1

COMPARISION BETWEEN ‘THE RETURN OF THE

NATIVE’ AND ‘FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD’

Submitted by Umna Ehtisham – BS Eng IV

Program: BS English (Hons.)
Course: Novel A
Suggested supervisor: Miss Rabia
Institute: NUML Karachi Campus
Faculty/Department of English Language, Literature and Applied
Linguistics
 2

Content page

Topic NO
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………….3
Introduction …………………………………………………………….……...................3
Literature Review ..……………………………………………………..…………………3

Research Question………… …………………………………………………………….3

Methodology…………………………………………………………………………….….4

Analysis and Discussion….……………………………………………………..……..…4

Conclusion …………………………………………………………….............................9

References…………………………………………………………………………………9
 3

ABSTRACT:
This research paper compares and contrast the outstanding works ‘Far From the
Madding Crowd’ and ‘The Return of the Native’. Both novels are the fourth and
sixth successful novels written by the infamous novelist ‘Thomas Hardy’. This
paper examines and compares the similarities and differences in writing style,
plot/summary and conflicts in the novels, how Hardy portrays his characters and
uses themes in his respective novels. The characters are seen suffering and
guilty due to their wrong decisions. Themes like Love, marriage and social class
are found common in his novels. Hardy was the first novelist to explore man-
woman relationship out of the marriage that caused a scandal in the Victorian
Age.
INTRODUCTION:
This research paper compromises a comparative analysis of the two novels
‘Return of the Native’ and ‘Far from the madding crowd’ by the infamous English
novelist Thomas Hardy who was born in England. His unique ideas contributed
greatly to the diverse world of literature. He had an indifferent style of writing and
set much of his work in Wessex. The recurring themes in most of his writings are
death, loss, loneliness, death, and life. Some of his writings are Far from The
Madding Crowd (1874), Return of the Native (1878), and The Mayor of the
Caster bridge.
His huge contribution to literature made him win Order of the Merit in 1910 and
was nominated for Noble Prize for twelve times. After his death, he was
remembered as the last of the Great Victorians.
LITERATURE REVIEW:
(Al-Doori,2019, p. 22) states that “In his novel The Return of the Native,
Thomas Hardy symbolizes his characters even the setting especially the heath
to carry the central theme of modernism. He seems to be objective when he
displays his characters according to their attitudes towards the heath and the
modern cities especially Paris.”
(Ramel,2010) said that the desire of Hardy "to regenerate the completeness of
things in themselves"1 might be viewed as a result of Darwin's influence.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
1. This research paper identifies what similarities or differences does Thomas
Hardy possess in his plot/summary and writing style in both the novels?
 4

2. This research paper compares how Thomas Hardy portrays his characters
in both of his novels and what writing style has he used?
3. The research paper analyzes what are the recurring themes and how the
main themes are explored throughout both of the novels?

METHODOLOGY:
The purpose of this research is to embark the methodological approach initiated
to compare and contrast between the two novels ‘The return of the native’ and
“Far from the madding crowd” written by the infamous novelist ‘Thomas Hardy’.
For this study, two methodological approaches are used. The first is a qualitative
technique was used as the research method. The research process entails
empirical research with the collecting of material that might confirm, deny, or
debate theories, allowing for better understanding, providing explanations for
various observations.
The second methodological approach used is comparative study. A comparative
research was characterized as one in which two curricular treatments were
evaluated over a long period of time. The data is collected through different
websites, research articles and books.

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION:

Ans 1: Plot and Summary:
Thomas Hardy lived through two centuries of critical events: the second half of
the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth. Modernism was born,
matured, and reached its pinnacle during this time period. Despite the fact that
Hardy is considered a modernist poet and writer due to his style, technique, type
of narration, and literary approach, he appears to be subtly anti-modernist in his
sixth novel ‘The Return of The Native’ due to his alignment with characters who
resemble symbolically anti-modernist perspectives. Hardy's anti-modernism
leaning is evident in his awareness of modernism's flaws, which he describes as
"the anguish of modernism." Hardy's setting for his writings is known as Wessex,
which includes the counties of Dorsetshire and Wiltshire. He has known this
territory since childhood, knows every copse and common, and countryside and
its rustic inhabitants, with a close attention to detail that demonstrates sharp
 5

observation and appreciation. The story revolves around Clym Yeobright’s return
– who is a native - and taking up the profession of a school teacher, his mother,
Mrs. Yeobright, and his cousin, Miss Thomasin Yeobright along with other
characters, Diggory Venn, Eustacia Vye, and Wildeve are involved in this love
drama played out on Egdon Heath. The novel is all about two young lovers
trapped in an unhappy marriage because they marry for the wrong reasons.
Because of the writer's metaphorical language and extensive intellectual
background, this story leaves a lot of room for symbolic meaning.
Whereas, Hardy’s fourth novel ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ is story set in
Victorian England and revolves around Bathsheba Everdene an independent,
beautiful, and headstrong woman who attracts three suitors: Gabriel Oak, a
sheep farmer captivated by her seductive willfulness; Frank Troy , a handsome
and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood , a prosperous and mature
bachelor. The plot complications arise from the intrusion of the antipastoral
Sergeant Troy and the love of three different men for the pastoral maid
Bathsheba. Bathsheba's choices and interests are explored in this timeless story
of love and relationships, as well as the human ability to overcome suffering
through tenacity and perseverance.
Writing Style:
The Return of the native is told from the third-person point of view and the writing
style Hardy uses is Detailed, Dramatic/Theatrical, Suspenseful, and Epic. The
novel's narrative approach is distinct from traditional writing. For example,
readers aren't told who Wildeve is when he first arrives; instead, what he says
reveals his personality. Eustacia fantasizes about Clym long before his thoughts
are tied to her. Even when they do speak outside of the Christmas party, the
story switches from her point of view to his, then back to hers. "Limited
omniscience" refers to giving readers access to only one person's experience at
a time. Hardy achieves a feeling of mystery in the novel by restricting the flow of
information to the reader. Because the characters' motivations and purposes
aren't always obvious, this is accomplished. Hardy regularly uses a situation in
which various local folks are gathered together and conversing while doing
something else to convey beliefs and viewpoints. This occurs during the "Custom
of the Country" chapter's bonfire scene, as well as later in the book when people
congregate to discuss the best approach to cope with a snakebite.
We can see a lot of different style elements at work, for example:
"O – Tamsie," said the elder, weeping, "I don't like to let you go."
 6

"I – I – am –." Thomasin began, giving way likewise. Bu quelling her grief, she said,
"Good-bye!" again and went on.

Then Mrs. Yeobright saw a little figure wending its way between the scratching
furze-bushes, and diminishing far up the valley – a pale-blue spot in a vast field of
neutral brown, solitary and undefended except by the power of her own hope.

But the worst feature in the case was one which did not appear in the landscape; it
was the man. (2.8.44-46)
Hardy uses realism and attention to detail in this dialogue; these characters
speak as though they are truly distressed.
Similarly, Far From The Madding Crowd is considered to be a strong example of
realism. It uses a variety of narrative points of view. It includes an omniscient
narrator and switches between the perspective of many of the main characters,
including Gabriel, Bathsheba, and Troy. A literary style that emerged in Europe in
the second part of the nineteenth century, chapters frequently begin with
descriptive prose that sets the tone for the rest of the story. The novel contains
some of the essential aspects of a realistic novel. We are securely rooted in the
world of the novel, which we may believe in because dates, places, and locations
are crucial aspects of the real world we live in. We may never have visited a
farmhouse, and we were certainly not alive in the mid-nineteenth century when
this narrative is set, but the description that follows provides enough detail
pertaining to our everyday experiences to convince us that this is not a fairy tale
or a fantasy, but realism.
Ans 2: Portrayal of Characters:
In Far From the Madding Crowd and The Return of the Native some people die
tragically in both works, while others are scarred by their experiences but live,
chastened but wiser. Hardy's talent in the realm of characterization is limited
when compared to that of certain great novelists. There is no denying Hardy's
presentation of characters is realistic.
The Chorus:
The common thing we find in both the novels is the Chorus. The chorus is the
symbol, of the great majority, who go on living through their unconventional life,
whatever misfortunes may overtake the finer spirits placed among them. The
chorus in ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ (Joseph Poorgrass, Henry Fray, Billy
Smalibury, Jan Coggan, and others), ‘The Return of the Native’ (Fairway,
 7

Christian, Grandfer Cantle, and others) cannot be compared to the drama's key
characters because they're only in the plot to give a chorus.
Eustacia and Bathsheba:
There is an obvious comparison between the two heroines of both novels.   As
tempting as it is in the twenty-first century to celebrate Bathsheba from Far From
the Madding Crowd as a strong, independent, willful, and ambitious young
woman, Eustacia from The Return of the Native reminds us that, thanks to the
good fortune of a timely inheritance, Bathsheba had the luxury of fulfilling these
traits for the nineteenth century. Eustacia, on the other hand, is stuck, unfulfilled,
and helpless. They are not, however, of the same personality. Eustacia would
most likely spend an inheritance very differently if she came into it, abandoning
rural England for a life in Paris, such are her apparent goals. The character of
Eustacia, for example, is a "perfectly imperfect figure" and an unstable blend of
the tragic and the melodramatic in Hardy's The Return of the Native (Hardy
1999). She and Bathsheba have the same melodramatic monologues when
they're in a fit of passion – see Bathsheba's jealousy when Troy kisses the dead
Fanny, "Don't kiss her, kiss me" (Hardy 1986, 230) – and when she can't hold it
against Fanny because she's dead, she enters a hysterical trance and expresses
her frustrated anger histrionic soliloquy:
“O, I hate her, yet I don’t mean that I hate her, for it is grievous and wicked; and
yet I hate her a little! Yes, my flesh insists upon hating her, whether my spirit is
willing or no! ... if she had only lived, I could have been angry and cruel towards
her with some justification; but to be vindictive toward a poor dead woman recoils
upon myself. O God, have mercy! I am miserable at all this!” (Hardy 1986, 229)
Hardy was to further utilize the tragic possibilities of melodrama for Eustacia,
employing the same technique to communicate her loneliness and despair in a
monologue, but in a more radical way because the heroine also conveys the
injustice and fatality imposed on her by the world:
“I can’t go, I can’t go!” she moaned. “No money: I can’t go! And if I could, what
would comfort me? I must drag on next year as I have dragged on this year, and
the year after that as before. How I have tried and tried to be a splendid woman,
and how destiny has been against me! … I do not deserve my lot!” she cried in a
frenzy of bitter revolt. “Oh the cruelty of putting me into this imperfect, ill-
conceived world! I was capable of much; but I have been injured and blighted
and crushed by things beyond my control! O how hard it is of Heaven to devise
such tortures of me, who have done no harm to Heaven at all!” (Hardy 1999,
346)
 8

Eustacia's plea could be viewed as a continuation of Bathsheba's monologue.

Hardy frequently used this approach, which he learned from stage melodrama,
when his characters are alone and the author needs them to express their
thoughts in order to share them with the audience. As a result, by blurring
generic lines and partially exploiting old conventions of popular genres, Hardy is
able to reach a literary compromise and begin a move to more respectable
genres such as tragedy and the pastoral.
Bathsheba herself, arrogant and proud, described as "this haughty goddess,
dashing piece of womanhood, Juno-wife of mine" by one of the men who marries
her, appears to be a rough draught for Eustacia Vye, the better famous heroine
of Hardy's Return of the Native. Eustacia is "the raw material of a divinity,"
according to Hardy. "She had the passions and instincts that make a model
goddess, that is, those that make not quite a model woman," he says, "and she
would have done well on Olympus." Bathsheba is too sweet, human, and dull in
comparison to Eustacia.
Diggory Venn and Gabriel Oak:
In the following ways, Gabriel Oak in Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) and
Diggory Venn in The Return of the Native (1878) are comparable. They are, first
and foremost, rural laborers whose responsibilities transcend the geographical
areas depicted in their various works. Second, they bore physical evidence of
their labor, whether it's carrying newborn sheep (for Gabriel, the shepherd turned
bailiff) or being colored a diabolical shade of red (for Diggory the reddleman)
Third, instead of focusing on their own needs, they prioritize the needs of the
ladies they adore. This entails assuming omniscience in the manner of a
narrator. Finally, both characters appear to have the characteristic of invincibility.
For Diggory Venn, the seasonal nature of his employment makes it necessary to
move for his work and he too bears the scars of his labor. Diggory
has the aptitude to look out for the best interests of others. The blurring of class
lines as material circumstances shift is a motif here, as it is in Far From the
Madding Crowd. With the blurring of layers of society comes the blurring of what
constitutes suitable chivalry, as evidenced by Venn's and Wildeve's actions
toward another man's wife, or a woman who is not his wife, respectively. Diggory
Venn's invulnerability is reminiscent of Gabriel Oak's incredible survival when he
saves the haystacks after a lightning storm. These heroes, who are known for
their altruistic, heroic efforts, lack a self-capable of being endangered by them.
Because of Diggory and Gabriel's invulnerability while performing heroic acts, it's
difficult to discern how much credit they deserve.
Conflicts:
 9

In Far From the Madding Crowd, Bathsheba Everdene makes a joke of a

Valentine's card for landowner Boldwood with the words "Marry Me" scribbled on
it, despite the fact that she had no romantic sentiments for him and he had none
until the card was received. Despite his clear devotion and her excellent
relationship with him as a man, the shepherd Gabriel Oak falls in love with
Bathsheba early on, but rather than submit to a marriage or marry "below her
station," she declines his advances. After all, Gabriel is simply a shepherd,
although one who has worked and scrimped his way to owning a modest farm,
whereas she will inherit a fortune from an uncle. Bathsheba goes on to marry a
dashing soldier with an income who inflames her passions, and it is shown that
both of the ideal matches according to the social standards of the time ultimately
reveal themselves to be utterly ruinous to Bathsheba.
In Return of the Native we see a similar type of dishonesty with oneself that
causes central conflicts. All the characters of Hardy suffer from the sense of guilt
that chases their life to a terrific end.
Ans 3. Themes:
The theme of social class can be seen in Bathsheba’s struggle in deciding whom
to marry and how to establish herself stems from her uncertain socioeconomic
status throughout the novel. Bathsheba’s attraction to Troy is partly because of
the glamor of his position as soldier. Troy’s literal mobility, also allows him to hide
his sins, including impregnating Fanny Robbins. Whereas, we can see hints of
class in the behavior and attitude of both Eustacia and Mrs. Yeobright who came
from slightly wealthier backgrounds. These two Mrs. Yeobrights are often snobby
around the lower-class citizens of Egdon. Damon too is concerned with money
and his social stature, and he's even rude to people below him in social class.
Another theme which is Fate plays the cruelest role when Gabriel’s sheep are
killed which led him to Bathsheba’s farm. It also plays a role in Bathsheba’s
changes in fortune as well. Similarly, Eustacia and Wildeve cannot fulfill their
plans due to harsh and stormy weather. Throughout the novel Venn remains
poor as the area lacks resources. The exhausting heat of Egdon Heath kills Mrs.
Yeobright and participate the tragedy in The Return of the Native.
Love is a major theme of the novel; in fact, the plot revolves around Bathsheba
trying to understand what love truly is, and what type of man is worthy of giving
her love to. As Bathsheba matures, she comes to realize what real love is, and
that Gabriel is the best partner for her. However, love is painful in The Return of
the Native. Eustacia is blinded by her longing for Paris when she falls for Clym,
while Clym blinds himself to Eustacia's real personality and desires. Meanwhile,
both Damon and Eustacia seem bored by the idea of happy, conflict-free love.
 10

In Far From the Madding Crowd, here Nature can be the source of happiness it
can be the cause of anguish too. Whereas in The Return of the Native Hardy
Hardy depicts people as small and even overwhelmed by nature such as heath
reflect each other's moods.
CONCLUSION:
Thomas Hardy has done an outstanding job in writing both novels ‘The Return of
the Native’ and ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’. Pessimism was constant element
along with suffering in his works. Hardy tends to write his stories in a realistic
manner, in which the characters are a blend of uniqueness, suffering, nature and
love. Similarities can be drawn in his both works in terms of storyline and the
prominent on is the guilt along with the suffering of the characters.
REFERENCES:
1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
350049053_Symbolism_in_Thomas_Hardy's_The_Return_of_the_Native
2. Ramel, A. (2010, March 1). The “passion for particularity” in The Return of
the Native. Open Edition. https://journals.openedition.org/miranda/719
3. Jeremiah, G. (2017, April 7). The Return of the Native: Style |
FreebookSummary. Study Guides and Book Summaries.
https://freebooksummary.com/the-return-of-the-native-style-76505
4. Hardy, T. (2018). The Return of the Native Writing Style. Shmoop.
https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/return-of-native/analysis/
writing-style#:%7E:text=Detailed%2C%20Dramatic%2FTheatrical%2C
%20Suspenseful%2C%20Epic
5. Exploring Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. (n.d.).
Open.Edu. Retrieved 2022, from https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-
the-arts/exploring-thomas-hardys-far-the-madding-crowd/content-section-
4.3
6. Rustic Characters of Thomas Hardy are the Son of Soils and Full of Life in
The Return of the Native as if Descendants of Shakespeare’s Rustic
Characters. (n.d.). Ardhendude.Blogspot. Retrieved 2022, from
https://ardhendude.blogspot.com/2017/08/rustic-characters-of-thomas-
hardy-are.html
7. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy [A Review]. (2018, April 10).
We Need to Talk About Books. Retrieved 2022, from
https://weneedtotalkaboutbooks.com/2016/12/14/book-review-the-return-
of-the-native/
8. Geometric Solids: Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. (n.d.).
The Millions. Retrieved 2022, from
 11

https://themillions.com/2009/07/geometric-solids-thomas-hardy-far-
from_29.html
9. Gary Ballard Author » Book Reviews: Thomas Hardy’s Far from the
Madding Crowd and The Return of the Native. (2018, July 29).
Bridgechronicles. Retrieved 2022, from
https://bridgechronicles.com/garyballardauthor/2018/07/29/book-reviews-
thomas-hardys-far-from-the-madding-crowd-and-the-return-of-the-native/