An Eco-feminist Interpretation of The Return of the Native

【Abstract】Thomas Hardy （1840-1928） is an important English novelist in the nineteenth century. The Return of the Native is one of the most representative novels written by Hardy. In this novel， Thomas Hardy puts human beings fate into nature and sets the fates of women into their attitudes toward nature.

【Key Words】The Return of the Native; Thomas Hardy; Eco-feminism

【作者簡介】李營，廣州工商學院。

In the history of British literature， Thomas Hardy （June 1840- January 1928） was one of the most renowned poets and novelists. The Return of the Native is Hardys sixth published novel. Since the publication of The Return of the Native in 1878， the novel received fairly mixed debate. Critics interpreted this work from different perspectives. This thesis is an attempt to explore the relationship between women and nature in The Return of the Native from an Eco-feminist perspective. It sheds some light on todays environmental problems and female problems and construct the harmony between human and nature and the harmony between human themselves.

Ⅰ. Eustacias Conflict with Nature

At the beginning of the novel， Eustacia is depicted as an integral and inseparable part of Egdon Heath. However， as to Eustacia herself， she regards Egdon as her prison. She was not born in Egdon Heath， but in a big city called Budmouth. Grown up in the care and cultivation of her parents， Eustacia lived a better life. After the death of her parents， however， she came to the heath with her grandpa. So in one sense， she hates Egdon Heath. Since she is accustomed to city life， she cant find her role in the heath. In other words， she is just out of tune with the heath and the local residents， which makes her caught up in the mire of loneliness. Eustacia cant adapt herself to living here. So it is inevitable that a conflict comes into being between her own personality and the natural and social environments. Even the people in Egdon Heath consider her as a witch. Obviously， it is Eustacia that intensifies the conflict between herself and nature.

“Eustacia Vye was the raw material of a divinity. On Olympus she would have done well with a little preparation. She had the passions and instincts which make a model goddess， that is， those which make not quite a model woman” （Hardy， 58）. In fact， it is impossible for her to become a model based on her unconventional personality and her incompatibility with Egdon Heath. She is a curious， exotic collection of associations which combine to create a sense of incongruity that reflects her alienated position in the heath. It is unable for her to keep harmony with her surroundings， even her lover and her husband. In order to escape from the environment， she abandoned Wildeve， trying every means to gain Clyms love in the hope that he would take her to Paris. She chooses Clym as a means to escape from the heath. However， the marriage with Clym does not satisfy her desire. Instead， it brings her anguish and sadness， and even pushes her to the verge of despair. Finally， Eustacia eloped with Wildeve but both of them were drawn in the rainy night， and ended up dead.

Eco-feminists emphasize the fact that women must be unified with nature and be a part of nature. Only in this way can they be protected by nature. Eustacia is the “queen of night”， the daughter of nature， so it is apparent that Eustacia would end up dead without the protection of nature， just like a fish out of water. Unfortunately， scarcely does Eustacia realize her connection with nature， eventually leading to her tragic ending.

Ⅱ. Thomasins Affinity with Nature

Eco-feminists hold that women and nature are more liable to realize affinity and identification between each other and that the unique experience of women like menstruation， pregnancy and fertility has a close relation with nature. In this novel， Thomasin remains a close relation with nature. She was born in Egdon Heath， who was a pretty sweet， honest and naive country girl. She loved the heath and the surroundings. She said to her cousin Clym， “I am not fit for town life----so very rural and silly as I always have been. Do not you yourself notice my countrified ways” （Hardy， 360）. In addition， Hardy uses the image of bird to describe Thomasin：

“In her movements， in her gaze， she reminded the beholder of a feathered creature who lived around her home. All smiles and allegories concerning her began and ended with birds.” （Hardy， 191）

It is safe to state that nature is humans spiritual mentor and beneficial friend. In The Return of the Native， nature is one indispensable part of Thomasins life. Nature is her home. She respects and loves nature. She really blends in with the nature， who brings light to the heath. It cant be more appropriate to describe Thomasin as “daughter of nature”.

Thomasin is kind and tolerant： when Mrs. Yeobright and her son Clym had some misunderstandings with each other and felt quite painful， she tried her utmost to persuade her aunt to trust Clym; she knew clearly that Estacia flirted with her husband Wildeve， but she tried to defend Estacia so as to relieve Mrs. Yeobright; when Clym and Estacia broke up due to the death of Mrs. Yeobright， she blamed Clym for being too heartless. It is Egdon Heath that endows her with such rare quality. Egdon Heath in this novel is the symbol and miniature of nature. Thomasin is closely related with nature. To be more exact， she is a part of nature.

Eco-feminism asserts that human beings， especially women， should respect and love nature. Only in this way can they recognize their true self and manage to live on and end up with a happy ending. Anyway， Thomasin ended up with a satisfactory ending， living happily with Diggory Venn. Just as is mentioned at the beginning of the novel， “It was a spot which returned upon the memory of those who loved it with an aspect of peculiar and kindly congruity”（Hardy， 4）. That is to say， those who feel out of place with Egdon Heath end up dead， while those who love it end up alive.

Ⅲ.Conclusion

Given the analysis conducted above， it is not difficult for us to realize that Hardy pays much attention to the relation between women and nature， and the relation between nature and humans fate. From the different fates of Eustacia and Thomasin， we can see clearly that women should maintain a close relationship with nature and be a part of nature，otherwise they would end up with miserable fates. Nature is a mother with universal love and woman lives a comfortable and happy life in the bosom of nature. Hardy uses this novel to arouse public concern about the environmental problems and call for a harmonious relationship between man and nature. According to the Eco-feminists， the ideal mode between human and nature is one that human and nature are closely related with each other and live harmoniously together.

References：

[1]Gatrell， Simon. Thomas Hardy and the Proper Study of Mankind [M]. London： Macmillan， 1993.

[2]Hardy， Thomas. The Return of the Native[M]. New York： Bantam Books， 1981.