeked, tisty-tosty little body enough,' she added; and as the milkmaid spoke she turned her face so that she could glance past her cow's tall to the other side of the barton, where a thin, fading woman of thirty milked somewhat apart from the rest.

Thomas Hardy was an English Novelist. He was born on 2nd of June 1840 and passed away the 11th of January 1928. His stories are based in the Victorian Times. He wrote stories mainly for financial gain. He also was of an Anglican Religion and he was known for his Poetry. He wrote a book full of his poetry called Wessex Poetry in which he had wrote over 30 years. The Victorian era was during the reign of Queen Victoria from June 1837 until her death in January 1901. This was a time where there was a class system. The class system is still widely used today There was Upper, Upper middle, Middle and Working class. This era is often described as a peaceful period and profits gained from overseas allowing the Middle class to receive a much higher standard of education.

In the opening chapters of Withered Arm, Thomas Hardy tends to elicit sympathy for Rhoda Brook, rather than Farmer Lodge and his wife, who come into the story later. For example, even the title of chapter one suggests that Rhoda has been miserable. Lorn is a word that comes from forlorn, to mean sad, or lonely. So before we even begin reading the book, Hardy uses his title to imply that the milkmaid, whoever she is, should have our sympathy; she is alone and pitiful. The first part (as I will use to distinguish between the different turning points in the story) begins at the dairy, and the milkers discuss Farmer Lodge and his recent marriage. At this point, we know nothing of the relationship between Rhoda and Farmer Lodge, the only hints we have are the occasional glances that the workers give Rhoda. Our first impression of the maid is this: "...where a thin, fading woman of thirty milked somewhat apart from the Hardy selects his adjectives very carefully. He uses 'thin', and 'fading' and also explains that Rhoda milks her cows away from the rest; she is alone - the 'lorn milkmaid'. His use of 'fading' also suggests that Rhoda was once pretty; she has since faded.
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Another adjective used to describe Rhoda in this first section is 'worn', and 'thin' is used three times. We soon learn that Rhoda has a son, and his father is Farmer Lodge. It is at this point that our sympathies begin to lie with Rhoda and against Farmer Lodge. Rhoda has had his baby at eighteen, and he has abandoned her and his son because she is merely a milkmaid. His treatment of her conjures up an impression about his personality, although Hardy does not directly state what Lodge has done, he is subtler. The boy is introduced to the story, and Rhoda says: "They've just been saying down in the barton that your father brings his young wife home from Anglebury tomorrow." She does not say "Farmer Lodge", but from the conversations in the dairy, we know that that is indeed whom she means. Rhoda and her son return to their house, and further sympathy is elicited when we read about the state of their cottage. It is set alone from the village, and is in a state of total disrepair. "It was built of mud-walls, the surface of which had been washed by many rains into channels and depressions..." In a way, the house is a reflection of Rhoda herself. Both were once handsome, but now Rhoda has faded and so has her house. "... and made her dark eyes, that had once been handsome, seem handsome anew." This reinforces the above statement. Rhoda is also jealous of Farmer Lodge's new wife. She asks her boy to spy on the young woman, and there is perhaps a hint of sympathy elicited here in that Rhoda was not able to retain Lodge's love. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), English novelist and poet, is famous for Far from the Madding Crowd, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and The Return of the Native. He wrote novels about country people living in Wessex, his name for the rural and quiet county of Dorset in southwest England. He wrote more than 10 volumes of poetry and short stories.
Born: June 2, 1840 Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, England Died: January 11, 1928 Dorchester, England English author, novelist, poet, and dramatist The works of the English novelist, poet, and dramatist Thomas Hardy unite the Victorian (c. 18401900) and modern eras. They reveal him to be a kind and gentle man, terribly aware of the pain human beings suffer in their struggle for life.