Old Mrs Chundle is written by Thomas Hardy and tells the story of how a young Curate who just moved to a village. Whilst he is out painting he comes across a old kind woman who feeds him. After she says that she goes to church every week and the Curate asks his rector he confronts the old lady after she lied.
Mrs Chundle says that she is too deaf to hear anything so the Curate helps to hear at church. However the method he uses is very uncomfortable on him so he tries to avoid the old woman.When he finally goes to see her she has died and left her possessions to him. The Curate feels very humble.
The main themes of the story are liked in kindness. The old lady is kind to the young man at the start of the story by cooking him a meal and he repays her by helping her to hear at the service. Another theme of the story is the change in attitude of Mrs Chundle as the Curate shows her kindness. "He's a man in a thousand" is what she said about him.Thomas Hardy conveys a strong message about human weakness for example Mrs Chundle lying "once a week to my parish church". The Curate believes this and is shocked when he hears the truth.
However he is morally wrong as well as because he avoids the woman because of the smell of her breath during the services. The story is very effective - because it describes the two main character very well especially Mrs Chundle.She is a crafty old woman who enjoys making herself the centre of attention in the church with the ear trumpet which " shone and flashed in the sitters' eyes". Also she enjoyed using the tube and blowing the handkerchief and making "the little boys in the gallery laughed. " But she also gives a message of compassion. She is kind enough to feed the Curate and eventually leaves him her worldly goods when she realises how kind he has been to her.
The Curate's inner thoughts are described well.He is as determined to get her to church as she is to not to go. The story describes the events in the church very well and this helps the reader to picture what is going on. The story is also humorous yet also touching and sad as it describes what Mrs Chundle said to her neighbour just before she died about the Curate "he's not ashamed of a' old woman, and he holds that her soul is worth saving as well as richer people's". She was very grateful for what he had tried to do for her.
