Going Beyond the Conventions: The connotations of Setting in Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native (1878)
Dr. Atef Mohamed Abdallah, Dr. Mohamed Saeed A. Ali

Abstract
This study aims at exploring Hardy' s innovative portrayal of the setting in The Return of the Native. The conventional method of portraying the setting depends on reflecting the place and time: where and when the events of the literary work happen. However, Hardy portrays the setting in an unconventional method. It establishes the general atmosphere and shapes the characters' feelings, professions and responses. It dominates the scene and promotes the action. His portrayal of the setting, in this way, exceeds the conventional way by adding different dimensions that affect the other elements of the narrative. Moreover. he personifies the setting by giving it human attributes and mighty agents that manage it to avenge upon any person who feels dissatisfied with it and at the same time those who conform to its power and accept its nature are happy and secure at the end.

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