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The Return of the Native: Allegory Explained

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy is a novel that has been widely celebrated for its allegorical elements. The story follows the life of Clym Yeobright, a character who returns to his hometown of Egdon Heath after spending years in Paris. Upon his return, he becomes a schoolteacher and marries a local girl named Eustacia Vye. However, their marriage is soon plagued by difficulties and tragedy.

A desolate heath with a solitary figure gazing into the distance, surrounded by rugged terrain and a brooding sky

At its core, The Return of the Native is an allegory about the struggle between nature and civilization. Egdon Heath, the setting of the novel, is a wild and untamed landscape that represents the primal forces of nature. The characters who live there are similarly wild and unpredictable, driven by their passions and desires. In contrast, Clym Yeobright represents civilization and progress, attempting to bring education and enlightenment to the people of Egdon Heath. However, his efforts are ultimately futile, as he is unable to tame the wildness of the landscape or the people who live there.

The Return of the Native is a complex and thought-provoking novel that offers a powerful allegory about the human condition. Through its vivid characters and evocative setting, it explores themes of love, loss, and the struggle between nature and civilization. Whether you are a fan of classic literature or simply interested in exploring the deeper meanings behind great works of fiction, The Return of the Native is a novel that is sure to captivate and inspire.

Overview of ‘The Return of the Native’

A desolate heath with a solitary figure gazing into the horizon, symbolizing the struggle between fate and free will

‘The Return of the Native’ is a novel by Thomas Hardy, published in 1878. The novel is set in the fictional Egdon Heath, a vast, unforgiving, and isolated heathland in Wessex, England. The story follows the lives of several characters, including Eustacia Vye, Damon Wildeve, Clym Yeobright, Thomasin Yeobright, and Diggory Venn.

The novel explores themes of love, fate, and the struggle between nature and civilization. It is also considered an allegory for the decline of rural life and the rise of industrialization in England.

Hardy’s vivid descriptions of the landscape and the characters’ inner turmoil create a haunting and melancholic atmosphere throughout the novel. The plot is driven by the characters’ desires and their attempts to overcome fate and societal expectations.

Defining Allegory

A desolate heath with a lone bonfire burning, symbolizing the harshness of nature and the characters' struggle in "The Return of the Native."

Allegory is a literary device in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. In other words, it is a story that has a hidden meaning behind its surface story. Allegories are often used to convey complex ideas or moral lessons in an easy-to-understand way.

Allegories can take many forms, including fables, parables, and myths. Fables are short stories that usually feature animals as characters and have a moral lesson at the end. Parables are stories that use everyday situations to teach a moral lesson. Myths are stories that explain the origins of the world or natural phenomena and often have a moral lesson embedded in them.

One of the most famous examples of an allegory is George Orwell’s Animal Farm. In this book, farm animals overthrow their human owner and create a society where all animals are equal. However, as time goes on, the pigs, who have taken on a leadership role, become corrupt and oppressive. The story is an allegory for the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalinism.

Allegories can be powerful tools for conveying complex ideas in an easy-to-understand way. They allow writers to explore difficult topics without being didactic or preachy. By using characters and events to represent abstract ideas, allegories can help readers understand and relate to these ideas on a deeper level.

Egdon Heath as an Allegorical Character

Egdon Heath looms ominously, its tangled heather and gorse forming a brooding, desolate figure. The moody sky adds to its enigmatic presence, hinting at the character's complexity

Personification of Nature

Egdon Heath is a personified character in Thomas Hardy’s novel The Return of the Native. The heath is described as a vast, uninhabited expanse covered with gorse and heather and few trees. The character of Egdon Heath represents the indifference of nature towards human struggles. The heath is portrayed as a powerful and mysterious force that can both help and harm the characters. It is a symbol of the natural world that is beyond human control.

Egdon Heath as a Symbol

Egdon Heath is also a symbol of the isolation and loneliness that the characters experience in the novel. The heath is a place where the characters can escape from the constraints of society and be alone with their thoughts. It is a place where they can find peace and solitude, but it is also a place where they can become lost and overwhelmed by the vastness of the natural world.

Egdon Heath can also be seen as a symbol of the cyclical nature of life. The heath is described as a place where the seasons change and the landscape is constantly evolving. This mirrors the cycle of life and death that the characters experience throughout the novel. The heath is a reminder that life is constantly changing and that nothing lasts forever.

Characters and Their Symbolic Roles

A dark, brooding heath looms in the background, symbolizing the untamed nature of the characters in The Return of the Native. A solitary figure stands amidst the rugged terrain, representing the individual's struggle against fate

Clym Yeobright as the Idealist

Clym Yeobright is the protagonist of “The Return of the Native”. He represents the idealistic nature of humanity. He is a diamond merchant who returns to his hometown to pursue his dream of educating the uneducated. His character symbolizes the idealistic nature of the human race, which strives for a better future. Despite his good intentions, he is unable to bring about the change he desires due to the harsh realities of life.

Eustacia Vye as the Outsider

Eustacia Vye is the antagonist of the novel. She represents the outsider, someone who does not belong in the community. She is a beautiful and intelligent woman who is trapped in the confines of the heath. Her character symbolizes the human desire for freedom and the struggle to break free from societal norms. She is unable to find happiness and eventually meets her tragic end.

Diggory Venn as the Redeemer

Diggory Venn is a minor character in the novel who plays a crucial role in the lives of Clym and Eustacia. He is a reddleman, someone who sells red dye. His character symbolizes the redeemer, someone who brings about change and redemption. He is in love with Thomasin Yeobright and helps her when she is in need. He also helps Clym and Eustacia in their time of need, ultimately bringing about their redemption.

Themes Conveyed Through Allegory

Fate and Destiny

In “The Return of the Native,” Thomas Hardy uses allegory to convey the theme of fate and destiny. The characters in the novel are often portrayed as being subject to forces beyond their control. Egdon Heath, the novel’s setting, acts as a symbol of fate and destiny, with its harsh and unforgiving landscape representing the forces that shape the characters’ lives. Through the use of allegory, Hardy suggests that humans are not in control of their own destiny, but are instead subject to the whims of fate.

Man vs. Nature

Another theme conveyed through allegory in “The Return of the Native” is the conflict between man and nature. Egdon Heath is portrayed as a powerful and fearsome force, capable of shaping the lives of the characters who live there. The heath is often personified, with its moods and movements reflecting the emotions of the characters. Through the use of allegory, Hardy suggests that humans are small and insignificant in the face of the power of nature.

Isolation and Society

The theme of isolation and society is also conveyed through allegory in “The Return of the Native.” The characters in the novel are often isolated from each other, both physically and emotionally. Egdon Heath is portrayed as a symbol of this isolation, with its vast, empty landscape representing the characters’ feelings of loneliness and disconnection. Through the use of allegory, Hardy suggests that humans are social creatures who need connection and community in order to thrive.

Cultural and Historical Context

Thomas Hardy’s novel, “The Return of the Native,” was published in 1878 in Victorian England, a period marked by significant social, economic, and political changes. The novel is set in Wessex, a fictional region in southwestern England, and explores the lives of the residents of Egdon Heath, a barren moorland that symbolizes the isolation and desolation of the characters.

The novel’s characters are deeply affected by the cultural and historical context of the time, particularly the rigid social hierarchy that permeated Victorian society. The protagonist, Clym Yeobright, is a well-educated man who returns to Egdon Heath after a successful career as a jeweler in Paris. He hopes to bring education and enlightenment to the people of the heath, but he is met with suspicion and hostility from the locals, who view him as an outsider.

The novel also explores the theme of industrialization and its impact on rural communities. The heath represents a world that is untouched by civilization and modernization, but this isolation also makes it vulnerable to the encroachment of industrialization. The arrival of the railroad and other modern technologies threatens to destroy the traditional way of life of the heath’s inhabitants, who are deeply attached to their land and their customs.

Hardy’s Use of Imagery and Language

Thomas Hardy’s use of imagery and language in “The Return of the Native” is masterful and contributes significantly to the allegorical nature of the novel. The novel is set in the imaginary region of Wessex, and Hardy’s descriptions of the landscape and natural elements are vivid and detailed, creating a sense of place that is both realistic and symbolic.

Hardy’s use of animal imagery is particularly effective in conveying the themes of the novel. For example, the heath is described as a “vast tract of unenclosed wild” that is “invariably awake and alive with strange sounds.” This description creates a sense of foreboding and danger, as if the heath is a living creature that is watching and waiting for something to happen. Similarly, the characters are often described in terms of animals, such as Eustacia Vye, who is compared to a bird of prey.

Hardy’s use of language is also notable for its poetic quality and its ability to convey complex emotions and ideas. The dialogue between the characters is realistic and natural, but also contains layers of meaning that reveal the characters’ inner thoughts and motivations. For example, Eustacia’s desire to escape her life on the heath is expressed through her longing for the “music of Paris,” which represents the freedom and excitement that she craves.

Critical Interpretations of Allegory

Critics have offered various interpretations of the allegory in “The Return of the Native” by Thomas Hardy. Some have argued that the novel is an allegory of human life, where the heath represents the struggles and challenges that individuals face in their lives. Others have suggested that the novel is an allegory of the human condition, where the characters represent different aspects of human nature.

One interpretation is that the novel is an allegory of the struggle between nature and civilization. The heath represents nature, and the characters who are drawn to it are those who reject the constraints of civilization. On the other hand, the characters who seek to leave the heath and pursue a more civilized life represent the forces of civilization. This interpretation suggests that the novel is a commentary on the tension between the natural and the artificial in human life.

Another interpretation is that the novel is an allegory of the struggle between passion and reason. The character of Eustacia Vye represents passion, while Clym Yeobright represents reason. The conflict between these two characters represents the tension between the emotional and the rational aspects of human nature. This interpretation suggests that the novel is a commentary on the difficulty of reconciling these two opposing forces in human life.

Comparisons to Other Works by Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy is known for his unique writing style and storytelling techniques that often involve complex characters and themes. In his other works, such as “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” and “Jude the Obscure,” Hardy also explores the themes of fate, love, and morality.

However, “The Return of the Native” stands out from his other works due to its use of allegory and symbolism. While his other works focus on the struggles of individual characters, “The Return of the Native” uses the characters as symbols to represent broader themes of human nature and society.

In comparison to “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” where the main character Tess is a victim of fate, the characters in “The Return of the Native” have more agency and control over their own fate. This theme is also explored in “Jude the Obscure,” where the main character Jude struggles against societal norms and expectations.