Analysis of some selective questions from "The Return of the Native"
Question: 01) A. How are the male characters unique
in their roles in Thomas Hardy’s The
Return of the Native?
Answer to the Quest. No. 01
( A )
The Return of the Native written by
Thomas Hardy is a masterpiece of Victorian literature. In this novel, Hardy
magnificently interweaves the issues- individualism, humanity and hedonism
through the male figures Clym Yeobright, Diggory Venn and Damon Wildeve. Clym
is the mouthpiece of individualism, selflessness and humanity are at the heart
of Diggory’s character, and Damon
represents a cynical character and lives in the world of fantasy. In this way,
Hardy has given a distinct dimension to each male character so that their
features cannot be overlapped and can make an interesting appeal to the
readers.
Clym
Yeobright, the protagonist of the novel, is an epitome of moderation in social
life. Egdon Heath is a “cruel taskmaster” to Eustacia for its “rigidity” and
“restrictions”, but Clym knows very well how to achieve “equilibrium’’ in this
heath. He says to Eustacia, “I would rather live on these hills than anywhere
else in the world.” The sense of individualism is conspicuous in Clym’s
character. He is the representative of those people who were struggling to
establish their own identity amidst the developing individualism and liberalism
in the 19th century. Clym has returned to Egdon Heath from Paris
with a philanthropic aim which is to “instill high knowledge into empty minds”
of its primitive dwellers. He has not discussed anything with anyone about his
decision of quitting the job of diamond business, not even with his mother Mrs.
Yeobright. Mrs. Yeobright has struggled a lot to establish Clym as a successful
businessman. But he ruthlessly shatters her expectations by abandoning his
earthly aspirations. Mrs. Yeobright warns her son by saying, “Your fancies will
be your ruin.” However, Clym does not pay any heed to her. Furthermore, he
marries Eustacia without his mother’s consent and draws a thick line of
separation in the mother-son relationship. Later, his eye-sight becomes damaged
tragically because of his excessive reading and he has to give up the hope of
becoming a school teacher. Again, he is prompted by his individual mindset and
decides to be a furze-cutter. This decision is hugely despairing for Eustacia
as she is a lady of pride. She says, “But my grandfather offers to assist us.”
But Clym firmly rejects her by saying, “If I go furze-cutting, we shall be
fairly well-off”.
Though Clym’s decisions have brought troubles in his
mother’s and wife’s life, he remains unperturbed. In the end, he loses both of
them unfortunately and becomes a preacher.
Diggory
Venn, the reddleman, is another significant male figure who is pulled by an
incredible force of helping others, especially Thomasin Yeobright. Desmond
Hawkins says, “It is Diggory who embodies the very spirit of Egdon Heath in his
outlandish nomad life.” Venn proposed Thomasin two years ago, but Thomasin
rejected him. Still, he loves Thomasin as a “faithful friend’’ and can go to
any extent to make her happy. Venn is quite simple in mind but quick in action.
He thinks that Eustacia is an obstacle on the way of Thomasin’s happiness. Without knowing anything
properly, he approaches Eustacia and says, “Help me to get Thomasin happy, miss,
and the chance shall be yours.’’ Hardy entitles this attempt as- “A Desperate
Attempt at Persuasion”. Being failure in this attempt, Diggory goes to Mrs. Yeobright
and offers himself as a candidate for Thomasin. His ultimate purpose is to give
Thomasin social recognition and save her from humiliation. But he is rejected
this time, too. At last, Mrs. Yeobright accomplishes the marriage of Damon and
Thomasin using her diplomatic strategy. Even after the marriage, he keeps his
vigilant eye on Damon who possesses fascination towards Eustacia to protect
Thomasin’s married life. The reddleman continues the gambling game with Damon
and wins all the guineas. He gives all the guineas to Thomasin without knowing
that there is Clym’s share too. Ironically, this generosity makes the hostile relationship
between Mrs. Yeobright and Eustacia worse. He has persuaded Mrs. Yeobright to
reunite with her son. But the attempt of reconciliation has cost Mrs.
Yeobright’s life. At the end of the novel, he tries to save Clym, Eustacia and
Damon. Nevertheless, he can save Clym only. He takes all the responsibilities
of Thomasin and her daughter.
Damon
Wildeve, the keeper of the ‘Quiet Woman Inn’ is both materialistic and
hedonist. He has relationship with both Eustacia and Thomasin, but he is not
serious about anyone. Thomasin leaves home to marry Damon but Damon has
irresponsibly caused the failure of the marriage with an irregularity in the
marriage license. Later, Eustacia rejects him for his infidelity in
relationship and Damon has to marry Thomasin. Still, Damon pursues Eustacia and
offers her financial help so that she can go to Paris. But on the day of
departure, Eustacia dies by drowning. To save her, he also dives into the river
and dies tragically.
Clym
echoes the lines from the poem, “My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is”- “My mind to me a
kingdom is, / Such present joys therein I find, / That it excels all other
bliss’’ while Damon is prompted by his hedonistic mood. Venn always tries to
stand by the distressed characters. Their life is full of delusions. Still,
they have tried to survive in their own way. ( Total word number- 861 words)
Answer to the Quest. No: 01
(B)
Critically
comment on Mrs. Yeobright’s diplomacy in solving the problem of marriage in
Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native.
In the 19th
century, women lived with a questioning existence in the society which was
dominated by patriarchal ideology. They were the keepers of the hearth and
supposed to remain subservient all the time. They had no access to educational,
social or political issues.
As a
novelist of that century, Thomas Hardy has shown his skill to focus honestly on
the issues of his age such as- marriage, sex and women’s rights. He has
represented through the character Thomasin Yeobright how abandoned women were
treated if they could not get married. Hardy has also focused on the active
role of Mrs. Yeobright in negotiating the marriage issue of Thomasin with Damon
to protect her family dignity.
Mrs.
Yeobright is a “well-known and respected” widow of Egdon Heath. Though she is
poor, she has many traits which are the source of her glory and greatness. She
lives in Blooms-End with her niece Thomasin. Thomasin falls in love with a
“happy-go-lucky” figure named Damon and leaves home in order to get married
with him. But the irony is that she has to return to her aunt without getting
married because she is deceived by Damon. It is Damon who has cynically played
a trick on Thomasin and caused the failure of marriage with an irregularity
with the marriage license. Though Thomasin has no control over this unexpected
outcome of the marriage, she is a
submissive woman who is afraid of the gossip of people and their humiliating
remarks on her relationship with Wildeve. She knows very well that this
humiliation will affect her family members tremendously and this realization
makes her psychologically paralyzed. So, she wants to get married with Damon
anyhow not for her own happiness but for protecting the honor of her family.
That’s why, she says to Damon, “I can live without you. It is aunt I think of.
She is so proud and thinks so much of her family respectability, that she will
be cut down with mortification if this story should get abroad before.” This
portrayal of Thomasin reminds us the oppressed and vulnerable condition of women
in Victorian era. Thomasin’s remark on her aunt is absolutely true. As a
typical Victorian lady, she gives priority to the dignity of her family the
most and can reach to any extent to protect it. Her penetrating insight helps
her have a true understanding about the wicked and nonchalant character of
Wildeve. She says to Thomasin, “When you began to feel foolish about that man,
I warned you he would not make you happy.” Now, the only aim of Mrs. Yeobright
is to arrange the marriage of Damon and Thomasin so that the reputation of her
family cannot be mixed into dust. When Diggory Venn approaches to Mrs.
Yeobright and offers himself as a candidate for Thomasin, she rejects Venn
tactfully using Thomasin as an excuse but expresses her gratitude to God for
the “weapon” that the reddleman has put in her hands. She says to Damon, “You
may not be aware that another man has shown himself anxious to marry Thomasin.
He proposed to her two years ago. At that time, she refused him. She may not
refuse him twice.” Mrs. Yeobright does not reveal Venn’s name to Damon to
resist conflict. Mrs.Yeobright’s tactful strategy puts Damon in a dilemma. He
meets with Eustacia to know about her opinion. Being rejected by Eustacia for
his infidelity in relationship, he decides to marry Thomasin.
Issac
Newton famously remarked, “Tact is an art of making a point without making an
enemy.” In my opinion, Mrs. Yeobright’s diplomatic attitude can be judged under
the light of the quotation without any doubt. But the irony is that she has
failed to show her shrewdness, wisdom and diplomacy in solving the problems of
her son’s life. The passionate mother cannot show anything but weakness in front
of her son and this attitude has brought a serious tragic consequence in their
life.
Question: 02) ii) “He had seen her lately, and has
asked me for permission to pay his address to her. She may not refuse him
twice.”
Answer to
the Quest. No: 02
( ii )
“He had seen her lately, and has asked me for
permission to pay his address to her. She may not refuse him twice.”
These
lines have been taken from the novel The
Return of the Native written by Thomas Hardy. This speech is delivered by
Mrs. Yeobright while she is in a conversation with Damon regarding his marriage
with Thomasin.
Thomasin leaves her home with a view to getting
married with Damon. But it is Damon’s irresponsible attitude that has caused
the failure of marriage with an irregularity in the marriage license. Being
failure in the attempt to convince Eustacia to quit her relationship with
Damon, Diggory offers himself to Mrs. Yeobright as a candidate for Thomasin so
that nobody can make any derogatory remark on Thomasin’s character. But Mrs.
Yeobtight rejects Venn in a tactical way because it is a matter of social
prestige of her family. But wise and diplomatic Mrs. Yeobright uses the
proposal of Venn as a “weapon” and makes a shrewd strategy of convincing Damon
by telling him about the “second man’s love” for Thomasin. Being refused by
Eustacia, Wildeve has no other way but to marry Thomasin. This is how the diplomacy
of Mrs. Yeobright wins.
Question: 02) “She is the second woman I have
killed this year. I was a great cause of my mother’s death, and I am the chief
cause of hers.”
Answer
to the Quest. No: 02
These lines have been taken from the novel The Return of the Native written by Thomas Hardy. Clym Yeobright delivers
this speech after the accidental death of his wife Eustacia by drowning. Clym’s
utter repentance is expressed through this speech.
Clym
has drawn a thick boarder of separation between his mother and himself being
saturated by his individual spirits. He has destroyed his mother’s hopes by
abandoning his diamond business and by dreaming himself as a poor school
teacher. The separation becomes complete when Clym leaves home to marry
Eustacia without his mother’s consent. Still, Mrs. Yeobright approaches first
with an aim to reconcile with her son. But the result of this approach is
catastrophic. She is deeply disappointed because neither Clym nor Eustacia have
opened the door for her. Unfortunately, she is bitten by a snake and dies from
the heat of sun and fatigue on her way to home.
When Clym comes to know that it is Eustacia who has not opened the door
to hide her “newly developed” relationship with Damon, he terribly accuses
Eustacia of being a murderer of his mother. Being unable to bear this insult,
Eustacia leaves Clym’s home. She decides to go to Budmouth with Wildeve but
disastrous storm causes her death.
Thus,
some simple gaps of understanding have brought devastation in Clym’s life.
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