Egdon Heath Analysis The Return of the Native

1. Egdon Heath Analysis�The Return of the Native� Created By: Hedy Vinson and Allan Che 5th Hour AP English

2. Characteristics of the Heath Physical Description Barren land with infertile soil �Not a plough had ever disturbed a grain of that stubborn soil. In the Heath�s barrenness to the farmer lay its fertility to the historian.� Book 1, pg 10, chapter 2 Open and wild land ��the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself�� Book 1, pg 1, chapter 1 The majority of plant life consists of unwanted plants ��tillage, after holding on for a year or two, had receded again in despair, the ferns and furze-tufts stubbornly reasserting themselves.� Book 3, pg 133, chapter 2 Farming for crops is near impossible = furze cuttingFarming for crops is near impossible = furze cutting

3. Characteristics of the Heath Timelessness Egdon Heath is known for its unchanging environment Valley location creates the isolation (pg 3, last paragraph) �The sea changed, the fields changed, the rivers, the villages, and the people changed, yet Egdon remained.� Book 1, pg 4, chapter 1 No official time is kept in Egdon Heath �On Egdon there was no absolute hour of the day.� Book 2, pg 97, chapter 1 Egdon remained constant from the beginning to the end The book starts and ends in Rainbarrow Beginning: A figure is seen standing motionless on the barrow pg 8 End: Clym preaching to others on top of rainbarrow pg 312 Timelessness/unchanging is due to Egdon being located in a valley isolated from the rest of the world. NO TIME: each part of Egdon Heath keeps its own time that they believe in Pg8: �There the form stood, motionless as the hill beneath.� Timelessness/unchanging is due to Egdon being located in a valley isolated from the rest of the world. NO TIME: each part of Egdon Heath keeps its own time that they believe in Pg8: �There the form stood, motionless as the hill beneath.�

4. Characteristics of the Heath Timelessness - 2 Egdon Heath is lost from modern times and stuck in the past �To many persons this Egdon was a place which had slipped out of its century generations ago, to intrude as an uncouth object into this.� Book 3, pg132, chapter 2

5. Characters and the Heath Clym Yeobright Looks beyond the bleakness of the Heath and sees the true beauty of it �If anyone knew the heath well it was Clym. He was permeated wit its scenes, with its substance, and with its odours.� Book 3, pg 132, chapter 2 Clym loves the Heath as much as Eustacia hates it �Take all the varying hates felt by Eustacia Vye towards the heath, and translate them into loves, and you have the heart of Clym.� Book 3, pg 132, chapter 2

6. Characters and the Heath Eustacia Vye and Damon Wildeve Directly opposes Clym�s opinion of the Heath Wildeve: �You hate the heath as much as ever; that I know.� Eustacia: �I do. �Tis my cross, my shame, and will be my death!� Book 1, pg 64, chapter 9 Eustacia is however, fearless of the Heath and knows her way around it �I know the way home, and the Heath has no terror for me.� Book 4, pg 197, chapter 3 Disdain of heath from them both Foreshadowing of Eustacia�s death by the heath Night travelling without escort at night for Eustacia Disdain of heath from them both Foreshadowing of Eustacia�s death by the heath Night travelling without escort at night for Eustacia

7. Effect of Heath on the Plot The Heath is a method of foreshadowing�.for DEATH! ��it had waited thus, unmoved, during so many centuries, through the crises of so many things, that it could only be imagined to await one last crisis � the final overthrow.� Book 1, pg2, chapter1 �It [Heath] had a lonely face, suggesting tragical possibilities.� Book 1, pg3, chapter 1 �There was too much reason to think that he and Eustacia both were for ever beyond the reach of stimulating perfumes.� Book 5, pg 287, chapter 9 Final overthrow = ? Talk about how the heath predicted the death and how they died on the heath itself Final overthrow = ? Talk about how the heath predicted the death and how they died on the heath itself

8. Correlation of Weather and Plot Throughout the book, the severity of the weather directly relates to the intensity of drama in the plot Mrs. Yeobright�s Death �The sun had branded the whole heath with its mark, even the purple heath-flowers having put on a brownness under the dry blazes of the few preceding days. � Book 4, pg 322, chapter 5 �Every Valley was filled with air like that of a kiln.� same �In cool, fresh weather Mrs. Yeobright would have found no inconvenience in walking to Alderworth.� same Talk about how bad things happen under the bad weather of the heath and vice versa Contrast how the temperature would affect Yeobright and let her live/die Talk about how bad things happen under the bad weather of the heath and vice versa Contrast how the temperature would affect Yeobright and let her live/die

9. Correlation of Weather and Plot Wildeve and Eustacia�s Death The weather during their deaths was stormy and rainy ��the rain flew in a level flight without sensible descent, so that it was beyond all power to imagine�� Book 5, pg279, chapter 8 �At this time it was in her view a windy, wet place, in which a person might experience much discomfort, lose the path without care, and possibly catch cold. � same �Egdon was made for such times as these.� Book 3, pg 160, chapter 6 Proving bad weather = bad things happen in plot 2nd quote talks about Egdon 3rd: made for stormy weather and how Heath is suitable for it Proving bad weather = bad things happen in plot 2nd quote talks about Egdon 3rd: made for stormy weather and how Heath is suitable for it

10. Anyways� End.