Sunday, March 11, 2007
Return of the Native Question #5
In David Copperfield, one of the characters says, "There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose." How does this quotation apply to the relationships in Return of the Native? That is, both for those that work and those that don't: What unsuitability of mind and purpose keeps those that don't work from working and those that do work working?
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The two main marriages are done for the wrong reasons. Eustacia thinks she loves Clym, but is only enamored by his cultured life and travels. To her, he is the most exciting person in the heath. Previously she thought Wildeve was, and she left Wildeve when Clym returned home. Eustacia has a dream of movoing to Paris and thinks Clym is the only one who can provide it. Clym loves the heath and wants to start a school there. When he loses his eyesight, he is content to work on the land. Once Eustacia realizes Clym has no intention of leaving, her love for him fades.
Thomasin and Wildeve's marriage might have worked if not for Wildeve's obsession with Eustacia. This distraction causes the mixup with the marriage license and Mrs Yeobright forces the marriage to keep Thomasin from embarassment. Even though the actual marriage was a bit rushed and forced, I think Wildeve and Thomasin would have been quite happy without the distraction of Eustacia.
The marriage of Diggory Venn and Thomasin works because the two knew each other since childhood and had no distractions or misconceptions about each other. They loved one another simply and were content to live on the heath.
Eustacia has a problem with her relationships because she expects a man to come and sweep her off her feet and carry her away to the city. She also has a problem with wanting things she can't have. After she first hears that Wildeve might not marry Thomasin she wonders if, "it was really possible that her interest in Wildeve had been so entirely the result of antagonism that the glory and dream departed from the man with the first soundthat he was no longer coveted by her rival?"
Later she hears that Clym has travelled to Paris and decides that they will end up together and live to Paris. She has false assumptions about their relationship and even after Clym tells her he wants to open a school she still believes they will end up in Paris. When she finally gets hit with the reality of her life she plans to run away with Wildeve since he is travelling to Paris. Eustacia is caught up in fantasy relationships because they are men she cannot have or have a promise of living abroad.
Thomasin is almost forced into her first marriage. Mrs. Yeobright wanted to save her from shame and so they were married soon after the mixup. Wildeve wasn't prepared to stop his relationship with Eustacia though. Thomasin was in love with Wildeve, but Wildeve saw Thomasin as his wife, but Eustacia as his true love. They were not on the same level.
Diggory and Thomasin work because of their previous relationship. Thomasin already knew that Diggory was in love with her from his previous proposal. He was also her best friend and tried to keep her marriage together.
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