Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was an English novelist and poet. His major novels are mainly set in rural Wessex, a fictional place. 'The Return of the Native' is set in Egdon Heath in Wessex. The novel tells the story of Eustacia Vye, Clym Yeobright, Damon Wildeve, Thomasin Yeobright and Diggory Venn. The characters find themselves falling in and out of love. None of them seem to have control over their lives. Toyed by fate, the characters move slowly and painfully towards a tragic end.