Characterization & Summary & Themes of 'the Son's Veto'
Characterization:
Reverend Twycott:
Reverend Twycott was the vicar at Gaymead, a little village in North Wessex. Following the death of his wife, he became aware of Sophy’ s devotion and care for him. Following the sad little accident that left Sophy incapacitated, Twycott proposes marriage to her. Twycott has committed what in his eyes was “social suicide” and he moves, exchanging the charming Gaymead for dull and drab south of London. The Reverend seems to have had a poor opinion of Sophy as a manager of money and on his death allowed her only a small allowance and the use of a small house. Twycott continued to control Sophy’ s life from his grave. Twycott is a typical Victorian man who decides for others what he thinks is best for them.
Sophy Twycott:
Hardy’s women characters suffer at the hands of fate and an unkind society. Sophy is gentle and attractive and devoted. Her only flaw was that she was not a great judge of what was best for her. She agrees to marriage with Rev. Twycott. She respects him but there is no love in this marriage, naturally. Her influence on Randolph her son is negligible and the boy grows up thinking his mother to be inferior to him in learning and position. Sophy has no control over her life. Her husband has left her only a small sum of money; the rest is under the control of trustees. She loves her son with tenderly and does not want to hurt him in any way but the boy has only crumbs to shower on her. Too late she realizes that she would have been happy with Sam but Randolph does allow her the freedom to make her decision and follow it. Too long Sophy has allowed others to control her life. Her immobility becomes a symbol for her dependence in life on her son’s will.
Randolph Twycott:
Randolph is a poor specimen of humanity. Even as a young boy he displayed a rather bad attitude towards his mother that bordered on impatience. As he grows up, he becomes acutely conscious of the difference in their status. He is the son of a
Reverend Twycott:
Reverend Twycott was the vicar at Gaymead, a little village in North Wessex. Following the death of his wife, he became aware of Sophy’ s devotion and care for him. Following the sad little accident that left Sophy incapacitated, Twycott proposes marriage to her. Twycott has committed what in his eyes was “social suicide” and he moves, exchanging the charming Gaymead for dull and drab south of London. The Reverend seems to have had a poor opinion of Sophy as a manager of money and on his death allowed her only a small allowance and the use of a small house. Twycott continued to control Sophy’ s life from his grave. Twycott is a typical Victorian man who decides for others what he thinks is best for them.
Sophy Twycott:
Hardy’s women characters suffer at the hands of fate and an unkind society. Sophy is gentle and attractive and devoted. Her only flaw was that she was not a great judge of what was best for her. She agrees to marriage with Rev. Twycott. She respects him but there is no love in this marriage, naturally. Her influence on Randolph her son is negligible and the boy grows up thinking his mother to be inferior to him in learning and position. Sophy has no control over her life. Her husband has left her only a small sum of money; the rest is under the control of trustees. She loves her son with tenderly and does not want to hurt him in any way but the boy has only crumbs to shower on her. Too late she realizes that she would have been happy with Sam but Randolph does allow her the freedom to make her decision and follow it. Too long Sophy has allowed others to control her life. Her immobility becomes a symbol for her dependence in life on her son’s will.
Randolph Twycott:
Randolph is a poor specimen of humanity. Even as a young boy he displayed a rather bad attitude towards his mother that bordered on impatience. As he grows up, he becomes acutely conscious of the difference in their status. He is the son of a