Article #122-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Return of the Native, by Thomas Hardy

“Yes, I do; I am not delirious, Thomasin, nor have I been so at all.
Don’t you believe that if they say so. I am only in great misery at
what I have done, and that, with the weakness, makes me seem mad. But
it has not upset my reason. Do you think I should remember all about my
mother’s death if I were out of my mind? No such good luck. Two months
and a half, Thomasin, the last of her life, did my poor mother live
alone, distracted and mourning because of me; yet she was unvisited by
me, though I was living only six miles off. Two months and a
half—seventy-five days did the sun rise and set upon her in that
deserted state which a dog didn’t deserve! Poor people who had nothing
in common with her would have cared for her, and visited her had they
known her sickness and loneliness; but I, who should have been all to
her, stayed away like a cur. If there is any justice in God let Him
kill me now. He has nearly blinded me, but that is not enough. If He
would only strike me with more pain I would believe in Him forever!”

“Hush, hush! O, pray, Clym, don’t, don’t say it!” implored Thomasin,
affrighted into sobs and tears; while Eustacia, at the other side of
the room, though her pale face remained calm, writhed in her chair.
Clym went on without heeding his cousin.

“But I am not worth receiving further proof even of Heaven’s
reprobation. Do you think, Thomasin, that she knew me—that she did not
die in that horrid mistaken notion about my not forgiving her, which I
can’t tell you how she acquired? If you could only assure me of that!
Do you think so, Eustacia? Do speak to me.”

Explanation

This powerful excerpt from The Return of the Native (1878) by Thomas Hardy captures a moment of Clym Yeobright’s agonized guilt and despair over his mother’s death. The novel, set in the fictional rural region of Wessex (based on Hardy’s native Dorset), explores themes of fate, human suffering, moral responsibility, and the indifference of the universe—key elements of Hardy’s pessimistic naturalism. This passage occurs after Clym’s mother, Joan Yeobright, dies alone, believing her son has abandoned her due to a misunderstanding (partly engineered by the manipulative Eustacia Vye). The scene is emotionally raw, revealing Clym’s self-loathing, existential torment, and desperate need for absolution.

Context of the Excerpt

Clym Yeobright is a central figure in the novel, a man of deep integrity who returns to his rural hometown after a brief, unsuccessful stint in the city. His relationship with his mother is one of mutual devotion, but a miscommunication (fueled by Eustacia’s interference) leads Joan to believe Clym has rejected her.
Thomasin Yeobright (Clym’s cousin) and Eustacia Vye (his eventual wife) are present in this scene. Thomasin is kind but powerless to console Clym, while Eustacia—though outwardly composed—is internally tormented by her role in the tragedy.
The novel’s tragic structure hinges on misunderstandings, fate, and human frailty, and this moment is a turning point in Clym’s psychological unraveling.

Themes in the Passage

Guilt and Self-Condemnation
- Clym’s speech is a confession of moral failure. He casts himself as a "cur" (a worthless dog), unworthy even of divine punishment. His guilt is all-consuming, overshadowing reason.
- The repetition of "two months and a half—seventy-five days" emphasizes the relentless, measurable nature of his neglect, turning time itself into an accuser.
- His plea—"If there is any justice in God let Him kill me now"—reveals a desire for punishment, a belief that suffering might restore moral balance.
The Indifference of the Universe (Hardy’s Pessimism)
- Clym’s bitter challenge to God ("If He would only strike me with more pain I would believe in Him forever!") reflects Hardy’s skepticism about divine justice. The universe does not respond to human suffering with meaning—it is impersonal and cruel.
- The idea that "poor people" (strangers) would have shown more compassion than her own son underscores the randomness of kindness and the failure of natural bonds.
The Illusion of Control and Fate
- Clym’s torment stems from the irreversibility of his mistake. His mother’s death was preventable, yet fate (and human pettiness) intervened.
- The question "Do you think she knew me—that she did not die in that horrid mistaken notion?" haunts him because truth and perception are misaligned—a recurring theme in the novel.
The Contrast Between Inner and Outer States
- While Thomasin weeps openly, Eustacia’s "pale face remained calm" even as she "writhed in her chair". This duality (outer stoicism vs. inner turmoil) mirrors the novel’s exploration of hidden passions and repressed emotions.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Analysis

Repetition & Anaphora
- "Two months and a half—seventy-five days" – The numerical precision makes the neglect feel inescapable and mechanical, like a sentence.
- "Do you think…?" – Clym’s desperate, rhetorical questions seek validation but also highlight his isolation—no one can truly answer him.
Animal Imagery & Dehumanization
- "a cur" (a mongrel dog) – Clym reduces himself to an animal, unworthy of human dignity.
- "a dog didn’t deserve" – The comparison suggests his mother was treated worse than a beast, invertin the natural order of care.
Religious & Existential Language
- "If there is any justice in God" – Clym’s blasphemous challenge reflects Hardy’s agnostic questioning of divine providence.
- "Heaven’s reprobation" – The term (from Calvinist theology, meaning divine rejection) suggests Clym sees himself as damned, yet even damnation would be a kind of acknowledgment from the universe.
Dramatic Irony & Unspoken Guilt
- The reader knows Eustacia’s role in the misunderstanding (she withheld a letter from Joan), but Clym does not. Her silent writhing is a physical manifestation of guilt, contrasting with Thomasin’s verbal distress.
Sensory & Emotional Intensity
- "nearly blinded me" – Clym’s physical suffering mirrors his moral blindness.
- "affrighted into sobs and tears" – Thomasin’s visceral reaction heightens the emotional pitch of the scene.

Significance of the Passage

Clym’s Tragic Flaw & Downfall
- This moment marks the beginning of Clym’s emotional collapse. His idealism and self-reproach will later lead to bitterness and withdrawal from society, making him a broken man—a classic tragic hero undone by fate and his own flaws.
Eustacia’s Hidden Culprit Role
- While Clym blames himself, Eustacia’s silent agony foreshadows her own guilt and eventual downfall. Her inaction (not sending the letter) has dire consequences, tying into the novel’s theme of cause and effect in a morally indifferent world.
Hardy’s Philosophical View
- The scene encapsulates Hardy’s bleak worldview: human suffering is often self-inflicted or the result of trivial errors, and the universe does not provide redemption. Clym’s plea for more pain as proof of God’s existence is darkly ironic—he would rather believe in a cruel god than face a godless, indifferent void.
The Failure of Communication
- The misunderstanding between Clym and his mother is never resolved, symbolizing the impossibility of true understanding in human relationships—a recurring motif in Hardy’s works.

Conclusion: The Weight of Human Error

This passage is one of the most emotionally devastating in The Return of the Native because it lays bare the cost of a single, irreversible mistake. Clym’s self-flagellation is not just about guilt—it’s about the fragility of human connections and the absence of cosmic justice. Hardy does not offer comfort; instead, he forces the reader to confront the raw, unanswerable pain of regret.

The scene also sets up the novel’s tragic trajectory:

Clym will never recover from this moment.
Eustacia’s unspoken guilt will fester, contributing to her own tragic end.
Thomasin, the most emotionally honest character, is powerless to heal the wounds around her.

In Hardy’s universe, there is no redemption—only the relentless weight of what has been done.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s depiction of Clym’s self-condemnation serves primarily to expose which of the following tensions in Hardy’s philosophical framework?

A. The conflict between rural tradition and urban progress, embodied in Clym’s failed return to Wessex.
B. The collision between human moral accountability and the universe’s indifference to suffering.
C. The disparity between male and female expressions of grief, as seen in Thomasin’s sobs versus Eustacia’s silence.
D. The contradiction between religious faith and empirical skepticism, illustrated by Clym’s plea for divine punishment.
E. The opposition between individual desire and social obligation, exemplified by Clym’s neglect of his mother for personal ambition.

Question 2

Eustacia’s physical reaction—“writhed in her chair” while her “pale face remained calm”—is most effectively interpreted as an example of:

A. Hardy’s critique of Victorian gender norms, where women’s emotions are forced into performative stillness.
B. The novel’s recurring motif of nature’s violence, with Eustacia’s internal struggle mirroring the stormy heath.
C. A psychological defense mechanism, wherein outward detachment masks an inability to empathize with Clym.
D. Dramatic irony, as her composure contrasts with Thomasin’s visible distress, highlighting her emotional superiority.
E. The disconnect between private guilt and public persona, underscoring the theme of hidden moral complicity.

Question 3

Clym’s repetition of “two months and a half—seventy-five days” functions primarily to:

A. Emphasize the mathematical precision of time as a neutral arbiter of human failure.
B. Contrast the brevity of his mother’s suffering with the eternity of his remorse.
C. Transform abstract guilt into a tangible, inescapable burden through rhythmic insistence.
D. Highlight the irony that his neglect was quantitatively minor yet morally catastrophic.
E. Suggest that his mother’s death was fated, as the number 75 holds numerological significance in Hardy’s symbolism.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the role of Thomasin’s interjection (“Hush, hush! O, pray, Clym, don’t, don’t say it!”) in the passage’s argumentative structure?

A. It introduces a counterargument to Clym’s self-loathing, proposing that divine forgiveness is still possible.
B. It serves as a narrative pivot, shifting the focus from Clym’s monologue to Eustacia’s unspoken culpability.
C. It underscores the futility of consolation, as Thomasin’s plea is drowned out by Clym’s relentless guilt.
D. It functions as a choral response, representing the voice of societal morality that Clym has transgressed.
E. It exposes the limitations of language in the face of existential despair, where words fail to alter emotional reality.

Question 5

The passage’s closing lines—“Do you think so, Eustacia? Do speak to me”—are most thematically resonant with which of the following ideas?

A. The futility of seeking validation from those who are themselves morally compromised.
B. The human need for absolution, even when directed toward an unreliable or complicit source.
C. The irony that Eustacia, the least empathetic character, is the only one who could provide Clym with closure.
D. The inevitability of miscommunication in Hardy’s world, where truth is always mediated by self-interest.
E. The paradox that Clym’s desperation for truth makes him blind to Eustacia’s role in his mother’s suffering.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The passage hinges on Clym’s agonized sense of moral failure (“I am only in great misery at what I have done”) juxtaposed with the universe’s silence (“If there is any justice in God let Him kill me now”). Hardy’s pessimistic naturalism is defined by this tension: humans demand moral meaning, but the cosmos offers indifference or cruelty. Clym’s plea for divine punishment as proof of God’s existence (“I would believe in Him forever!”) underscores his desperation for a responsive moral order, which the universe denies. This aligns with Hardy’s recurring theme that human suffering is unanswered by any higher justice.