Middlemarch
Summary
George Eliot's monumental novel Middlemarch, first published in 1871, is widely considered one of the greatest works of English literature. Subtitled “A Study of Provincial Life,” this sweeping tale follows the intersecting lives and relationships of several characters in a fictional Midlands town in the early 1830s. With its penetrating psychological insight, rich characterization, and themes of social change, marriage, idealism, and reform, Middlemarch offers a compelling portrait of an entire community that continues to resonate with readers.
Plot
Set in the fictional English town of Middlemarch in the early 1830s, the novel follows several intersecting storylines. The idealistic Dorothea Brooke marries the much older scholar Reverend Edward Casaubon, hoping to assist with his research. Their marriage, however, soon proves unfulfilling. Meanwhile, the young, ambitious doctor Tertius Lydgate arrives in town with plans to advance medical practice but finds himself trapped in an unhappy marriage to the beautiful but shallow Rosamond Vincy.
Other key storylines involve Fred Vincy, Rosamond's brother, who hopes to marry his childhood sweetheart Mary Garth but must first prove himself worthy; the hypocritical banker Nicholas Bulstrode, whose past misdeeds threaten to be exposed; and Will Ladislaw, Casaubon's young cousin who forms a close friendship with Dorothea. After Casaubon's death, rumors circulate about Dorothea and Will's relationship, jeopardizing Dorothea's inheritance.
As the various plots unfold and intersect, characters face personal and professional challenges, grappling with issues of marriage, ambition, hypocrisy, and reform in provincial Victorian society. Middlemarch concludes with Dorothea choosing to marry Will despite the loss of her inheritance, Fred winning Mary's hand after finding a suitable profession, and Lydgate's dreams being compromised by his difficult marriage to Rosamond.
Themes
• Marriage and relationships
• Social change and reform
• The role of women in society
• Idealism vs. practicality
• The pursuit of knowledge and intellectual fulfillment
• Class and social status
• Self-discovery and personal growth
Setting
George Eliot's Middlemarch takes place in the fictional English Midlands town of Middlemarch between September 1829 and May 1832. This places the novel about 40 years before its publication in 1871, situating it firmly in the historical context of the early 19th century. The story unfolds against the backdrop of significant social and political changes in England, including the agitation for the Reform Act of 1832.
Middlemarch itself is described as a silk-ribbon manufacturing town, likely based on Coventry where Eliot lived before settling in London. As a provincial setting, it represents both the geographical areas outside the capital and the sometimes narrow-minded attitudes of its inhabitants. The novel explores the complex social dynamics of this insular community, depicting the lives of people across different classes and professions.
Characters
• Dorothea Brooke: An intelligent, idealistic young woman who marries the much older Reverend Edward Casaubon, hoping to assist him in his scholarly work. She later falls in love with Will Ladislaw.
• Tertius Lydgate: An ambitious young doctor with modern ideas about medicine. He marries Rosamond Vincy but faces financial and professional difficulties.
• Reverend Edward Casaubon: An elderly scholar working on a never-completed book. He marries Dorothea but is cold and suspicious of her.
• Will Ladislaw: Casaubon's young cousin who falls in love with Dorothea. He is artistic and idealistic but lacks a clear profession.
• Rosamond Vincy: A beautiful but shallow young woman who marries Lydgate, expecting a life of wealth and status.
• Fred Vincy: Rosamond's brother who struggles to find a profession but eventually succeeds with help from Mary Garth.
• Mary Garth: A plain but intelligent and kind young woman who loves Fred Vincy but insists he become more responsible.
• Nicholas Bulstrode: A wealthy banker with a questionable past who becomes embroiled in scandal.
• Celia Brooke: Dorothea's pretty younger sister, who marries Sir James Chettam.
• Sir James Chettam: A local landowner initially interested in Dorothea, who ends up marrying Celia.
Quick facts
• Middlemarch was originally published in eight installments between 1871 and 1872 before being collected as a single volume.
• George Eliot's working title for the novel was Miss Brooke, after one of the main characters, Dorothea Brooke.
• Middlemarch is considered by many critics to be one of the greatest novels in the English language.
• The fictional town of Middlemarch was likely based on Coventry, where Eliot had lived before moving to London.
• Eliot compiled a notebook of hundreds of literary quotations in eight different languages while writing the novel.
• At over 300,000 words, Middlemarch is one of the longest novels in the English language.
• Virginia Woolf called it “one of the few English novels written for grown-up people."
• The novel has never been adapted as a feature film, though it has been made into several television miniseries.
• Eliot was paid £7000 for the novel, an enormous sum at the time equivalent to more than £800,000 today.
• The novel's famous last line about “unhistoric acts” and “the growing good of the world” is quoted on Eliot's memorial stone in Westminster Abbey.
About the author
George Eliot
George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, was one of the leading English novelists of the Victorian era. Born in 1819 in Warwickshire, she adopted a male pseudonym to ensure her work would be taken seriously and to shield her private life from public scrutiny. Eliot is renowned for novels like Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, and her masterpiece Middlemarch, which are celebrated for their realism, psychological insight, and nuanced portrayals of English provincial life.
Eliot's unconventional personal life was a source of controversy in her time. For over two decades, she lived with the married philosopher George Henry Lewes in an openly acknowledged relationship, defying the social norms of the era. This arrangement allowed her the stability and encouragement to pursue her literary career, though it initially led to her ostracism from polite society. Despite the scandals, Eliot's novels were widely read and admired for their moral seriousness and intellectual depth.
As a writer, Eliot was deeply influenced by the social and philosophical currents of her time. Her early work as a translator and journalist exposed her to German philosophy and higher criticism of the Bible, shaping her agnostic worldview. This intellectual background is reflected in her fiction, which often grapples with questions of morality, social reform, and the role of religion in society. Eliot's novels are notable for their sympathetic portrayals of ordinary people and their struggles, as well as their exploration of complex ethical dilemmas. George Eliot died in 1880.