Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native, first published in 1878, is a novel about the tensions between ambition, passion, and fate set against the backdrop of Egdon Heath. This vast and untamed landscape serves as a character in its own right. The story follows multiple intertwined lives, primarily those of Clym Yeobright, Eustacia Vye, Thomasin Yeobright, Damon Wildeve, and Diggory Venn, as they navigate love, aspirations, and tragedy.
The novel opens on November 5, Guy Fawkes Night, setting a mood of unease and foreshadowing. Egdon Heath is introduced as a wild, brooding place resistant to change. Against this rugged backdrop, we first encounter Eustacia Vye, a passionate and restless young woman who yearns to escape the isolation of the heath. She dreams of a more exciting, cosmopolitan life, believing that love and marriage are her ticket out. She is involved in a clandestine relationship with Damon Wildeve, a former engineer turned innkeeper, who is himself in an on-and-off relationship with the kindhearted Thomasin Yeobright, Clym’s cousin.
Thomasin, having eloped with Wildeve, finds herself in an embarrassing predicament when a legal technicality prevents their marriage. This situation troubles her aunt, Mrs. Yeobright, who serves as a moral force in the novel, often concerned about respectability and the well-being of her son and niece. Eventually, Thomasin and Wildeve do marry, but not before Wildeve’s continued attraction to Eustacia is made apparent.
Clym Yeobright, the titular native, returns from Paris, where he has been working as a diamond merchant. Unlike Eustacia, who sees Paris as a symbol of opportunity, Clym finds city life shallow and unfulfilling. He returns home with aspirations of becoming a schoolmaster and bringing education to the rural folk of Egdon Heath. Eustacia, hearing of Clym’s return, hopes that he will take her away from the heath. Her interest in him shifts from indifference to romantic ambition, believing him to be her escape route.
Clym and Eustacia’s relationship blossoms despite Mrs. Yeobright’s disapproval. Mrs. Yeobright, wary of Eustacia’s intentions and believing she is too ambitious and self-serving, warns Clym against marrying her. He refuses to listen and weds Eustacia. However, their marriage soon falls into disillusionment. Clym, suffering from an eye ailment caused by excessive reading, is forced to abandon his dream of teaching and instead becomes a furze-cutter, a lowly and physically demanding job. This proves a turning point in their relationship, as Eustacia’s hopes of leaving the heath vanish. She grows increasingly discontented and reclusive.
Meanwhile, Wildeve, despite his marriage to Thomasin, remains infatuated with Eustacia. His fortunes change when he unexpectedly inherits a substantial sum of money. His newfound wealth makes him more appealing to Eustacia, who sees a chance to escape Egdon Heath with him. Their secret meetings rekindle past feelings, though neither fully commits to eloping.
The novel’s climax is set into motion when Mrs. Yeobright attempts to reconcile with her son. Unbeknownst to her, Eustacia, in a moment of anger and desperation, refuses to let her into the house while Clym is asleep. Mrs. Yeobright, hurt and rejected, wanders off into the heath, where she collapses from exhaustion and a possible snake bite. She is later found and brought home, but she dies before Clym can make amends. This tragedy devastates Clym, and when he learns that Eustacia was responsible for barring his mother from entering, their already fragile marriage crumbles.
Eustacia, overwhelmed by guilt, despair, and her continued feeling of entrapment, contemplates running away with Wildeve. However, before their plans can materialize, she is found drowned in a weir on a stormy night. It remains ambiguous whether she fell, jumped, or was pulled into the water. Wildeve, in an attempt to save her, also drowns. Only Diggory Venn, a reddleman who has long harbored feelings for Thomasin, witnesses the tragic scene and is able to save Clym.
In the novel’s resolution, Thomasin, now a widow, marries Diggory Venn, who has abandoned his life as a reddleman and become a respectable farmer. Clym, wracked with remorse and unable to find peace, embraces a solitary existence as an itinerant preacher. He wanders the countryside, delivering sermons and reflecting on the futility of human ambitions against the immovable forces of fate.
Commentary
Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native is a novel rich in tragic irony and philosophical depth. Through the wild and unyielding landscape of Egdon Heath, Hardy explores themes of fate, ambition, and the conflict between individual desires and societal constraints. The novel’s characters, particularly Eustacia Vye and Clym Yeobright, are trapped by their aspirations and circumstances, leading to inevitable tragedy. Hardy’s use of fatalism and the natural environment underscores the novel’s bleak yet poetic atmosphere, where an indifferent universe often thwarts human efforts. The book is also notable for its psychological depth, examining the complexities of love, duty, and regret. While its tragic elements may feel heavy, Hardy’s lyrical prose and deep empathy for his characters make it a compelling and thought-provoking read. The Return of the Native ultimately leaves the reader with a profound meditation on human limitations and the relentless passage of time.