Hardy’s
characterization in Return of the Native
Introduction: In the field
of characterization, Hardy’s talent, as compared with that of some great novelists,
is narrow. His memorable characters all have a family likeness, but there is no
doubt about the realistic quality of Hardy’s character portrayal. He makes his
characters live in almost vital manner.
We get the feeling that we have
actually met the various persons whom Hardy portrays in his fiction. His
characters are made of solid flesh and blood like Clym and Eustacia.
They are recognizable human beings and their conversation, actions,
irritations, annoyances and quarrels perfectly convincing. It has been
said that Hardy’s great success is with subtle characters. But the
fact is that his men and women are the most vividly realized when they are
simple, primal characters: rustics such as Grandfer and Christian Cantle,
sturdy countrymen like Diggory Venn.; passionate wayward women such as Eustacia
and plausible rogues such as Wildeve. The portrayal of male characters
are admirable, he perhaps succeeds ever better in the treatment of men than
women. This choice of his characters leads him away from intellectual
complexities which delight most novelists. If his best characters are not
subtle, the art that describes them is surely one; for he can record the
minutest fluctuations of emotional experiences --- write the problems in the
relationships of the characters and discuss them--- such as incompatibility of
Eustacia etc. Hardy introduces each of his principal characters with a vivid
description of thepersonal appearance. The reddleman is described “as young
and, if not exactly handsome, approaching very near to handsome.” Wildeve
is quite a young man. The grace of his movement is singular. It is “the pantomimic
expression of a lady-killing career.” Eustacia is “full-limbed and somewhat
heavy and soft to the touch as a cloud. She has pagan eyes, full of nocturnal
mysteries.”
The portrayal of Eustacia: RETURN
OF THE NATIVE contains some of Hardy’s greatest characters, notably Eustacia
and Clym. Her rebellious nature and force of will are for what Hardy
calls her, “the raw material of the divinity”. She is the most powerfully-drawn
woman in the Hardy’s portrait-gallery. Her selfishness, her charms and beauty,
her uncontrolled passions do not blind us to her celestial imperiousness.
Hardy suggests that she is a goddess in her power. She has a femme fatale in
her power to arouse passions in others and Cleopatra in her pride, her passion
and her scorn of consequences. She is Hardy’s greatest creations whom no reader
is likely to forget. She herself is responsible for the tragedy that befalls
her. These are the factors which put her to tragedy: Her unsatisfied longing to
be taken to Paris and her Hatred of Heath are the main factors governing her
fate. She was attracted towards Clym simply by the hope that she would be taken
to Paris. She was also aware of his deficiencies and she frankly confessed
to Clym that she didn’t have the makings of a good house-wife. But she also
told him that she loved him and that she could sacrifice her dream of Paris for
him, “ To be your wife in Paris would be heaven to me; but I
would rather live with you in a hermitage here than not be yours at all.” In
spite of this her desire of Paris never perished. Her reaction to
Clym’s furze-cutting, her renewed interest in Wildeve, Her failure to open the
door, and her final decision and death are all the factors which contribute to
her tragedy. Eustacia’s own weaknesses and lapses play a large part in bringing
about the tragedy. Her love of gaiety and fashion, her worldliness and
incapacity to appreciate her husband’s lofty nature and her inconsistency are
the powerful factors.
Mrs. Yeobright’s character: Mrs.
Yeobright has been vividly portrayed. Her love for her son is her most
outstanding quality. With it she combines a strength and firmness of mind, a
shrewdness and sagacity. She has a practical mind especially in her
assessment of Eustacia. Her opposition to her son’s educational plans shows her
narrow-mindedness.
The portrayal of Clym: His
portrayal is much less complex. His aversion to materialistic and fashionable
life of Paris, his great love for her mother, his decision to be a school
teacher and educator and his acceptance of his misfortune all make him a
convincing character. The delineation of his character has superbly been made
by Hardy.
Diggory Venn: In the
portrayal of Diggory Venn, too Hardy is matchless. He represents the honest,
steadfast, devoted, self-sacrificing and selfless lover. Some of us remain
unconvinced by the selfless love he expresses towards Thomasin.
It would be seen that he has nothing else to do but safeguard the interests of
his farmer sweetheart.
Wildeve’s character: Wildeve
is the villain whose conduct arouses disgust in our minds. He is depicted as
casual, irresponsible, selfish, pleasure-loving and even callous. He plays with
the hearts of girls, marries one of them and runs away. He strongly reminds us
of Sergeant Troy inFar From the Madding Crowd. He has attractive manners
and amiable nature. He partly redeems himself by sacrificing his life for
Eustacia. The character of Wildeve is convincing.
Contrasted Portrays: One
important aspect of Hardy’s characterization is the contrasting portraits of
his characters. Mrs Yeobright and Eustacia are as unlike each other as any two
women could be. The one honest and devoted; the other, unscrupulous and
inconstant in love. Cly is contrasted with both Diggory and Wildeve. He
portrays men though in a narrow range, but he delineates women eminently.
There are three women characters in the novel. Eustacia, Mrs. Yeobright and
Thomasin (Compare them). There are only three main male characters;
Clym, Wildeve and Diggory Venn (Compare them here).
The Egdon Heath: In
delineating the various characters, Hardy makes use of the natural environment
in which these characters live. Egdon Heath is not only the scene of the
story; it dominates the plot and determines the characters. (write attitude of
different characters to Heath)
The Rustic Group: We cannot
ignore the rustic group of characters. Although they appear here as a group,
yet they have been individualized too. (Write their function and
qualities)
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