The Return of the Native Dissatisfaction Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

Eustacia was now no longer the goddess but the woman to him, a being to fight for, support, help, be maligned for. Now that he had reached a cooler moment he would have preferred a less hasty marriage, but the card was laid, and he was determined to abide by the game. (3.5.70)

Once again, Hardy chooses his words very carefully and lets them do a lot of work for him in terms of setting the tone and demonstrating themes. Here we have a great shift from "goddess" to terms like "fight" and "maligned." Clym has tumbled down to harsh reality and Eustacia is no longer on a pedestal. The sentence structure is worth noting here as well. Hardy sets up multiple sentences that hinge on the word "but" in order to emphasize Clym's transition.

Quote #11

"But do I desire unreasonably much in wanting what is called life – music, poetry, passion, war and all the beating and pulsing that is going on in the great arteries of the world?" (4.6.33)

Eustacia's definition of life is really fascinating here. She basically equates life with material culture. Also, the imagery of the "arteries" of the world is pretty cool – good job with that extended metaphor, Eustacia.