the return of the native by thomas hardy

Both Eustacia and Wildeve share a mutual hatred of Egdon Heath and dream about escaping in particular, Eustacia longs to travel to Paris.ĭespite Wildeve’s promises, he continues to postpone his marriage to Thomasin. Eustacia likes Wildeve, though she is angry about his plans to marry Thomasin. Though Wildeve insists that he still plans to marry Thomasin and will do so as soon as possible, he’s not being entirely truthful: the same night he was supposed to marry Thomasin, he pays a visit to Eustacia Vye, whom he has been courting in secret. She knows that the aborted marriage will be the talk of the town, further embarrassing the Yeobright family.

Yeobright learns that Thomasin didn’t marry Wildeve after all, she gets even angrier. Yeobright, Clym’s mother, has openly objected to Thomasin’s marriage to Wildeve, whom she considers socially inferior.

Clym is Thomasin’s cousin, and the locals always assumed that the two of them would marry before Clym left for Paris. The locals dance, sing, and gossip about the latest news on the heath, including the fact that Clym Yeobright is set to return from Paris at Christmas time. Meanwhile, the residents of Egdon Heath are lighting bonfires to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day. Thomasin is upset because she was supposed to wed Damon Wildeve earlier that day but couldn’t due to an issue with her marriage license. The Return of the Native opens with Venn, a reddleman, transporting Thomasin Yeobright back to Egdon Heath.

The return of the native by thomas hardy