The Return of the Native · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy.

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Chapter 1
Epigraph
The epigraph introduces the theme of sorrow as a constant, almost affectionate companion, setting a melancholic tone for the novel.
Chapter 2
The Return of the Native
Clym Yeobright returns to Egdon Heath from Paris, sparking interest and speculation among the local heathfolk. His arrival sets the stage for his encounters with Eustacia Vye and the unfolding of their tragic relationship.
Chapter 3
Book I: The Three Women
The chapter introduces the three central women of the novel—Eustacia Vye, Thomasin Yeobright, and Mrs. Yeobright—against the brooding backdrop of Egdon Heath. It sets up the tensions of love, marriage, social ambition, and fate that will drive the narrative.
Chapter 4
A Face on Which Time Makes but Little Impression
The chapter introduces Egdon Heath in November twilight, portraying it as a vast, ancient, and somber landscape that seems to embody a timeless, brooding presence. The heath is described as a near relation of night, with a dark, majestic sublimity that appeals to deeper human instincts. Its permanence and resistance to change are emphasized, contrasting with the transient nature of civilization and human endeavors. The narrative sets the stage for the novel's themes of fate, isolation, and the enduring power of nature.
Chapter 5
II: Humanity Appears Upon the Scene, Hand in Hand with Trouble
An old man, a decayed naval officer, walks across Egdon Heath and meets a reddleman driving a lurid red van. The reddleman, Diggory Venn, carries a young woman inside the van—Thomasin Yeobright, who has been jilted by Wildeve. The old man inquires about her but is rebuffed. After parting, the reddleman rests his horses and watches the heath. On a distant barrow, a solitary woman (Eustacia Vye) stands motionless, then vanishes as a group of men arrive to light a bonfire.

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Epigraph

The Return of the Native

Book I: The Three Women

A Face on Which Time Makes but Little Impression

II: Humanity Appears Upon the Scene, Hand in Hand with Trouble