Compare how characters in T.Hardy's "The Withered Arm" and J. Steinbeck's "of Mice & Men" are isolated and alienated.

A south-east England setting, in the 1800's, is the short story, 'The Withered Arm' by T.Hardy. This story involves four lives, where they all end up alienated and isolated, leaving them feeling alone. They are also isolated as they live in a small village far apart from the town or other villages called Holmstoke. It also involves the role of jealousy and at times guilt, played by one of the main characters, Rhoda Brook. …

…supernatural and friendship. They present each character as individuals living their own life in different ways compared to the each other. The authors try to put across the outcomes of living in isolation and in alienation. Making the audience think about the past tense and the causes of isolation and alienation. These novels are both emotional and have true meanings, written in such a way to show life from a different angle never seen before.