Temperament as Motive in The Return of the Native

21 TEMPERAMENT AS MOTIVE IN THE RETURN JfJJF THE NATIVE* By J. O. Ba i 1 ey (The University of North Carolina) Many critics of Hardy's novels have assumed that his characters are in fact what they frequently call themselves, victims of a malevolent Fate, destiny, or external circumstances. But examination of actions that lead to disaster indicates that Hardy's characters are largely the victims of themselves, that is, of behavior that springs from their temperaments.' Critics have said of THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE what J. W. Cunliffe states in his Introduction to the Modern Student's Library edition: "On Egdon Heath it is the force of circumstance that drives Eustacia Vye to irretrievable disaster."2 Some basis for this judgment exists in both Hardy's comments and the cries of his characters who feel trapped by circumstance. Speaking of Eustacia, Hardy says, "Had it been possible for the earth and mankind to be entirely in her grasp for a while, had she handled the distaff, the spindle, and the shears at her own free will, few in the world would have noticed the change in government." (VII, 78) Commenting upon the fact that as soon as Eustacia gives up trying to attract Clym's attention, circumstance brings him to her, Hardy says, "Providence is nothing if not coquettish."(VM, 146) In describing the face of Clym, Hardy speaks of the "defects of natural laws" and "the quandary that man is in by their operation." (VM, 205) But the strongest statements of this kind are made by Hardy's characters, chiefly Eustacia. She desires to be loved to madness, preferably in Paris, but finds herself lonely on Egdon; frustrated, she "could show a most reproachful look. . .directed. . ,against certain creatures of her mind, the chief of these being Destiny." (Vl 1, 82) She speaks to Clym of the '"cruel satires that Fate loves to indulge in.'" (VIM, 8) When Clym's eyes have given out and he has taken to furze-cutting, it seems to Eustacia that "death appeared the only door of relief if the satire of Heaven should go much further." (VIM, 71) She feels that "she had cogent reasons for asking the Supreme Power by what right a being of such exquisite finish had been placed in circumstances calculated to make of her charms a curse rather than a blessing." (VIM, 7') When Eustacia meditates her failure to open her door to Mrs. Yeobright, she does not blame herself, but "laid the fault upon the shoulders of some indistinct, colossal Prince of the World, who had framed her situation and ruled her lot." (VIM, 120) When Eustacia has left Clym and is living with her grandfather, she "could now. . .think what a sport for Heaven this woman Eustacia was." (VII I, 171) In her final "frenzy of bitter revolt" on the Heath, Eustacia says, "Ό, the cruelty of putting me into this ill-conceived worldl I was capable of much; but I have been injured and blighted and crushed by things beyond my control! how hard it is of Heaven to devise such tortures for me, who have done no harm to Heaven at alii'" (VIM, 190) Whf1e we are emotionally involved with this seductive Eustacia, it does seem that human destiny in the novel is ruled by circumstance. But if we look *This paper, in a slightly different form, was read before the Graduate English Club, Duke University, on 9 March 1962. 22 soberly at the events of the novel and trace each unhappy consequence back to 'ts cause, we find that relatively little happens by chance. Items of chance in the novel are the outcome of the dice game that delivers to Diggory the money intended for Clym and Thomasin, the arrival of Cîym's mother for a visit at the time Wildeve is in the house, the bite of the adder that contributes to the death of Mrs. Yeobi ight, and the drizzling rain that depresses Eustacia's spirits on the night she plans to flee with WNdeve. But these are circumstances of everyday life: gamblers have runs of luck; visitors arrive at inopportune times; snakes bite; and rain spoils an...