Victorian novel—realism, looking at characters in a raw way, ending isn’t likely to be happy, serially published in 1878, examines everyday things that happen and the ensuing misunderstandings, victims of misunderstandings (small mistakes/decisions have major consequences), much greater amount of introspection in realistic novels than in romantic
Role of the Heath
- bleak and wild, sets up the heath as a character (furze is a woody shrub that gets thick stems and yellow flowers, used for fuel)
- constant—still there at the end
- loved and hated by some, those who love it survive (Thomasin, Diggory, Clym) but others succumb to it (Eustacia, Wildeve, Mrs. Yeobright)
The Three Women
- Thomasin—more fragile than Eustacia, Madonna-figure, English rose, content, country girl
- Mrs. Yeobright—proud, protective, many similarities with Eustacia, strong sense of propriety—strong views of class
- Eustacia—age 19, discontent, “raw material of divinity,” sensual, similar to Emma Bovary, self-aware enough to recognize these things in herself, bad motives (builds the bonfire to draw in Wildeve again, marries to serve herself, Clym might fulfill her dreams of Paris)
serially published in 1878
The Three Men
- Diggory Venn—never considered acceptable for Thomasin because of his work, not because he lacks ability to provide for her, honest, upright, resourceful (okay, all the women liked him)
- Clym Yeobright—”the native,” much was expected of him, he was successful by others’ standards but not by his own so he gives it all up, didn’t consider himself above manual labor (even when he has a physical impairment that could have excused him), he doesn’t have the same ideas of class that Eustacia and Mrs. Yeobright have
- Damon Wildeve—false, original story showed more of an extra-marital relationship with Eustacia than in the final published version, he’s crazy about her, always longing, “a man of sentiment,” “the Rousseau of Egdon”
Clym disappoints mother and wife—unmet expectations after so much promise
What is our influence on one another? What expectations do we have and how do they affect behavior, choices?
The Climax
Mrs. Yeobright comes to Clym’s cottage to apologize, sees her son without recognizing him at first, knocks on the door and Eustacia doesn’t open the door (Wildeve has come to visit unexpectedly), by the time she returns (thinking Clym is visiting with his mother) Mrs. Yeobright has already left, walks home but collapses on the way and is bitten by an adder
Clym learns that his mother had visited but is too late, goes to find her only to see her die, he and Eustacia are estranged and she goes to stay with her father
Clym writes to her to reconcile after she is already planning to escape to Paris with Wildeve’s help, but she doesn’t get the note in time
Everyone converges on a pond, three end up in the water, only Clym survives
Lessons from the Book
- Listen to your mother when she says don’t marry that woman! (listen to those who love you best)
- The need for forgiveness
- Prejudice—they’re stuck in their ideas about one another and they don’t listen to one another, Mrs. Y could have responded to Eustacia differently (and Eu. to Mrs. Y)
- Motivations—we have strong feelings about the characters despite their inaction because we care about their motives (Mrs. Y—class and propriety, Wildeve—wants what he can’t have, Thomasin—fear of society, Clym—philanthropist, Diggory—true love, Eustacia—adventure and a better life)
Ending
seems to suggest an unhappy ending but Hardy was forced to give the book a happy ending to please the Victorian public (he includes a footnote stating such)
We like to read books with good heroes and heroines because we can identify with them and feel good, but a heroine like Eustacia makes us uncomfortable
Connections to other books—Madame Bovary, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre
Books written from a Christian perspective that don’t moralize:
Death of Ivan Ilyich (Tolstoy)
Housekeeping, Gilead, Lila (Marilynne Robinson)