A comprehensive study guide offering in-depth explanation, essay, and test prep for Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native, arguably the most popular of Hardy's 14 Wessex novels. As a novel first published in the magazine Belgravia, popular for its sensationalism, Hardy classified The Return of the Native as a "Novel of Character and Environment." Moreover, themes from Hardy's novels draw interesting conversations around the power of imagination. This Bright Notes Study Guide explores the context and history of Hardy's classic work, helping students to thoroughly explore the reasons it has stood the literary test of time. Each Bright Notes Study Guide contains: - Introductions to the Author and the Work - Character Summaries - Plot Guides - Section and Chapter Overviews - Test Essay and Study Q&As The Bright Notes Study Guide series offers an in-depth tour of more than 275 classic works of literature, exploring characters, critical commentary, historical background, plots, and themes. This set of study guides encourages readers to dig deeper in their understanding by including essay questions and answers as well as topics for further research.