The Return of the Native · Chapter
III: How a Little Sound Produced a Great Dream explained
Eustacia Vye, standing on the heath near Mrs.
What happens
Eustacia Vye, standing on the heath near Mrs. Yeobright's house, overhears a conversation between Mrs. Yeobright, Thomasin, and Clym Yeobright, who has just returned from Paris. She is captivated by Clym's voice and his remark about the friendliness of the hills. That night, she dreams of dancing with a mysterious knight in silver armor, who she later believes was meant to be Clym. The dream fuels her growing fascination, and she begins to wander the heath hoping to encounter him, but her initial attempts fail.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Loneliness
Eustacia stands alone on the dark, lonely heath, straining to hear the voices of the Yeobrights, highlighting her emotional and physical isolation.
Fate and Destiny
Eustacia's chance encounter with Clym's voice and her subsequent dream suggest a fated connection; she later feels Providence is coquettish when she fails to meet him.
Modernity vs. Tradition
Clym's return from Paris (modernity) contrasts with the rustic life of the heath; Captain Vye notes that Eustacia's 'town tastes' would find the Yeobrights' country ways too countrified.
Characters to notice
- Eustacia Vye
Strains to see and hear the Yeobrights; becomes entranced by Clym's voice; dreams of a knight in silver armor; begins to actively seek Clym on the heath.
- Clym Yeobright
Returns from Paris; walks with Mrs. Yeobright and Thomasin; his voice and comment about the hills captivate Eustacia; she dreams of him as a knight.
- Mrs. Yeobright
Walks with Thomasin and Clym; her conversation is overheard by Eustacia; later mentioned by Captain Vye as having been accidentally offended.
- Thomasin Yeobright
Walks with Mrs. Yeobright and Clym; her voice is part of the conversation Eustacia overhears.
- Captain Vye
Sits by the fire when Eustacia returns; discusses the Yeobrights and recalls offending Mrs. Yeobright.
Key passages
“Such was her intentness, however, that it seemed as if her ears were performing the functions of seeing as well as hearing.”
She concentrated so hard that her hearing seemed to take on the role of sight.
Describes Eustacia's intense focus on the voices, especially Clym's.
“She was at the modulating point between indifference and love, at the stage called 'having a fancy for.'”
She stood at the threshold between not caring and falling in love, the phase known as developing a crush.
Narrator's commentary on Eustacia's emotional state after the dream.
“The fantastic nature of her passion, which lowered her as an intellect, raised her as a soul.”
The imaginative quality of her infatuation diminished her rational mind but elevated her spirit.
Reflects the paradoxical effect of Eustacia's romantic fantasy.