POINTS TO PONDER – MIDDLE MARCH

·         Published in a magazine in eight monthly installments

·         Mary Anne (Mary Ann, Marian) Evans

·         Pen name George Eliot

·         Author of eight novels

·         A study of provincial life

·         One of the most mature works in English literary history

·         The book provides a panoramic view of life in a small English town, Middlemarch, and its surrounding countryside in the mid-19^th century.

·         It is mainly centered on the lives of Dorothea Brooke and Tertius Lydgate

·         Both of whom are shown to have great potentials and ambitions.

·         But both fail in achieving their goals owing to the social environment as well as their own vulnerabilities.

·         Dorothea Brooke is a beautiful, intelligent young lady of an “ardent and theoretic nature”.

·         She is not satisfied with the common fate of gentle women.

·         She is full of manly, lofty ideas and wants to do something great of Middlemarch.

·         First she devotes herself to the improvement of the cottages of the farmers.

·          Then, when she sees the elderly pedant Casaubon, she decides to marry the man so as to be able to realize her ideal by helping him in his lofty pursuit of the fundamental truth about Christianity.

·         Soon after her marriage, however, she finds herself totally disillusioned as to both the character of Casaubon and to that ambitious work of his.

·         In the end she is able to retrieve her error.

·         She finds a new way of life by marrying Will Ladislaw, the man she loves.

·         Content with giving him her “wifely help” and exercising a “diffusive influence” upon those around.

·         In her works, she seeks to present the inner struggle of a person and to reveal the motives, impulses, and heredity influences which govern human action.

·         She is interested in the development of a soul, the slow growth or decline of moral power of the character.

·         Eliot holds the belief that a certain act in daily life will produce a definite moral effect on the individual.

·         Most of her novels are characterized by two features: moral teaching & psychological realism

·         George Eliot shows a particular concern for the destiny of women.

·         In her mind, the pathetic tragedy of women lies in their very birth. Their inferior education and limited social life determine that they must depend on men for sustenance and realization of their goals, and they have only to fulfil the domestic duties expected of them by the society.

Characters:

·         Dorothea Brooke: Brought up by her uncle, insists on wedding Mr. Casaubon because of his supposed wisdom- refuses to complete Casaubon’s work due to his distrust – donates money to the hospital to help the needed and helps Lydgate pay his debt – Gets married with Mr. Ladislaw in the end.

·         Edward Casaubon: A scholar intends to write “The Key to All Mythologies” – forbids Dorothea from interfering his work – prohibits his cousin Ladislaw working in Middlemarch – adds codicil to his will – if Dorothea gets married with Ladislaw, she cannot inherit his legacy.

·         Will Ladislaw: an Italian with white mice – possess lower social and economic standing – works for Mr. Brooke to elect councilor – Leaves Middlemarch for he finds out the codicil in his cousin’s will.

·         Tertius Lydgate: An Idealistic, ambitious, and talented doctor – good birth but small financial means – come to Middlemarch to fulfill his ideal – married Rosamond Vincy – gives up his ideal eventually and want to give his wife a happy life.

·         Rosamond Vincy: An egoncentric and proud woman – despises the life in Middlemarch, hoping to live an aristocratic life – married Tertius Lydgate because of his good background – the marriage provides her with an increased status.

·         Nicholas Bulstrode: A wealthy banker in Middlemarch – a pious Methodist who tries to impose his beliefs in Middlemarch society – has a dark past- lives in agony because he is afraid that his past would be revealed – leaves Middlemarch with his Wife after his secret had been revealed.

·         Fred Vincy: Rosamond’s brother, the mayor’s son – spendthrift and irresponsible – loyal to his lover Mary- fails to meet his parents’ expectation of being a clergy, not knowing what to do in the future – finds his profession and wins his lover Mary’s respect and they get married in the end.