Hardy Essay, Research Paper

The Return of the Native AP Essay:

Hardy?s Dark and Dreary Heath

Thomas Hardy feels that Edgon Heath, the setting of the novel The Return of the

Native is a powerful, scary, dark and dreary place. He uses various techniques to express

this attitude. Some of the techniques he used to convey this thought are diction, imagery,

syntax, and tone.

The diction he choose was specific and concrete, presenting an actual place that

was depressing. The words he used attempted to present a specific, concrete perception

of things. Such as when he writes, ?approaching the time of twilight and the vast tract of

unenclosed ild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment?. This

presents a specific place, time and a specific insight which leaves with the thought of a

darkening, scary place.

Imagery played a very important role in Harding?s portrayal of the heath as a

powerful, scary, live place. The imagery develops a light and dark imagery. The heath,

earth is the dark and gloomy image, while the surrounding nature is light and good. He

refers to the heath?s color as, ?embrowned itself moment by moment,? and says that the

?hollow stretch of whitish cloud shutting over the sky.? He refers to the heath a