the siginificance of the opening chapter in the return of the native

THE RON - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OPENING CHAPTER 'Remind yourself of the opening chapter. Assess its significance in terms of how Hardy creates mood, tone and atmosphere in terms of the continued progress of the novel'. The fact that Hardy devotes the entire opening chapter to a lengthy description of Egdon Heath speaks for itself. The opening chapter must be significant in terms of the continued progress of the novel. The atmosphere and tone …

…or of greater things than man) felt. 'Amid the soft juicy vegetation of the hollow in which [Wildeve and Venn] sat, the motionless and the uninhabited solitude, intruded the chink of guineas, the rattle of dice, the exclamations of the reckless players'. In short, the actions of men scarcely ruffle the surface of the great world around them. This is consonant with the several times Hardy shows Clym aware of his insignificance in the universe.