Abstract: The Return of the Native, Thomas Hardy’s important tragic novel, was written in the         nineteenth century when Industrial Revolution modified the whole structure of English society and the agricultural civilization was gradually leaving the history stage. This thesis, by analyzing Hardy’s native complex and fatalism, tries to probe into the causes of the tragedies in The Return of the Native. Hardy’s native complex makes him strongly miss the rural life but ignore the development of modernization. Because of his views of fatalism, any native who wants to get rid of Egdon Heath will end in tragedy. On the surface, Clym’s dream of building a school is a mirage and doomed to be shattered by cruel reality. Clym and Eustacia’s unhappy marriage is a result of the Eustacia’s desire for better life and higher social status. But in fact, it is Hardy’s disapproval of the French utopian socialism which influences Clym when he studies in France that strangles Clym’s ideal. Eustacia’s elopement with Wildeve to Paris also goes against the tradition that Hardy follows. It concludes that Hardy’s idea of fatalism and his blindly burying himself in traditional culture and rejecting to confront the challenge of modern civilization are the actual reasons for the tragic fate of the characters in the novel.

Key words: The Return of the Native, tragedy, native complex, fatalism

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

1.1 Introduction to Thomas Hardy

1.2 Introduction to The Return of the Native

2. Literature Review 2

3. Tragedies in The Return of the Native3

3.1 Disillusion of Clym’s Ideal in the Cruel Reality

3.2 Clym and Eustacia’s Unhappy Marriage and Broken Family 

4. Causes of Tragedies in The Return of the Native.6

  4.1 Thomas Hardy’s Native Complex

  4.2 Thomas Hardy’s Fatalism

5. Conclusion8

Bibliography.10

Acknowledgements.11