Name : Sejal N. Solanki
Roll No. : 27
Semester : 2.
Batch : 2019 - 2021
Enrollment No. : 2069108420200037
Email : sejal.solanki3107@gmail.com
Class : M.A. Sem : 2.
Paper : 6. (The Victorian Literature)
Topic : Middlemarch
Submitted by Dr. Dilip Barad
Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumar singhji Bhavnagar University.
Middlemarch
About the Writer
Mary Ann Evans known by her pen name George Eliot. She was an English novelist , Poet, journalist, and one of the leading writer of Victorian era. Her famous publications are MiddleMarch, Daniel Deronda, The Milk on the Floss and Romola.
Middlemarch
Middlemarch, a Study of Provincial Life is a novel by English author George Eliot, first published in eight instalments (volumes) during 1871 - 1872. Although the first reviews were mixed, it is now widely regarded as her besh work and one of the greatest novels written in English.
The Novel set in the fictitious Midlands town of MiddleMarch during 1829-32, and it comprises several distinct stories and a large cast of characters. Follows several short stories with the large cast of characters. Issues include the status of woman, Marriage, idealism, self-interest, religion, political reform and Education. Middlemarch is written as a third person narrative, centering on the lives of the residents of Middlemarch.
Although containing comical elements, Middlemarch is a work of realism. That refers to many historical events like the 1832 Reform Act, the beginnings of the Railways, the death of King George 4, and the succession of his brother, the Duke of Clarence (the future King William 4).
Middlemarch is a study of provincial life and the scene of laid in the provincial town of middlemarch in the first half of 19th century in England. It is a love story principally dealing with the affairs of Dorothea Brook and Miss Rosamond Vincy ending in despaired. The Novel is around two failures which are the center of the novel. The main themes of middlemarch is the status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism, self interest, religion, hypocrisy, political reform, and education. The pace is leisurely, the tone is mildly didactic. In addition, the work incorporates contemporary medical science and examines the deeply reactionary mentality found with a settled community facing the prospect of unwelcome change.
Significant theme in Middlemarch.
The Imperfection of Marriage.
Marriage and the pursuit of it are central concerns in Middlemarch, but unlike in many novels of the time, marriage is not considered the ultimate source of happiness. "Three Love Problems" in the middlemarch but one can understand the novel's structure in light of three marriages in the Novel which makes the book a Romantic atmosphere.
Three love stories.
Relationship of Casaubon and Dorothea.
Dorothea was an idealistic young lady, is the central figure of the Novel. Casaubon was 45 years old clergyman. He has been preparing his "mugnum opus" called 'key to all religion'. The the milieu where Dorothea is living, there Casaubon's scholarly project. She helps in Casaubon work. They get married; but gradually her illusion about Casaubon is Fake.
Relationship of Rosamond and Lydgat.
Lydgate is an idealistic and an ambitious doctor, moves to Middlemarch to set up a practice with his new tangled idea about medicine and science. Lydgate falls in love with Rosamond Vincy because she is very beautiful and charming than other girls. Rosamond also thinks that he is Rich. Both are married. Both are disappointed from each other.
Relationship of Fred and Mary Garth
Mary is the daughter of Caleb and Susan Garth. Fred is Gambler. Both love to each other during childhood. She loves Fred but she refuses to marry him because he has not any steady occupation. They had to suffer a lot.
Dorothea and Will Ladislaw.
Ladislaw represented as 'open minded'. After death of Casaubon Dorothea marry with Will Ladislaw. In his will Casaubon says 'Dorothea does not know his thing. After marriage both move towards London where Ladislaw work in Parliament.
The Harshness of Social Expectations:
The ways in which people conduct themselves and how the community judges them are closely linked in Middlemarch. Social position means a great deal which can be found in Middlemarch; it means how much respect a person gets, how people treat them, how they are regarded etc. people of high status are generally treated more delicately than people with little money, like Lydgate and Will Ladislaw. Birth and connections are also important in determining a person's place and also what benefits they will receive from society.
A study of Provincial Life.
Eliot's interested in showing how the relationship between different people have large and small effects on everything around them. The way of life characteristics of the region outside the capital city of a country, especially when regarded as unsophisticated or narrow minded. the above given meanings fits perfectly with example of middlemarch.
Factors describing Middlemarch's provincial life.
Economics and society
If you are economically and socially limit stable then people respect you. In the novel we can find many characters that are economically and socially stable in life. Like Casaubon is very 'knowledgeable'. Lydgate tries to establish his reputation thoughts his profession. One of the principal theme of middlemarch is difficulty of marriage. Once marriage happens, it is assumed that the couple lives happily afterwards. However middlemarch neglects this idea. Instead, it argues that, of an your illusions and expectations come in the way of this 'Happy marriage' concept.
More often are cases found where the marriage is guided by motives other than happiness and love.
Self Discovery:
There are certain truth which every character learns about himself in the course of trials, Lydgate and Rosamond find out more about their characters through their money troubles though they do not always adjust accordingly. dorothea makes the most dramatic journey of self Discovery and changes a great deal with the course of the novel.
Love
Love keeps people together, or the lake or it lets them drift apart. Those who are truly in love like Will and Dorothea Mary and Fredare bound together by it and are very alike in temperament and Outlook. Those who like it like Lydgate and Rosamond, Casaubon and Dorothea are ill suited to each other in marriage, and are very happy disappointed by their unions.
Money
Money is the root of many evils in the novel. Lydgate guides desperate for want of it, Fred dispairs when he has little.Dorothea become generous when she has too much, and the Graths save carefully since their money is limited. Money has a profound effect on character within the novel and thought many people are judged by how much money they have, many of the best people in the novel, like Will Ladislaw are Mr. Fred brother, have very little.
Politics
Everything is political in middlemarch with most people strongly backing the conservative party. Personal alliance and aversions are based on matters of politics and political matters, like all things , get personal, people decide who or who not to support by how they like them. Even more so sometimes than any dependence on issues.
Pride
This is something which both helps in winters many people in the book and is most applicable to Dorothea. Will Ladislaw, and Lydgate, pride is a tumbling block, something that keeps him from putting his affairs in order, and sometimes doing what is necessary in his marriage and practice. Dorothea and Will's pride is more involved in who they are personally neither of them likes to be regarded poorly, will defend themselves and their own course with regards to everything.
Conclusion.
In this Novel we have see money is at the center of every relationship. Because if money we have see politics in every relationship. Middlemarch Provides a better understanding of 19th century Provincial life of England. The subtitle provided by Eliot is aptly justified in term its plot.
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