Short Fiction · Chapter
VIII: A Waterside Hermit explained
Gertrude Lodge visits the hangman Davies at his cottage by the river near Casterbridge jail to arrange a gruesome cure for her withered arm.
What happens
Gertrude Lodge visits the hangman Davies at his cottage by the river near Casterbridge jail to arrange a gruesome cure for her withered arm. She learns the execution is at noon, and he agrees to let her touch the corpse afterward for a fee, instructing her to wait at a wicket in the prison wall.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this excerpt, the emotional/psychological peak occurs when both Jim and Rosalys consciously recognize their…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Deception and Secrecy
Gertrude seeks to keep her visit and the cure secret from her husband, reflecting the theme of hidden actions.
- Isolation and Longing
Gertrude's desperate journey to the hangman's isolated cottage underscores her loneliness and longing for a cure.
Characters to notice
- Gertrude Lodge
Visits the hangman to arrange a cure for her withered arm by touching the corpse of a condemned man.
- Rhoda Brook
Not directly present, but her earlier advice about the cure motivates Gertrude's actions.
Key passages
“Gertrude found, on inquiry, that the Casterbridge official dwelt in a lonely cottage by a deep slow river flowing under the cliff on which the prison buildings were situate”
Gertrude discovered that the hangman lived in a solitary cottage beside a deep, slow river beneath the prison cliff.
Describes the setting of the hangman's home.
“I want to touch him for a charm, a cure of an affliction, by the advice of a man who has proved the virtue of the remedy.”
She explains she wants to touch the condemned man as a charm to cure her ailment, following advice from someone who has tested the remedy.
Gertrude reveals her purpose to the hangman.
