Previous
Book 3, Chapter 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Return of the Native, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Humans vs. Nature
Modernity vs. Tradition
Class and Morality
Deception
Summary
Analysis
Mrs. Yeobright is worried that Clym will become romantically involved with Eustacia and tells him so. However, Clym ignores her and heads to the Vye residence. When he arrives, he finds a group of local men attempting to remove a water bucket that is stuck in the well. Clym offers to help, though nothing comes of it. Eventually, the men leave, deciding that there is nothing more that can be done for the time being. Eustacia is upset so Clym offers to get her some clean water. Eustacia politely declines his offer and then the two of them try once again to get the bucket out of the well. However, they fail, and Eustacia cuts her hand in the process. Clym examines her wound and offers an apology on behalf of Egdon for what occurred at church.
Once again, Mrs. Yeobright’s efforts to interfere in a family member’s love life go ignored. Unsurprisingly, Clym immediately takes an interest in the beautiful Eustacia, whom he also feels quite bad for. He thinks of superstition as a primitive way of thinking that his school could help modernize.
Themes
Literary Devices
Over the next few days, Clym and Eustacia begin meeting up with each another, and a romance starts to blossom. Mrs. Yeobright is upset by this development and tells Clym to stay away from Eustacia. However, Clym doesn’t listen. Mrs. Yeobright is especially angry after she hears that Clym gave Eustacia a gift that was meant to be hers. Tensions continue to rise between Clym and his mother. One day, they get into a big fight; Mrs. Yeobright calls Eustacia a “hussy,” and Clym storms out, not wanting to say anything that will make matters worse.
Mrs. Yeobright suspects that Eustacia was the reason why Wildeve refused to marry Thomasin, which makes the elder woman dislike her. Additionally, Eustacia is a bit of an outcast in the Egdon community, and Mrs. Yeobright worries about how such a marriage would affect the Yeobright family’s reputation.
Themes
