AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy

Learning objectives:
-

AO1: respond to texts critically and imaginatively, select and evaluate

textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations.

AO2: explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers

presentation of ideas, themes and settings.

Pre-reading activity
1. What do you think ruined maid might imply or mean? Think about
when the word maid might have been used.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Use a dictionary and write down the definition of the word ameliorate?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

What did the she say?

In groups of three, take three minutes to make a list of words to describe
how someone might speak a line of dialogue. What is the tone of voice or
what emotion or feeling are they expressing as they speak?
Below are six quotations from the poem. On your own, read them a few
times.
Work in groups of six and allocate one quote to each member of the
group. Learn the dialogue from the line you have been allocated and,
together, experiment with different ways of speaking the dialogue from the
line.
Form new groups with people who are working on the same quotation as
you. Take it in turns to present your version of the quote to the other groups.
As a class, discuss which versions and interpretations seemed to work best.

O didnt you know Id been ruined? said she.

Yes: thats how we dress when were ruined, said she.
Some polish is gained with ones ruin, said she.
We never do work when were ruined, said she.
True. Ones pretty lively when ruined, said she.
My dear a raw country girl, such as you be,
Cannot quite expect that. You aint ruined, said she.

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

Predictions
Based solely on these six quotations from the poem, what are your ideas
and impressions? What do you think the poem is going to be about? Think,
again, about the title of the poem. What does the tone of the poem seem to
be?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Social and historical context

Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in Dorset, England; his hometown has
had a major influence on the themes, ideas and dialectal features in his poetry
and novels.
Investigate Victorian England
Visit the following website to find out information about life for women
during the Victorian Era. Focus on the following topics in accordance to your
surname:
Surnames A-F: Women and On the pedestal
Surnames G-L: Hypocrisy and double standards and Prostitution
Surnames M-R: Off Limits and Enlightened View
Surnames S-Z: Redeemability and Infection and Violence
http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide19/part10.ht
ml
Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

Women:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
On the pedestal:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Hypocrisy and double standards:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Prostitution:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

Off Limits:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Enlightened View:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Redeemibility (focus on Dickens and the fallen woman):
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Infection and Violence:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

Talk the talk

Work in pairs to devise and write a short script. You are two old friends /
neighbours who have bumped into one another whilst out in town one day.
Character A still lives in the country (where life and work is hard) and is just
visiting town. Character B has moved to the town and has a new job. Life for
Character A has not changed. Life for character B seems to have changed
for the better. The dialogue should include comments on:
such a surprise / chance meeting;
life now compared to life before where they live(d), their work, their
general lifestyle;
how they have changed in speech, appearance, (physically and
clothing), personality, actions, etc or not.
When you have a final draft, rehearse your scripts for a performance. You
can mix and match and trial different versions as detailed below.
Character A is genuinely happy for

Character B mocks Character As country

Character B.
Character A appears to praise and be

ways.
Character B is embarrassed to have

happy for Character B but there is

come across someone from his / her old

mockery between the lines, it is false

life.

praise.
Character A is embarrassed by the

Character B is embarrassed to have

changes seen in Character B.

come across someone from his / her old

life but tries to hide this by being flippant

Character A feels sorry for herself.

Character A feels sorry for Character B.
Character A feels sorry for Character B

and dismissive.
Character B feels sorry for herself.
Character B feels sorry for Character A.
Character B misses his / her old life and

but hides this fact by praising him / her.

Character A is jealous and resentful of

is jealous and resentful of Character A.

Character B flaunts her success.

Character Bs success.

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

First impressions
Read the poem. What are your first impressions? Make a note of your
ideas.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Translator
- "docks" (second stanza, line 6) are weeds
- "barton" (third stanza, line 9) is a farmyard
- "megrims" (fifth stanza, line 19) are migraines.

What type of poem is this?

This poem is a form dramatic dialogue. In the poem, Hardy presents a
conversation between two women. One of the women is called Melia. She
has moved away and has changed in many ways. As they talk, the role and
treatment of women during the Victorian era reveals itself as a major theme
within the poem. At the time, women were not treated equally to men. They
were forced to project an image of morality, and if they deviated away from
that image, they were seen as being tainted or soiled.
In The Ruined Maid, Hardy uses irony and satire.
Irony: This is a device writers use to express something different from
and often opposite to their literal meaning.
Satire: Satire aims to show the reader the absurdity of human follies
and vices. Writers who use satire want the reader to acknowledge
such wrongs in society.

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

Poetry detective
How has Melia changed? Work in pairs to make a note of examples from
the poem in the table below.

Changes in:

Melias life in the

country

appearance

attitude and
personality

voice (dialect, tone,

etc)

daily life

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

Melias life in the town

as a ruined maid

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

THE GREAT SOCIAL EVIL

Examine the content of this cartoon. In groups of three, discuss the
questions alongside and any other ideas your group feels are important.
Feed back your ideas to your teacher and the rest of the class.

What does this

suggest about the way
a woman can achieve
success?

What are the

differences between
the prostitute and
the maid?

What is the
general view of
prostitution?

Gay
referred to
prostitution

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of being:

A maid

A prostitute

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

10

1. What is Hardy saying about the position of women?

___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Why isnt it possible to have the advantages of both a maid and
prostitute during the Victorian Era?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. Is it possible to be virtuous and also have luxuries in todays society?
Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. Do other countries across the world have similar attitudes to the
position of women? Which countries have this attitude and why is it that
way?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

11

Lets take a closer look

Answer the following questions by providing quotes and analysis. Think PEE!
Stanzas 1-2
1. How has Melia gained prosperity?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. How / why is that ironic?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. What is the rhyme scheme? How does that contribute to the tone?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

Stanzas 3-4
1. Why is it ironic that Amelia is fit for high company?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. What is the reaction of the old friend?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

12

3. Why do you think Hardy has decided to use the Dorset dialect? What
is the effect?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Stanzas 5-6
1. Look carefully at what Melias friend says in the final stanza. What is
satirical about her dialogue?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Considering that Amelia has become more sophisticated in the eyes
of her friend, why do you think Amelia slips back into her Dorset dialect
when she says: You aint ruined,. Do you think there was a reason for
this?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. Overall, what is the serious point or the message of the poem?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. At the end of each stanza, Melia always has the last line. Each time,
the last line ends with the refrain: ruined, said she. She answers
in an almost a matter-of-fact tone. Why is that ironic?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

13

5. Why do you think Hardy decided to use the name Amelia? Look back
at the definition of ameliorate and determine what Hardys message
could have been.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

Chatterbox
THINK
What is your overall impression of the poem?
Do you think Hardy is a feminist? Do you think that Hardy really feels
that the young maids life is ruined?
Is the new maids life better than her old life?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
PAIR
Take 3 minutes to discuss your opinions with your partner and justify your
ideas. Add any further issues you have uncovered.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
SHARE
Feed back your ideas to your teacher and the rest of the class.

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

Theme tree
In groups of three, draw a theme tree to capture all your ideas.

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

14

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

15

My Itchy Toes Smell Loads

Complete the table below with what you consider to be the
most important quotes and poetic devices within each
category.

meaning
imagery
tone
Structur

e and
Form

language
Comparing poems
-

AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating

writers different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

16

Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between
the two poems.

The ruined maid

les grands seigneurs

Sample exam question

Compare the ways women are represented in The Ruined Maid and
Les Grand Seigneurs.

Planning an essay
Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

17

Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for your
essay question. You must include 3 - 5 points of comparison. Number each
point in the order you would write about them in your exam. When you write
your essay, remember to analyse structural and poetic devices for their
effect and meaning. Dont just list.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

The Ruined Maid

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

18

O Melia, my dear, this does everything crown!

Who could have supposed I should meet you in Town?
And whence such fair garments, such prosperi-ty?
O didnt you know Id been ruined? said she.
You left us in tatters, without shoes or socks,
5

Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks;

And now youve gay bracelets and bright feathers three!
Yes: thats how we dress when were ruined, said she.
At home in the barton you said thee and thou,
And thik oon, and thes oon, and tother; but now

10

Your talking quite ts ee for high compa-ny!

Some polish is gained with ones ruin, said she.
Your hands were like paws then, your face blue and bleak
But now Im bewitched by your delicate cheek,
And your little gloves t as on any la-dy!

15

We never do work when were ruined, said she.

You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream,
And youd sigh, and youd sock; but at present you seem
To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!
True. Ones pretty lively when ruined, said she.

20
I wish I had feathers, a fine sweeping gown,
And a delicate face, and could strut about Town!
My dear a raw country girl, such as you be,
Cannot quite expect that. You aint ruined, said she.
Thomas Hardy

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE

Acknowledgments and thanks

Written by Chantel Mathias and Amanda Fiegel
Introduction and copy by Karen Bishop
Audio file scripts and recordings by Barrie McDermid - www.podcastrevision.co.uk
Interactive resources and design by David Riley - www.triptico.co.uk
Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders of material reproduced in this collection. If
notified, we will be pleased to rectify any errors / omissions.

Copyright 2010 TES English www.tes.co.uk

19