Compare the Ways in Which Thomas Hardy’S ‘the Withered Arm’ and Edgar Alan Poe’S ‘the Tell Tale Heart Could Be Considered Gothic Short Stories
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- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 04/07/2011 11:54 AM
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Hardy and Poe had different writing styles both of which were part of the gothic genre, even though both stories were written within the same century, 1843 ( The Tell Tale Heart) and 1888 (The Withered Arm) their own back rounds took a huge affect on what they had written and how. Hardy’s story was affected by the way in which it was published, whereas Poe had a troubled life. The traditional gothic elements are included, most of which are, superstition, darkness and a sense of insanity which creates the gothic atmosphere and the life that Alan Poe has experienced is reflected hugely throughout his poems and stories. Hardy however grew up with his parents in Dorchester and this is where all his short stories are based.
Typical gothic settings include wild landscapes, ruined or grotesque buildings and the imagery of darkness, shadow and decay. Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Withered Arm is set in Egdon Heath, in many ways this could be considered as a perfect gothic setting in a sense that it avoids enclosure without hedges and boundaries whereas Poe’s story is set in an enclosed room with a dark presence, ‘thick clouds make the atmosphere dark and the wind howled dismally’. No boundaries has an impact on the action and can symbolise that anything can happen, this is considered as a gothic element as it produces a sense of fear. Hardy describes the town in personification as ‘whose dark countenance was visible in the distance’ this proves Hardy’s belief that ‘Environment makes character and character is fate’ therefore the surroundings a person is brought up decides their personality. Egdon seems to watch over the events of the story impassively in another word the effect on protagonists is not considered. The Tell Tale Heart has a setting in many ways the opposite to the Withered Arm. It takes place in dark enclosed room during mid night ‘his room was as pitch as black’. Sounds are described to give a sense of fear which contributes to the gothic style of writing...
Typical gothic settings include wild landscapes, ruined or grotesque buildings and the imagery of darkness, shadow and decay. Thomas Hardy’s ‘The Withered Arm is set in Egdon Heath, in many ways this could be considered as a perfect gothic setting in a sense that it avoids enclosure without hedges and boundaries whereas Poe’s story is set in an enclosed room with a dark presence, ‘thick clouds make the atmosphere dark and the wind howled dismally’. No boundaries has an impact on the action and can symbolise that anything can happen, this is considered as a gothic element as it produces a sense of fear. Hardy describes the town in personification as ‘whose dark countenance was visible in the distance’ this proves Hardy’s belief that ‘Environment makes character and character is fate’ therefore the surroundings a person is brought up decides their personality. Egdon seems to watch over the events of the story impassively in another word the effect on protagonists is not considered. The Tell Tale Heart has a setting in many ways the opposite to the Withered Arm. It takes place in dark enclosed room during mid night ‘his room was as pitch as black’. Sounds are described to give a sense of fear which contributes to the gothic style of writing...