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Book 4, Chapter 8
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
In the wake of Mrs. Yeobright’s death, Clym feels incredibly guilty. Eustacia still hasn’t told him that Mrs. Yeobright came to see him, and Clym holds himself responsible for his mother’s death. A few weeks after Mrs. Yeobright’s death, Thomasin pays her brother a visit and tells him that her baby will be born in two months. Clym acknowledges the news but is too distracted by his own guilt and shame to care. He cannot understand why his mother said what she did before her death. While Clym and Thomasin are talking, Eustacia goes outside to find Wildeve, who has come to get his wife. Wildeve advises Eustacia to tell Clym the truth, but to omit that Wildeve was present. Before their conversation can continue, Thomasin shows up and departs with her husband.
In the wake of his Mrs. Yeobright’s death, Clym’s obsession with his mother only grows stronger. He feels extreme guilt about what happened and Eustacia selfishly denies him the truth. However, like all important pieces of information in this novel, the truth has a way of surfacing—whether Eustacia wants it to or not. Meanwhile, Wildeve also continues his selfish streak by making sure that his name does not come up.
Themes
Literary Devices
