the heath

The entire opening chapter of The Return of the Native is devoted to a lengthy description of Egdon Heath, the setting of the novel. The heath must be significant in terms of the themes and the continue progress of the novel. The author of the novel, Thomas Hardy, made the heath so significant to the point that it can be look upon as a character like any other in the novel. The heath’s constant …

…with each character: some likes it, like Clym, some wants to escape from it, like Eustacia. The relationship of Egdon Heath to the characters greatly influenced out the plot of the story. It is because Hardy chose to use Egdon Heath to carry out his themes. Overall, Egdon is portrayed as a member of the novel, not just a setting. Its participation as the role of antagonist greatly carried out The Return of the Native.