The Return Of The Native

Umm-e-Rooman Yaqoob

Q: Role of Egdon Heath in the novel “The Return of

The Native”?

Umm-e-Rooman Yaqoob

Thomas Hardy, (2 June 1840 – 11

January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. While Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life and regarded himself predominantly as a poet, his first collection was not published until 1898. Initially, therefore, he gained fame as the author of novels. However, beginning in the 1950s Hardy has been recognized as a major poet.

Introduction

The Return of the Native is Thomas Hardy's

sixth published novel. It first appeared in the magazine Belgravia, a publication known for its sensationalism, and was presented in twelve monthly instalments from January to December 1878. Because of the novel's controversial themes, Hardy had some difficulty finding a publisher; reviews, however, though somewhat mixed, were generally positive. In the twentieth century, The Return of the Native became one of Hardy's most popular novels.

The Return Of The Native

One of the most prominent figures in Hardy’s The Return of the Native is not a human character, but the physical landmark- Egdon Heath. The heath's central role is obvious from the beginning. The novel opens with an extensive description of the heath at dusk.

Egdon Heath

Hardy begins by saying:

“A Saturday afternoon in November was approaching the time of twilight, and the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment”.

Even though the main story focuses on the relationships between Eustacia Vye, Clym Yeobright, Wildeve and Thomasin, the heath is the central figure. Many of the events occur on or around Egdon Heath, and equally as important- all of the characters have their own special relationship with the heath.

Samia Shabbir

In The Return of the Native, Nature becomes

a living character. The scene of the novel is black stretch of Egdon. We see the gigantic heath in action. It influences the characters. Eustacia Vye is guided by hatred of it and so is Wildeve. Clym’s main consideration of life is his love of the heath.it helps Venn in his moves. It kills Mrs. Yeobright while journeying across the heath by sending a venomous adder out of its bosom. It frustrates Eustacia’s intention of flight.

Heath as a living character

It drowned both Eustacia and Wildeve in its pool because both of them were out of harmony with it. Thus, the heath sets the tone of the novel which is dark and sombre. It also sets the dimensions in which the characters have to play their part. It becomes the symbol of malignant fate. It pervades the whole novel. The tragedy enacted on its vast surface, on which time has made no mark, would be unimaginable anywhere else. So nature in the novel doesn’t only form the back ground, it also acts as a character.

Rabia Ashiq

Egdon heath plays a major role in the

destiny of the character in this novel. The characters are related by temperament to the Heath. Their personalities are derived from, or are reflected by some aspect of the Heath itself. For Eustacia the Heath is indifferent, feline and untamed, She hates it.

She laments that: " Tis my curse, my shame, and will be my death"

Symbolic Significance

Her words come true as she drowned. Inimically she is like the heath in the utter selfishness and indifference to others. The passage that follows after Mrs. Yeobright lies down on the Heath to rest is of high symbolic significance.

Here in this passage, the ants, stand for the bustle' of worthy life. Heron, the loveliest of birds, is an image of freedom and release from life itself. These two images are beautifully coined by the author, drawn with the sharply effective eye of a poet. Only a nature-observer whose mind is harmony with nature can write these kinds of descriptions. Then hardy sticks most closely to strict truth of fact, as he does here, he achieves his most moving effects.

Mehak Rasool

The Heath also plays a role in the action

of human drama. It helps Venn in his moves against Wildeve. It killed Mrs. Yeobright and precipitates the tragic end of the novel. The heath, in collaboration with storm and rain, frustrates the intentions of Eustacia and Wildeve towards the end of the novel and brings about their end.

It's Role in Action

Walter Alien calls the heath "an extended image of the nature of which man is a part, in which he is caught, with conditions his very being and which cares nothing for him" .

In fact, Hardy's Egdon Heath is the symbol of Nature and Necessity .This "untamed, fecund, impressive force which suggests the abiding and the eternal is the equivalent of the "President of the immortals" of Tess .

Sara George

Not only has this, but the black stretch

of Egdon Heath influenced the characters and the action of the novel like any other human being. Actually, heath is the real enemy of Eustacia and Wildeve. Eustacia regards it as her prison. She feels that she cannot be a splendid woman as long as she lives in Heath. She wants to escape from it, at any cost.

Influence on characters and actions

Similar is true about Wildeve. Both of them while attempting to run away from it but they are caught in its toils and crushed in it like insignificant creatures.

On the other hand, Clym and Venn closely connected with Egdon. Clym is the typical product of it. It is Egdon Heath which has inspired him with the idea of teaching men how to face miseries and troubles of life.

Venn seems to be the very spirit of the Heath. Thomasin also finds it congenial to her. She is not

afraid of it; nor does she hate it. In fact, like Clym, she does not want to leave for city life.

So, all the characters are influenced by Egdon Heath.

Faiza Anwar Kamal

Nature, to Hardy, is abode of struggle,

competition, devastation, and destruction. It is not full of roses but has the plenty of thorns and shrubs. Under the influence of Darwin’s theory of evolution, hardy took nature as cruel and callous power. He repudiated the theory of Words Worth, according to which nature is sympathetic, compassionate and pure.

Sad and gloomy vision

Wordsworth heart leaps up when he beholds a rainbow in the sky; but hardy sinks into the bottom when he looks at, the spectacle of keen struggle of existence.

Wordsworth discovers a holly plan in nature providing balm to the afflicting humanity: hardy sees present struggle. the great creature feeds on a small ones; the trees bloom on the life of small plants; the flying insects lives on the blood of others; the ferocious animals fatten on the flesh of gentle ones.

In Hardy`s view Egdon Heath is as

important for the novel as Eustacia for Wildeve and for Clym for Mrs. Yeobright. He has regarded Heath as a living and acting person. And involvement of Heath is seen in each and every situation.

Conclusion

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