Assignment Topic: Middlemarch

Name :Mehal J.  Pandya 

Sem :2

Roll no. 13

Enrollment no. 2069108420200029

Subject : Victorian Literature 

Assignment Topic: Middlemarch 

Batch:2019-2020

E-mail Id :mehalpandya252@gmail.com

Submitted to: Department of English 

       

         M. K. Bhavangar University 

Preface:

       Middlemarch is very well known novel. This novel is written by George Eliot.When we talking about the literature and writer.There are some events of life in person which he or she if giving words it will became literature. 

      Middlemarch is also reflect the incident of Eliot's life which she also put in her work. Here our concern with the marriage in the novel.so let's discuss about the novel but before that see some information about our writer George Eliot.  when the purpose is to get a General picture of the manners and custom of certain fossils streatham and we are to be interested in all the complex play of character and opinion of neighbours the method is appropriate to the design the individuals are shown is involved in the network of surrounding interest which affect their development.

Mary Ann Evans 

    Now  here question is that writer name is George Eliot but given name is different. So the reason behind it is George Eliot and Mary Ann Evans are both same person with different names. Mary Ann Evans is the real name of author.In Victorian era  there were lack number of women writer so Mary published her work with her nickname George Eliot. 

Mary Evans born on 22nd November, 1819 at Arbury farm. She is the youngest daughter of her father. She is also called Marian. Mary Ann Evans was country born girl reared in the countryside and among rustic. She took self -education. She loves Henry Lewes because he has interest in literature and also literature in various languages as well. But when he died,Eliot's literary career also at end. It was a heavy blow to her. 

   Here some here work name; 

Mary Anne Evans's transformation into the fiction writer George Eliot began in 1856, when Mary Anne decided to try her hand at writing novels. In 1858, George Eliot's second novel, Adam Bede, became a critical and popular success; soon after, George Eliot's identity as Mary Anne "Lewes"  became known. 

   Adam Bede was followed by two more highly successful novels also set in the English Midlands, The Mill on the Floss (1860) and Silas Marner (1861). Encouraged by her success, Eliot began exploring continental and political themes in her next works: Romola (1863), which was set in Renaissance Italy, and Felix Holt, The Radical (1866),Three years later Eliot published The Spanish Gypsy (1869), a long narrative poem.

Mary Anne began writing Middlemarch in 1869. The novel was serialized through 1871 and 1872, and became a great success, making George Eliot even more famous.

     She passed away in her sleep on December 22, 1880, and was buried next to her lifelong companion, George Lewes.

 Here our aim to discuss the novel Middlemarch so let's discuss characters from the novel and the marriage.

Middlemarch :

"Since I can do no good because a woman, Reach constantly at something that is near it.  

                         —The Maid's Tragedy: Beaumont and Fletcher.

     The novel takes  its name from the town of Middlemarch in the Midlands where the scene of the story  is laid. Says Leslie Stephen "Middlemarch is primarily a portrait of the circles which had been most familiar to her in the youth, and it's second title is 'a study of provincial life'. Starting with every chapter Eliot put some deep thought first then started the chapter what about is. 

    

    It is not a story,but a combination of at least three stories about the couples and one is continuously parnell story of Bulstrode.First story of  Dorothea and Edward Casaubon,second story of Doctor Lydgate and Rosamond Vincy,third story of Fred Vince and Mary Garth.

     

Character of novel:

Dorothea Brooke: -

  

       Dorothea is a kind-hearted and honest woman.she is the beautiful lady. Her  physical beauty and fascinating personality have been stressed in the very beginning of the novel.she marry with Casaubon and after his death she marry with ladislaw.

            

Edward Casaubon :-

        Edward Casaubon owns a large estate called Lowick. He is a scholarly clergyman. His lifelong ambition is to write the Key to all Mythologies, but he is insecure and uncertain about his own abilities. He marries Dorothea because he thinks she is completely submissive and worshipful.Will ladislaw is his cousin brother with whom Dorothea married. 

Arthur Brooke  :- 

       Brooke is Dorothea and Celia's bachelor uncle.

Celia Brook :-

       

        Celia Brook is sister of Dorothea. She is so beautiful and good hearted girl. She marry with sir James Chettam. 

James chettam:-

     He like Dorothea but Dorothea deny to marry him and she decided to marry with Casaubon. He helps Dorothea to help the Farmers.

 Dr. Lydgate :-

         Lydgate is the orphan son of a military man. He chose the medical profession at a young age, much to the chagrin of his wealthy, titled relatives. He comes to Middlemarch hoping to test new methods of treatment. He marries Rosamond Vincy.

Rosamond Vincy :-

     Rosamond Vincy is the daughter of Walter and Lucy Vincy. She grows up accustomed to an expensive lifestyle. She marries Lydgate because she thinks he is rich and she wants a high social status in her life. 

      Lets discuss about the marriage significant .

Theme :

  

    As we know middlemarch story of the land. Land is talk about the all kind of social custom and the life style and also about the culture. Eliot also portrayed the picture of psychological mind  situation of characters in Middlemarch. Here is discussion about the marriage of Dorothea and Casaubon and other one is Lydgate and Rosamond. But the real thing is both marriage became fail. 

Dorothea and casaubon 

       Dorothea is the first major character in the novel whose life is a tragedy  of frustrated idealism.She has been referred to as a modern St. Theresa motivated by an intense desire to good and make some noble achievement.But  Middlemarch society,narrow,stunted and tradition boun, offers little opportunity for the realisation of her lofty ideas and noble aspirations. she seeks to find an outlet for  her ideals by making projects for the rebuilding of the Cottages of the poor tenants on the state of neighbouring Baronet and friend of the family Sir Chettam. But the scope for such philanthropy   is extremely limited and it brings little satisfaction to this letter day Theresa.Thus her lofty aspirations are frustrated by her meanness of opportunity.  

       opportunity is for the limited by the fact that she is a woman it is only through marriage that we can achieve self  fulfillment. This Meanness of opportunity combined with her sports of commonness frustrates her idealism. So she decided to marris with Casaubon not with Sir chettam. 

            but Kaisa bone is not true caller is a Studios cholar Ami pendant and his research are of no use at all for he has been anticipated in the field of comparative my methodology and the work he is doing has already been done by others in marry him she thought that she was marrying Pascal person she is this solution and frustration and in 10 spiritual agony after result.

 This marriage became fail because Dorothea is not appropriate girl for Casaubon. He was older than her as her father but she thought he will give her love and through him she can fulfill he r dreams. But it is not possible. Casaubon was mad for his research and he was not scholar as Dorothea think.He falling ill more and more and because of that he died. Dorothea loves him but he didn't. After his death she lives as his widow.

      dorothea gradually realise her mistake but still remains steadfast and loyal to her husband all of the ideas and aspirations have been shifted but still even after the death of her husband she tries to remain true to his memory and carry on his work away from him only when she find that he has insulated her in his will. Then she turns to Will ladyslow and through marriage with him acchi whatever quantum of happiness is possible in this sorry world of ours.

      

Lydgate -Rosamond story 

      Second  couple of the novel is lydgate and Rosamond.Lydgate  might have surmounted all the obstacles, if he had not married Rosamond Vincy. Lydgate came to know that Rosamond  does not love her but his money and she has no interest In his work at all. 

   Here Rosamond also regret for her decision  to marry with Doctor Lydgate. She thought that he is a doctor so he has money through the marriage  she can gain the high social status and economic security.

  But this marriage also failed in this novel.we can see the reason behind marriage  is self centered. Marriage is about the not only money but love as well or respect, care and companionship.

Fred Vincy – Mary Garth story :-

                   Their childhood loves grows to maturity. Fred becomes a good person marries Mary, inherits his uncle’s previous estate and lives peacefully with his children. He and marry had to suffer a lot but things ended well.

Bulstrode’s Episode :-

                   His way of livelihood, the relation of his shady past and its consequences. He was blackmailed for past deeds.

                    There is also the story of miser Featherstone who made two wills and thus created fuss. These different stands were interwoven into an organic whole. Middle march like other novels has faults. The novel is full of pessimism, gloom and melancholy. There is also a character and incidents are concerned.

Conclusion : 

        Thus both the Dorothea and Edward casaubon and Lydgate -Rosamond stories illustrate the same things which is also universalised by this repetition.gives us a complete, realistic view of English provincial society in 1830’s and this setting is closely integrated with the four or five stories which form the plot of the novel. The result is an artistic harmony which makes “Middle march George Eliot’s greatest work. 

Work citation:

Eliot George, Middlemarch,H.M.Caldwell publisher; London 2007.

Long, William j. English Literature. Delhi:AITBS,2015

Mann K. B., "A study of provincial life" Middlemarch, Johns Hopkins University Press.1983