Egdon Heath and its Significance

One of the most prominent figures in Hardy’s The Return of the Native is not a human character, but the physical landmark- Egdon Heath. The heath's central role is obvious from the beginning. The novel opens with an extensive description of the heath at dusk. Hardy begins by saying: “A Saturday afternoon in November was approaching the time of twilight, and the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment”. Even though the main story focuses on the relationships between Eustacia Vye, Clym Yeobright, Wildeve and Thomasin, the Heath is the central figure. Many of the events occur on or around Egdon Heath, and equally as important- all of the characters have their own special relationship with the heath.It is  “A Face on which Time makes but little Impression”. The nature of human beings is fleeting and insignificance as compared to the permanence of the heath. Avrom Fleishman in "The Buried Giant of Egdon Heath" regards Egdon Heath as a figure "in both narrative senses of 'figure,' as a person and as a trope". Hardy says:

         “The heath becomes full of watchful intentness. When other things sank brooding to sleep, the Heath appeared slowly to awake and listen”

       The Return of the Native has been called “The Book of Egdon Heath”. Hardy does an award-winning job at extensively describing Egdon heath for his readers. He even brings the heath alive: “The somber stretch of rounds and hollows seemed to rise and meet the evening gloom in pure sympathy, the heath exhaling darkness as rapidly as the heavens precipitated it.” The heath proves physically and psychologically important throughout the novel: characters are defined by their relation to the heath, and the weather patterns of the heath. Indeed, it almost seems as if the characters are formed by the heath itself: Diggory Venn, red from head to toe, is an actual embodiment of the muddy earth; Eustacia Vye seems to spring directly from the Heath, a part of Rainbarrow itself, when she is first introduced; Wildeve's name might just as well refer to the wind-whipped heath itself. But, importantly, the Heath manages to defy definition. It is, in chapter one, "a place perfectly accordant with man's nature." The narrator's descriptions of the Heath vary widely throughout the novel, ranging from the sublime to the gothic.

       Hardy’s description of the Heath has “a symbolic overtone with philosophy”. “It had a lonely face suggesting tragical possibilities” It neither ghastly, not hateful, common place, tame, but it is like man slighted and enduring.  Egdon is the premier and most extended instance of Hardy’s habitual personification of Nature. Hardy himself lived on the fringes of Egdon Heath and was perfectly with this environment. In no other novel of his does background come up as lively and breathing as The Return of the Native.

 “Egdon is a protagonist of Return of the Native”, says Walter Allen. Egdon influences all the characters moving them to love or hate, to despair or to the philosophic mind and they are described in relation to their environment. When Clym moves out of his mother’s house, the fir and beech trees are described to be “suffering more demage than during the highest winds of winter … the wasting sap would bleed for many days to come”. The two most resistatant characters to the Heath are clearly Eustacia and Wildeve; their intense disgust is revealed in their conversation: “You hate the Heath as much as ever; that I know”, “I do … ‘Tis my cross, my misery, and will be my death.” It is ironic when Eustacia says that she is setting for  his fatal journey. We also get an insight to the way Eustacia is feeling through the storm when Hardy says, “Never was harmony more perfect than that between the chaos of her mind and the chaos of the world without.” Hardy describes her as “the raw material of a divinity” whose “celestial imperiousness, love, wrath, and fervour had proved to be somewhat thrown away on netherward Egdon.”

        Clym, unlike, Eustacia, is the product of Egdon and its shaggy hills are friendly and congenial to him. Heath swallows him up and absorbs him into its furze and other creatures. The way Hardy describes Clym when he is out on the Heath working is like something from Snow Wight, with “Amber coloured butterflies” and the“Emerald-green grasshoppers.”  If Clym is the child of heath, Eustacia is haunted by the heath, the reddleman haunts the heath. He knows every nook and corner of heath.  The heath does irreparable damage to Mrs. Yeobright and kills her. Thomasin thinks it an impersonal open ground. She calls it “a ridiculous old place.” But confesses that she could live nowhere else.

 At the very last, Egdon is shown to be inhospitable to man, as remarks D.H. Lawrence: “Egdon whose dark soil was strong and crude and organic as the body of a beast”. The dark-spirit of nature seems to be ready to engulf the whole scenario.

 

When human figures do finally appear, they seem insignificant against the backdrop of the indifferent, ruthless, Egdon Heath. Many times during the course of the story, for instance, Clym will be shown to appear like a tiny insect moving across the face of nature. These elements—the heath as a setting and a symbol, and the way the main characters are shown in relation to their surroundings—demonstrate Hardy’s theme: “Man lives his life in a universe that is at least indifferent to him and may be hostile."

Humour in Joseph Andrews

Humour is defined as that quality of action, speech or writing which excites amusement, the faculty of perceiving what is ludicrous or amusing. Humour arises from the perception of the incongruities of life, from the writer’s awareness of the discrepancy between what is and what ought to be.

Henry Fielding, the father of English novel, is one of the greatest humourists in English Literature. Fielding’s humour is wide in range. It arises from the coarsest farce to the astonishing heights of the subtlest irony. Joseph Andrews which started as a parody of Richardson’s Pamela, ended as an excellent work of art in its own right.

There is plenty of humour in the novel. A number of characters are definitely humorous in their conception. Parson Adams and Mrs. Slipslop’s characters are the true sources of pure comedy.  In fact, Parson Adams’ character is fully exploited by Fielding. His very appearance is ridiculous. No body can believe that he is a parson. “He possesses a comical face, with bearded chin and deeply wrinkled cheeks,  a fist rather less than the knuckle of an ox, with a wrist which Hercules would not have been ashamed of. His legs are so long that they almost touch the ground when he drives on his horse’s back. He usually wears a tattered old cassock and a periwig on his head”.  We are also given funny sketch of Mrs. Slipslop’s appearance:

“She was not at this time remarkably handsome; being very short, and rather too corpulent in body, and somewhat red, with the addition of pimples in her face. Her nose was likewise too large, and her eyes too little; nor did she resemble a cow so much in her breath as in two brown globes which she carried before her.” In spite of all that she considers herself a lovable and rebukes Joseph when he does not reciprocate her love.

 Fielding’s professed aim in Joseph Andrews was to tear the veils of hypocricy and affectation. In his Preface to “Joseph Andrews", Fielding concludes that affectation is the source of the ridiculous, springing from vanity or hypocrisy. Fielding intends to laugh mankind out of its follies and foibles. Fielding, thus, employs ironical and satirical humour in several places.

Joseph Andrews has a large variety of humour. Farce is not excluded. Farce is humour arising from situation, and it evokes loud laughter. The keynote of a farce is exaggeration to excite boisterous laughter. Joseph Andrews is a string of farcical situations. Several situations such as the fight scene at the inn, Joseph falling from his horse and hurting his knee, Joseph sitting by the fireside while the hostess of the inn rubbing his knee, Parson Adams in a pan of hog’s blood, Parson Trulliber, mistaking Adams as a hog dealer and sending him into the hogs’ shed where he is thrashed by the hogs, the hounds of the Squire tearing at Parson Adams’ cassock, Mrs. tow-wouse discovering Betty in Tow-wouse’s bed,  Didapper mistaking the room and entering Mrs. Slipslop’s room and Adams mistaking Didapper for the distressed lady and getting hold of Mrs. Slipslop as the attacker, punching her mercilessly till Lady Booby arrives on the scene with a lighted-candle; Adam’s taking a wrong turn in Fanny’s bed and going to sleep; all these scenes are farcical.

There runs a fine streak of irony as well. For example, the patriot who boasts of his patriotism and wants to hang all the cowards , himself turns the tail and runs away in a critical situation. Even Adams himself is not spared of ironical humour. Adams’ learned advice to Joseph on moderation and philosophical acceptance of misfortune is thrown to the winds when his own son is reported to be drowned. He is vain enough to consider his sermon a masterpiece. There are, of course, sharp touches of irony in Mrs. Slipslop’s portraiture and Lady Booby’s affectation.

Fielding develops the satirical theme most effectively in the scene where each of the coach passengers is stripped spiritually naked in their confrontation with naked Joseph.The lady’s false delicacy, the old gentleman’s selfishness and the lawyer’s professional cautiousness, are all exposed in Fielding’s humourous tone.

Joseph Andrews abounds in humorous characterization. The most remarkable figure in Joseph Andrews,  Parson Adams is a creation of pure humour. He is eccentric, forgetful, absent-minded, and impractical man. He leaves for London to sell his sermons but forgets the precious manuscripts at home. Then he marches away completely forgetting the horse itself. In addition to his absent-mindedness, he has  odd gestures and funny mannerism. Adams never loses his dignity, however much of humour is involved in his portraiture – that speaks of Fielding's skill as a comic artist. Mrs. Slipslop is another entirely humorous character. Rearing pigs and being with them continuously has made Parson Trulliber appear increasingly like a pig.

In Joseph Andrews there is plenty of burlesque in diction. The mock-heroic technique produces plenty of humour in the novel. The funny situation of the bloody fight in which Parson Adams gets doused in hog’s blood is described in Homeric terms. Similarly Joseph’s encounter with the dogs let loose on Parson Adams is also described in epic-style. The discrepancy between the high style and the ridiculous situation produces laughter.

Summing up, Henry Fielding is a master of  various forms of humour—farce, satire, irony, humorous characterization, and the parody. At the same time, his humour is very much spontaneous. Humour arises naturally; it is never contrived. Coleridge is right when he compares Fielding’s humour with that of Richardson: “There is a cheerful, sunshiny, breezy spirit that prevails everywhere strongly contrasted with the close, hot, day-dreamy continuity of Richardson”. He grips the attention of the readers by his amusing situations and humour. He has been very appropriately called “a laughing philosopher”.

Concept of Morality in Joseph Andrews

Henry Fielding undoubtedly holds moral views far-ahead of his times. Morality is an approval or adherence to principles that govern ethical and virtuous conduct.

Fielding was accused of being immoral in his novels. Dr. Johnson called his novels “vicious and corrupting”. Richardson echoed the “charge of immorality” against him. Modern critics, however, has justified Fielding and gave him a credit of “an estimable ethical code”. Strachey declared him a “deep, accurate, scientific moralist”. Indeed neither “Joseph Andrews” nor “Tom Jones” strikes the modern sensibility as ‘low’ or ‘immoral’ either in purpose or in narration. Behind the truthful portrait of life, lies his broad moral vision. His aim was to correct mankind by pointing out their blunders.

“I have endeavored to laugh at mankind, out to their follies and vices.”
Fielding reacted sharply against the code of ethics as incited by Richardson in “Pamela”. He feels that Pamela’s virtue is an affectation and a commodity, exchangeable for material benefits. Virtue cannot and should not be to chastity alone. Mere external respectability is not morality. For Fielding:
“Chastity without goodness of heart is without value.”
A truly virtuous man is disregardful of material benefits. He is devoid of an affectation.
He finds:
“A delight in the happiness of mankind and a concern at their misery, with a desire, as much as possible, to procure the former and avert the latter …”

Fielding’s moral vision is much wider that Richardson’s. Morality is no longer equated with chastity or outward decorum. It is broad enough to include every aspect of human behaviour. One’s intentions, instincts, motives are equally important in judging a man.

In “Joseph Andrews” we are confronted with a chameleonic society that quickly changes its appearance to gratify personal lusts. Fielding’s  aim was to show human beings camuoflaged in various shades of vanity and hypocrisy and it is done ruthlessly and wittily in “Joseph Andrews”.

The stage-coach scene is perhaps the best illustration of Fielding’s concept of morality. In it we are confronted the haughty passengers which are all models of hypocrisy. The coachman simply bids the postillion to "Go on, Sirrah, we are confounded late”. The lady reacts in a contemptible manner: "O Jesus, a naked Man! Dear Coachman, drive on". The old gentleman deems: "Let us make all the haste imaginable, or we shall be robbed too".In addition there a lawyer who “wished they had past by without taking any notice",  although his final advice is “to save the poor creature's life, for their own sakes”. At last, it is the postillion, " who hath been since transported for robbing a hen-roost,  voluntarily strips off a great coat, his only garment" and swears that he would rather remain in a shirt than "suffer a fellow-creature to lie in so miserable a condition". Here Fielding shows the contrast between the attitude of the rich passengers and that of the poor Postillion. What sets him apart is not his class, but the fact that he alone dismisses his own comfort and he is the only person who considers Joseph a "fellow-creature" worthy of such rescue. Fielding emphatically declares: "High People" are "People of Fashion", but that they are not "higher in their Dimensions" nor in "their Characters"  The journey undertaken by Joseph and Parson Adams reveals vanity or hypocrisy at every stage.

It is significant that Parson Adams jumps with joy at the reunion of Fanny and Joseph. It reflects an ability to sympathize with other’s feelings. Simple, kind, generous and courageous, Adams is the epitome of true feeling and goodness of heart which is a vital aspect of Fielding’s concept of morality. Adams’ impulses always prompt him to help anyone in distress. He saves Fanny’s virginity two times.
“He is an innocent … so completely sincere in his beliefs and actions that he can’t imagine insincerity in other; he takes everyone he meets at face-value”.

Kindness achieved supreme importance in Fielding’s moral code. A good and a moral man takes joy in helping others. Fielding says: “I don’t know a better definition of virtue, than it is a delight in doing good.” Fielding is as liberal in ridiculing affectation as he is hard on the lack of charity. Adams’ definition: “A generously disposition to receive the poor”, is the simple test employed  to men by Fielding to  check the capability of charity. When Parson Adams asks for some shillings to Parson Trulliber, he declares in frenzy: “I know what charity is better than to give it to vagabonds.” This shows 18th century’s clergy’s degeneracy, who is reluctant to give some shillings. The rich Parson Tulliber, Mrs. Tow-wouse, Lady Booby and Peter Pounce lacks natural kindness whereas the poor postilion, Betty and Pedler are true Christians, for they are ready to help other man in distress asking nothing in return. But Mrs. Tow-wouse scornfully declares: “Common charity my foot.”

Fielding is against the prudish morality which considers sex as an unhealthy and dangerous for human life. He favours a healthy attitude towards sex. But he does not approve of Lady Booby’s desire for Joseph nor does he favour Mr. Slipslop’s extreme whims. But Betty’s desires spring from a natural heart and feeling. It is worth noticing that Betty is free of hypocrisy. She acts as ordered by her nature. “She is good-natured generosity and composition.”

Summing up, Fielding’s concept of morality is realistic, tolerant, broad and fairly flexible. Modern opinion has vindicated the moral vision of Fielding as healthy, wide and practical.

Realism in Joseph Andrews

Realism means conceiving and representing the things as they are. Henry Fielding is widely regarded as the first great realist in English novel. He is among  the few writers who, despite the wideness of their scope are capable of observing the demands of reality with perpetual ease. His novels hold up to view a representative picture of his age. He is as authentic a chronicler of his day as Chaucer was of the later 14th century.

 It is true that Richardson and Defoe have some claim to have brought realism to English fiction, it is Fielding who can be called the real pioneer in realistic mode of novel writing. Fielding  reacted against Richardson’s sentimentalism as a falsifying influence on the study of reality, although he does not reject sentimentalism altogether. “His desire”, says Cazamian, “is to give sentiment its right place; but also to integrate it in an organic series of tendencies where each contributes to maintain a mutual balance.”

Fielding’s realism is called “universal realism” as well as global. As Fielding says in the Preface to “Joseph Andrews”:“I believe I might aver that I have writ little more than I have seen.”

Fielding’s novels present the fairly comprehensive picture of English society in 18th century. Though Fielding does not give us material about the environment of the people, yet their mental and moral characteristics are displayed with “power of realism”. The landlords, landladies, doctors, lawyers, clergyman, postilions and coachmen – all go towards making the picture of society as comprehensive as possible. Fielding rejects burlesque and caricature, inspiring laughter with humour and amazing realism. The novel is infused with compassion, comedy, and a heightened sense of realism, which together turn into a vivid manifestation of the cankers of the society.

The eighteenth century society which appears on the pages of “Joseph Andrews” is not very pleasant picture. It is marked by an astounding callousness and selfishness. The insensitive hardness of such a society is brilliantly portrayed by stage-coach passengers who are reluctant to admit the naked wounded Joseph on account of various pretexts. Only  the poor postillion offers  a great coat “his only garment”, and vows that he would rather remain in a shirt than “suffer a fellow-creature to lie in so miserable a condition.” The surgeon, who is summoned to look at Joseph’s wounds at the inn, refuses to come out of his comfortable bed for a mere foot passenger. Parson Trulliber, who uses his Christian teachings to speak against beggars and refuses to lend Adam even a few shillings, scornfully declares:  “I know what  charity is better than to give it to vagabonds.”

 We have also flashes of kindness amongst this all repressive inhumanity. Parson Adams, the postilion, the reformed Mr. Wilson, Betty the chambermaid and four peddlers are only ones to act with generosity.

The society is divided into clear cut classes – the high and the low. Dudden notices a " gulf which seems to separate the classes–the ‘high people' from the ‘low people..."

 The two classes may have dealings with one another in private, as Fielding tells us, but they scrupulously refuse to recognize each other in public. The rich regard themselves as the better and superior in every sense to the poor. Lady Booby could not think in her wildest dreams of admitting Adams to her table, for she considers him to be badly dressed. Mrs. Slipslop does not deign to recognize a ‘nobody’ like Fanny at an inn. While Fielding exposes such behaviour to ridicule, we realize the hollow pretension of a society which indulged in so much of affectation.

The professional classes in general show a marked inefficiency and indifference. They do not take their work seriously. Parson Barnabas, Parson Trulliber, the rural magistrate, the Lawyer Scout – all are the illustration of the corrupt and selfish aristcracy of the day. Parson Adams is merely one good being against so many bad clergymen.

In his novel, Fielding has concentrated more on the countryside. But the little that he describes of town society is enough to give us its characteristics. The wealthy society of the town shows a high degree of degeneracy. The story of Mr. Wilson and Leonora as well as Joseph short stay in London provide us with the clear idea about the vulgarity, degeneration of morals, the vanity and hypocrisy which infested town society.

Fielding represents human nature as truthfully as he presents the society. Fielding effuses realism into his characters and his vivid dialogues. He presents before us the complete reality and does not intentionally ignore anything. In his Preface Fielding writes: “I have scarce a character or action produced which I have not taken from my own observations and experience.”

    

Fielding does not project realistic picture of society for mere entertainment. He has a moral purpose behind the realism. To laugh making out of folly is his professed aim. He satirizes  people in order to reform them:“I have endeavored to laugh at mankind, out to their follies and vices.”

Fielding shows a broad tendency of realism in “Joseph Andrews”. Social, psychological, individual as well as moral reality can be seen in the novel.

“As a painter of real life, he was equal to Hogarth; as a mere observer of human nature he was little inferior to Shakespeare.”

He not merely presented society but also criticized it in order to make the world a better place to live in.