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Book 3, Chapter 3
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 spends his days studying and his nights with Eustacia. One night, Clym meets Eustacia, and the two them discuss Mrs. Yeobright’s feelings toward her. Though Eustacia worries that Mrs. Yeobright hates her, Clym is convinced that his mother will come around. Eustacia turns the topic of conversation to Paris, a subject Clym finds boring. Eustacia tells Clym that she will marry him if he’ll take her to Paris, though he tells her that this is unlikely to happen. This displeases Eustacia, though she ultimately tells Clym that she will marry him anyway. Afterward, Eustacia leaves, and Clym is left to wonder whether marriage is a good idea. He thinks Eustacia is still set on going to Paris, regardless of what she says. He also worries about what their marriage will do to his relationship with his mother.
Clym and Eustacia have fallen in love with each other, which makes it hard for either one of them to look at their situation objectively. Clearly, Clym has no interest in returning to Paris. Eustacia thinks she can convince him to go anyway, and Clym thinks that he can convince her to stay. Additionally, though it is possible that Mrs. Yeobright may come around, it is certainly not a guarantee; Mrs. Yeobright has proven herself to be quite stubborn up to this point in the novel.
Themes
