The presentation of Eustacia Vye in 'Queen of night'

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Michaela Gough                        

Mrs. Weston

The presentation of Eustacia Vye in ‘Queen of night’

Eustacia Vye is a character in the novel ‘The Return of the Native.’ The chapter ‘Queen of night’ is where Eustacia is first introduced to the reader. Here we are given full detail of her appearance and personality.

Eustacia Vye may be considered androgynous for her passion, rebelliousness, and refusal to accept the confines of Egdon. She exists in a state of untamed romantic emotion and fantasy, and has little concern for the effects of her actions. These characteristics of Eustacia make her less typical of women during the Victorian Era, but the scene in which her androgynous behaviour is most evident is shown in the chapter ‘Queen of Night’

Hardy spends a brief chapter describing Eustacia, the ‘Queen of Night.’ Her hair, eyes and perfect lips ‘formed less to speak than to quiver; less to quiver than to kiss’ are her most prominent features. Her eyes are said to be ‘Pagan, full of nocturnal mysteries.’ She is a melodramatic and deeply passionate romantic woman, forever pining nostalgically for kingdoms she has not lost. She despises the heath, and blames "destiny" for putting her there, in the care of her grandfather Captain Vye.

Eustacia Vye is presented to the reader as a very mysterious character, beautiful, yet isolated, lonely and uncontrollable. The title of the chapter ‘Queen of night’ already builds up a sense of mystery for the character that is to be presented. Eustacia, being isolated and lonely in the Egdon heath, had a solution to all this, which, in her opinion, was being loved ‘Love was to her the one cordial which could drive away the eating loneliness of her days.’ Her isolation is even mentioned ‘Thus we see her in a strange state of isolation.’

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Eustacia is a character that stands out from the rest of the other female characters. The book is set during the period of the Victorian Era, yet Eustacia is different from the typical women of this period. This is shown through her actions and beauty ‘She had pagan eyes, full of nocturnal mysteries, and their light, as it came and went, and came again, was partially hampered by their oppressive lids and lashes; and of these the under lid was much fuller than it usually is with English women.’ 

By showing the many different sides of her ...

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