The leader of literary naturalism is French author Émile Zola, and other notable authors include Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Jack London, and Edith Wharton. In particular, literary naturalism is interested in determinism and the overwhelming power of nature in comparison to humankind. The Return of the Native is a work of literary naturalism, a movement that is similar to literary realism, although with a number of key differences. Although it may seem relatively tame today, The Return of the Native was shocking to many of its initial readers because it features passages about adultery. Another important historical context to consider when reading The Return of the Native is that it was published in Victorian England, which was noted for its sexual repression. Clym shuns Paris, however, and prefers the simple life of the heath to the hustle and bustle of a big city. Along with London, Paris was where one would go to start a business, take in great works of art, and marvel at technological advances. The novel takes place in the middle of the 19th century, during which time Paris was considered one of the cultural capitals of the world. The one exception is Clym, who does get a taste of the outside world by traveling to Paris. As such, most of the characters in the novel are not affected by notable historical events. Auden revived Hardy’s poetry, and it played an important role in shaping the landscape of modernist poetry.Ī crucial feature of Egdon Heath, the setting of The Return of the Native, is that it has not been touched by civilization. After his death, poets such as Ezra Pound and W.

Although Hardy never found success as a poet in his lifetime, he never stopped writing poetry. Over the next two decades, Hardy published a number of works that are now considered classic works of English literature, including The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895). Hardy finally achieved success in 1874 with Far from the Madding Crowd, which allowed him quit his day job and focus entirely on writing. Hardy’s next attempt was 1871’s Desperate Remedies, which did find a publisher, although it wasn’t successful. In 1868, he finished his first novel, The Poor Man and the Lady, but couldn’t find anyone to publish it. He started off writing poetry but remained unsuccessful. Instead, Hardy became an architect’s apprentice he worked as an architect into the 1860s, when he began his writing career. Hardy’s family wasn’t particularly wealthy, and though he received some schooling, his parents did not have the means to send their son to college. Thomas Hardy was the son of a stonemason and a well-educated woman who served as his teacher throughout his early childhood.

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