Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Return of the Native, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Humans vs. Nature
Modernity vs. Tradition
Class and Morality
Deception
Summary
Analysis
Clym waits and wonders if Eustacia will return. Before long, Thomasin arrives with her child and tells Clym that she thinks Eustacia has gone to meet Wildeve. Earlier, she heard Wildeve take money out a chest in their bedroom, so she assumes that he means to run off with Eustacia. Shortly afterward, Captain Vye shows up and confirms that Eustacia is missing. Clym leaves to go look for Eustacia.
Thomasin immediately recognizes what her husband has done, suggesting Wildeve is not as sly as he thinks. Additionally, yet another major character has left the safety of his home to face the powerful weather of the heath.
Themes
Thomasin stays put at first, but then, against her better judgement, decides to go looking for Eustacia and Wildeve. Thomasin quickly gets lost, though she luckily comes across Venn and lets him know what is going on. Venn is confused; he thought he heard a woman crying shortly before Thomasin arrived. However, Thomasin assures him that the crying did not come from her or her child. Together, Venn and Thomasin head off into the storm in the direction of Thomasin’s house.
Even more characters end up in the bad weather, making disaster appear immanent. However, Venn has repeatedly proven himself to be the most resourceful character in the novel, so it is lucky for Thomasin that she finds him.
Themes
