Being Human Within an Evolving Universe: A Study of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native
This paper argues that the surface narrative of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native appears to endorse late 19th-century degeneration theories and discourse, illustrating a gender crisis. However, by decoding and laying bare the textual ambiguities, a subtext is disclosed that inscribes an alter...
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| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprache: | Anglais |
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FATHOM
2017
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openedition-oai:revues.org:fathom_637 |
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openedition |
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OpenEdition Journal |
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Anglais |
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Article ou chapitre numérique |
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0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
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humanity degeneration Bergson (Henri) evolution semiotic symbolic subtext humanité dégénérescence Bergson (Henri) évolution sémiotique symbolique sous-texte |
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humanity degeneration Bergson (Henri) evolution semiotic symbolic subtext humanité dégénérescence Bergson (Henri) évolution sémiotique symbolique sous-texte Struzziero, Maria Antonietta Being Human Within an Evolving Universe: A Study of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native |
| description |
This paper argues that the surface narrative of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native appears to endorse late 19th-century degeneration theories and discourse, illustrating a gender crisis. However, by decoding and laying bare the textual ambiguities, a subtext is disclosed that inscribes an alternative reading in which tradition and convention are subverted. Therefore the novel opens up a more complex interpretation of what it means to be human in an evolving universe. The narrative of The Return of the Native clearly shows that Hardy is fully cognizant of the controversial fin de siècle degeneration discourse. Yet, viewed in the context of 19th-century ideas about creative evolution and Hardy’s response to these, we realize that he exposes such discourses as deeply suspect ideologies. Analysis of the structure of the novel brings to light the intersection of two opposite narrative trajectories, a degeneration and a regeneration plot. In each plot there appears to be a careful patterning of character types built along stereotypical gender and ethical binary divisions, with the final validation of regenerative values and the punishment of transgressiveness. Actually, a close reading shows that Hardy attacks the ‘degeneracy’ not of the human species but of the social institutions and conventions which his protagonists must struggle against. He flouts the limitations of gender divisions and gives life to characters who become signifiers of a new and powerfully disturbing view of masculinity and femininity within contexts wider than the repressive and depressive established sexual model. These observations are linked to Hardy’s dual vision, the cosmic and the human, and to Henri Bergson’s creative evolution. In conclusion, it is maintained, within Hardy’s post-Darwinian evolving universe, all living creatures are caught up in ‘neutral’ processes of dissolution and transformation, changes that are inevitable and necessary to generation. |
| author |
Struzziero, Maria Antonietta |
| author_facet |
Struzziero, Maria Antonietta |
| author_sort |
Struzziero, Maria Antonietta |
| title |
Being Human Within an Evolving Universe: A Study of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native |
| title_short |
Being Human Within an Evolving Universe: A Study of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native |
| title_full |
Being Human Within an Evolving Universe: A Study of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native |
| title_fullStr |
Being Human Within an Evolving Universe: A Study of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Being Human Within an Evolving Universe: A Study of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native |
| title_sort |
being human within an evolving universe: a study of thomas hardy’s the return of the native |
| publisher |
FATHOM |
| publishDate |
2017 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/fathom |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/fathom.637 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/fathom/637 |
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1877242349724106752 |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:fathom_637 https://doi.org/10.4000/fathom.637 urn:doi:10.4000/fathom.637 en https://journals.openedition.org/fathom/637 2017-03-10T01:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/gaih All rights reserved Being Human Within an Evolving Universe: A Study of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native FATHOM Association française sur les études sur Thomas Hardy info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2270-6798 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/fathom Struzziero, Maria Antonietta humanity degeneration Bergson (Henri) evolution semiotic symbolic subtext humanité dégénérescence Bergson (Henri) évolution sémiotique symbolique sous-texte This paper argues that the surface narrative of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native appears to endorse late 19th-century degeneration theories and discourse, illustrating a gender crisis. However, by decoding and laying bare the textual ambiguities, a subtext is disclosed that inscribes an alternative reading in which tradition and convention are subverted. Therefore the novel opens up a more complex interpretation of what it means to be human in an evolving universe. The narrative of The Return of the Native clearly shows that Hardy is fully cognizant of the controversial fin de siècle degeneration discourse. Yet, viewed in the context of 19th-century ideas about creative evolution and Hardy’s response to these, we realize that he exposes such discourses as deeply suspect ideologies. Analysis of the structure of the novel brings to light the intersection of two opposite narrative trajectories, a degeneration and a regeneration plot. In each plot there appears to be a careful patterning of character types built along stereotypical gender and ethical binary divisions, with the final validation of regenerative values and the punishment of transgressiveness. Actually, a close reading shows that Hardy attacks the ‘degeneracy’ not of the human species but of the social institutions and conventions which his protagonists must struggle against. He flouts the limitations of gender divisions and gives life to characters who become signifiers of a new and powerfully disturbing view of masculinity and femininity within contexts wider than the repressive and depressive established sexual model. These observations are linked to Hardy’s dual vision, the cosmic and the human, and to Henri Bergson’s creative evolution. In conclusion, it is maintained, within Hardy’s post-Darwinian evolving universe, all living creatures are caught up in ‘neutral’ processes of dissolution and transformation, changes that are inevitable and necessary to generation. Cet article montre que le récit superficiel de The Return of the Native adhère aux théories et discours de la fin du XIXe siècle sur la dégénérescence et illustre une crise relative au genre. Cependant, lorsqu’on décode et met à nu les ambiguïtés textuelles, un sous-texte apparaît et permet une lecture autre dans laquelle tradition et convention sont subverties. Ainsi, le roman ouvre à une interprétation plus complexe de ce que signifie le fait d’être humain dans un univers en évolution. Le récit de The Return of the Native montre clairement que Hardy est pleinement conscient des discours controversés sur la dégénérescence de fin de siècle. Pourtant, il présente ces discours comme des idéologies profondément suspectes. L’étude de la structure du roman met au jour le croisement de deux trajectoires narratives opposées, l’une relative à la dégénérescence, l’autre à la régénération. Dans chaque intrigue, on observe une configuration soignée de personnages fondés sur un genre stéréotypé et des divisions éthiques binaires, aboutissant à la validation des valeurs régénératives et au châtiment de la transgression. En fait, une lecture précise révèle que Hardy s’en prend à la dégénérescence non pas de l’espèce humaine mais des institutions sociales et des conventions contre lesquelles ses protagonistes doivent lutter. Il défie les limites des divisions genrées et crée des personnages qui portent une vision nouvelle et puissamment dérangeante du masculin et du féminin dans un contexte plus large que celui du modèle sexuel établi. Ces remarques sont mises en relation avec la vision duale de Hardy – le cosmique et l’humain – et “l’évolution créative” de Bergson. Ainsi, dans l’univers évolutionniste et post-darwinien de Hardy, toutes les créatures vivantes sont prises dans des processus “neutres” de dissolution et de transformation, de changements qui sont inévitables et nécessaires à la génération. |