Son's veto presentation

The son's veto

an analysis

01

What does 'veto' mean?

What do you think the story is about?

What does the title mean to you?

complete page 33 on CW 5 Question 1 (a, b and c)

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was born in rural England where he spent his early life training as an architect. His family did not have much money and this made him acutely conscious of social inequalities in Victorian England. He moved to London when he was a young man and worked there for a time. He later returned to Dorset, becoming a fulltime writer. The decay of rural Britain, the status of women in society and social inequalities of his times and the Christian idea of God are some of the recurring themes we see in Thomas Hardy’s novels.

Many of his stories are set in semi-fictional Wessex. Thomas Hardy’s characters struggle against adverse social circumstances, strong passions and an inexorable fate that decides the path of their life. Thomas Hardy’s works were much admired by later day writers and his position as a poet has seen enhancement in the later twentieth century.

Story in a nutshell

The story

Questions

Story - Part 1. Lets read.

Part 1 plot summary

Questions

How does Hardy show the social status of Sophy and Randolph?

Characters

Reverend Twycott

Randolph Twycott

Sophy Twycott

read Part 2 of the story

How does Hardy show the boredom of Sophy's life?

Activity

Part 2 plot summary

02

What does 'tragicomedy' mean?

How is Sophy's life an example of a tragi-comedy?

Activity - find evidence that shows; a) the wave of joy Sophy felt on meeting Sam, her old lover. b) How Hardy shows the social gap between Sophy and Sam.

Sophy's emotional turmoil

Discuss and explain

the emptional turmoil of Sophy post her husband's death, abandonment by son and isolation from the out side world.

Read the final part of the story - Part three

Part 3 plot summary

List down the attempts of Sophy and responses of Randolph on Sophy's remarriage.

Comparison

Sophy's attempts

Randolph's responses

• One evening, when they were alone in the house, Sophy broaches the subjects and informs Randolph that the man she wants to marry is not a 'gentleman'.
• Sophy broached the matter again after some time when Sam informed about his acquisition of a big vegetable shop.
• It was dropped for months and renewed again and attempted till four or five years.
• Sophy persisted more when Randolph became an undergraduate at Oxford and argued that she would soon be a burden for him, hence she is better off with Sam.

• Randolph burst into tears and later told her sternly that if she does that, he would be ruined and degraded in the eyes of all the gentlemen of England.
• Randolph was inexorable and refused once again.
• The matter was again and again abandoned under his repugnance.
• Randolph showed a more manly anger then and made his mother kneel before a cross and promise him that she will never ever marry without his consent.

Describe the feelings displayed by Randolph that shows his control over Sophy.

Paroxysm

Sternly

Repugnance

Contempt

Passionate

Inexorable

Indignation

Answer the following questions

1. Compare the characters - Sam and Randolph as you see them at the end of the story,
2. Write a character sketch of the main characters in the story,
3. How does Hardy portray class distinction in the story?
4. How does Hardy portray the role of education in the story?

Critical Commentary

Class

Education

Marriage

The sad irony in the story- The fact that Sam makes a success of his fruit and vegetable business merely reinforces the sad irony in the story. Sophy would have been socially secure in accepting his offer of marriage, if she had not been emotionally bullied by her own son.

Thanks!