Multiplicity of Themes in Middlemarch

Assignment Paper9-E-C-204

Topic- Multiplicity of themes in Middlemarch

Dabhi Ashvin P

M.A. Part – 1

SEM- II

Roll No -06

Year – 2010-11

Department of English

Submitted to Miss Ruchira Dudhrejiya

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University

Ø Introduction:-

        “Middlemarch” is written by George Eliot who was born on November 22, 1819. Eliot chose to write her novels under a male pseudonym Mary Anne Evans. This is a highly unusual novel. Though It is primarily a Victorian novel it has many characteristics typical to modern novels. The subtitle of this novel is “A study of provincial life.” This means the Middlemarch represents the lives of ordinary people, not the grand adventures of princes and kings. Middlemarch represents the spirit of nineteenth century England through the unknown, historically unremarkable common people. England is the process of rapid industrialization. We can find many themes in this novel.

Ø Major themes of Middlemarch :-

 Responsibility:-

        This is a major theme of Fred’s story, and he must become responsible for his finance and his choices. Will do too, to a certain extent. Bothe men must learn how to rely on themselves, not infringe upon others. He also must learn how to become independent in many ways. Bestrode tries to give him money to repent for hiding his existence from his grand mother. He refuses the money because he knows it come through thievery. He worships Dorothea. He doesn’t care for money and loves everything that is beautiful.

 The imperfection of Marriage:-

      Most character in ‘Middlemarch’ marry for love rather than obligation, yet marriage still appears negative and unromantic. Marriage and the pursuit of it are central concerns in Middlemarch. In many novels of the time, Marriage is not considered the ultimate source of happiness. Two examples are the failed marriage of Dorothea and Lydgate. Dorothea wants to reform the society. She wants a kind of social reform which removes all the vices from the society so she wants to marry because of helping. She chooses wrong person we can say that passionate nature makes unconscious while taking decision. Marriage becomes her very unconscious. She doesn’t know regarding the society and for that she jumps into the society. We are reformer or creator. We are the cause or reason and we are suffering. Individual thinking can not be work. She has to make a journey. She can journey from individual to society. Her journey is not easy. She has to reconcile with so many mind, so many psyches. She is the failure in herself. She is getting failure herself. Her actions are not clear or far from clear. What is she doing she doesn’t know. The reason is her passionate nature. The reason is her thoughtless nature. Her marriage fails because of her youth and of her illusions about marrying a much older man, while Lydgate’s marriage fails because of irreconcilable personalities. Mr. and Mrs. Bulstrode also face a marital crisis due to his inability to tell her about the past and Fred Vincy and Mary Garth also face a great deal of hardship in making their union. As none of the marriage reach a perfect fairy tale ending. ‘Middlemarch’ offers a clear critique of the usual portrayal of marriage as romantic and unproblematic.

Stubbornness:-

         A big issue of character Rosamond is extremely stubborn. The meaning of this sentence is that if things aren’t done her way, she will go behind other people’s backs to do things the way she thinks they should be done. Societal stubbornness is responsible for Lydgate’s failure with his medical practice. People want what they want, for whatever reasons, which means that they are blind to things that might be best for them.

Prejudice:-

       This theme that Lydgate and Ladislaw can’t seem to beat. People in Middlemarch dislike anyone who is not from Middlemarch or anyone whose reputation seems questionable. Ladislaw and Lydgate are both good people, but it is initial prejudice. Sometimes based on invalid or circumstantial reasons, those mean that they are never liked or accepted in Middlemarch.

Conformity:-

         An issue that is related to societal expectation but it is somewhat different. People are supposed to conform to certain social ideas and norms. Dorothea is supposed to be a proper wife and then a proper widow, and follow society’s set guidelines about how to fill each position. Ladislaw fits no position that society to group him into, so he is dislike he refuses to be conventional or proper or to fit into that society and its ideas of how someone like Ladislaw should act.

Self Determination v/s chance:-

       In the present novel, self determination and chance are not opposing forces but rather a complicated balancing act, when characters strictly adhere to a belief in either chance or self determination, bad things happen. When Rosamond goes against the wishes of her husband and write a letter asking for money from his relative. Her act of self determination putts Lydgate in unsavory and tense situations coupled with a refusal to help. On the flip side when Fred Vincy gambles away his money, relying solely on chance, he falls into debt and drags with him; the people who trust him. Only when he steps away from gambling and decides not to go into the clergy do good things begin to happen for him. In particular, the character between fate and self determination. This balance is exemplified in his educated gamble in myth blame of whist.

Love:-

        Love keeps people together, or the drift apart. Those who are truly in love like Ladislaw and Dorothea, Mary and Fred are bound together by it. They are very alike in temperament and outlook. Those who lake it like Lydgate and Rosamond, Casaubon and Dorothea are ill-suited to each other in marriage and they are very disappointed by their unions. Will is the grandson of Casaubon’s disinherited aunt Bultrode tries to give him money to repent for hiding his existence from his grandmother. He refuses the money because he knows it came through thievery. He worships Dorothea. He doesn’t care for money and loves everything that is beautiful.

Unity of Middlemarch:-

        The decisions made by every person in Middlemarch seem to have a direct effect on at least one other person. Mary’s decision to marry Fred Vincy means that fare brother is without a wife. Dorothea’s decision to choose Casaubon leads Sir James Chettam to choose Celia. Bulstrode’s dirty dealings with regard to Raffles mean disgrace to both Lydgate and Will Laidslaw. Everyone in Middlemarch is intimately connected and it seems that no one can move around without disturbing someone else.

Vanity:-

          Especially relevant to Rosamond and her suitors.  Rosamond s is exceptionally vain about her charm and her appearances. So much her so that it is a shock to her when her friend Ladislaw says he doesn’t love her. Her unsuccessful suitors are all equally vain, and blame Lydgate rather than Rosamond’s lack of interest, when she will not return their favor.

Social Expectations:-

         Closely linked to society’s hierarchy. They are ideas about how everyone should act in certain situations. Lydgate proposes to Rosamond because society expects that he should do it. Dorothea is pushed to live with someone else or marry again after she is widowed, because society expects that it is right. People don’t necessarily follow these expectations, nor should they but they do exist and play a part in people’s lives.

Self-discovery:-

        There are certain truths which every character learns about him 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 Brooke makes the most dramatic journey of self discovery and changes a great deal within the course of the novel.

Reality v/s Expectations:-

      Many character’s preconceived ideas, especially of marriage, are proves tragically wrong in the course of the book. Casaubon and Dorothea Brooke both have unrealistic ideas about marriage and are disappointed. Lydgate and Rosamond have the same idea and are let down. Life often defies what one expects, or could predict of it and the people who are happiest are ones who have few expectations, or are most flexible.

Gender roles and expectations:-

        Especially relevant to Dorothea, Middlemarch society has very defined ideas of what the people of each gender should do within the society, and people, especially women who deviate from this norm, are looked down upon. Dorothea is tolerated because she is of good family and does not disrupt the society she is in. however, she faces a great deal or pressure to change herself, conform to other’s ideas, and submit herself to male leadership at all times.

Progress:-

        Much is changing in the world of Middlemarch. English society is evolving in social economic, technologic areas. Socially, ideas of gender and class are in flux, as women are proving more and more competent and the industrial revolution is causing a greater amount of social mobility. The economy of England is changing, from an aristocratic, inheritance-based system of holding wealth and land, to one based on commerce, business, and manufacturing. Technology is also changing, in medical science and in areas like transportation and these are changes that area beginning to sweep through Middlemarch.

Money:-

      Money is the root of many evils but much good, in the novel. Lydgate get desperate for want of it, Fred despairs when he has little, Dorothea becomes generous when she carefully since their money is limited. Money has a profound effect on character within the novel, and though many people are judged by now much money they have, many of the best people in this novel very little.

Conclusion:-

      In this novel we can see many themes. In this novel everything is political in Middlemarch, with most people strongly backing the conservative party. People within the novel have varying ideas of family obligation in the novel, though it is a strong force in Middlemarch society.