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Middlemarch Critical Essay It is interesting to note that George Eliot begins in the Prelude to Middlemarch, a story about Saint Teresa of Avila (1515 - 82), Spanish founder of religious communities. As a child, Teresa and her little brother leave their village in search of martyrdom, but their uncles intercept them and turn them back. It actually narrates the idea that young people who may envision lofty goals that their circumstances may force them to do beyond their control and find them unable to reach their goals. The author states that: Many Theresa's have been born who found for themselves no epic life... perhaps only a life of mistakes, the offspring of a certain spiritual grandeur ill-matched with the meanness of opportunity. This is the context where Elliot examines the character in the story.
The story presents the fictional town in the English Midlands where the town is set during the years September 30, 1829 to May 1832. The broad subject is however focused on the romantic and professional lives of the characters whose lives are interconnected. Main character Dorothea Brooke is the older of the two daughters in the story and is raised by her bachelor uncle, Mr. Brooke.
She is firmly religious and tries to shun the activities which she does not find in accordance with her personality. She is convinced that Mr. Casaubon is the only one who can satisfy her emotionally yet she is disappointed in this regard. She is naive about the ways of the world since she has limited her social life and thus she is not aware of what marriage entails, and thus, her marriage is not in ruins. She realizes that she cannot make a life by just forming relationships or even her own marriage. She is not convinced that she must fulfill her purpose in life just by her own efforts.
Middlemarch is apparently to be a microcosm for semi-rural England during the 19 th century. The novel is focused on the upper-and middle-class people such that most of these individuals are actually representative of the average Briton during that time in terms of income and lifestyle. The appropriate gender roles are focused on the novel. Early on, we see one of the characters, Celia, who is similar to most women of this time period. It is Dorothea who embodies most of the less desirable characteristics. Elliot compares Celia and Dorothea, thus, giving readers a glimpse of the period during that time.
The author is then able to give a picture of what were considered suitable qualities of women during that time. Dorothea possesses strong qualities with strong views and who is more interested in the spiritual things and the intellect than in reality. During that time, these qualities were considered strange and even undesirable. They now become impediments to her getting a good husband.
Elliot's elucidation on this model is a criticism of the ideal model of women being subservient and weak-willed. Thus, Elliot is able to impart to readers what her own views are also about how women must be regarded then. Gender inequality has been present in human society since the birth of civilization. The socialization of the sexes separates males and females into different social worlds. In ancient times, men were the warriors, hunters and farmers, whereas women were relegated to the duties of housekeeping and mothering. Stratification then takes place.
Males and females are channeled into specific statuses and roles. This stratification may also be caused by culture and religion. Questions of freedom and authority have continued to challenge the characters in the novel. The complexity is also partly attributed to the increased interdependence among members of different groups. In mapping the terrain of sexual orientation, the author intersperses his the novel with a look at the historical background of certain issues dealing with sexuality. Similarly, the women in the novel, especially Dorothea chooses to take responsibility for her sexuality for the whole range of gender phenomena that are the aspects of her actions, attitudes, thoughts.
Most often than not, she is able to find a deep understanding about her sexuality through discovery and creation. To have a better understanding of oneself is one of the reasons why it is important for women to know their sexual identities -- hence, the need to take responsibility for their actions. It allows her to get in touch with those puzzling aspects about herself so as to increase self-esteem. By understanding her sexual identity she is more capable of responding with precision as to the pressures laid down by the already existing patriarchy and the benefits and advantages of knowing the essence of true feminism. As human nature continues to change over time, new developments will continue to emerge as a result of new, natural, human reactions and the concept of perversion may by itself be made by an idea generated by such new human nature. From the viewpoints of feminist contributions to political philosophy and feminist theoretical contributions to international relations theory, we can see that feminist contributions to literature such as this novel, which are substantial and have had great impact to the field during that time.
This seeming duality that these technologies and literary works project is quite provocative and is subject to endless hours of debate. But in the midst of this particular conflict rises the realization that there are some people are for censorship; some people want to stifle the learning that is possible in a free-thinking society. The solution is to find a common ground for those highly debatable materials while streamlining possible solutions for other impractical suggestions. Another outright theme here is that of prejudice.
This is seen as people in Middlemarch refuse to accept anyone who is not from Middlemarch, or even anyone whom they suspect is of questionable repute. Will and Lydgate are both good individuals, but they are prejudiced upon and thus are never liked in Middlemarch. Dorothea, Celia and Mr. Brooke are not representative of the average family because Mr.
Brooke has rigid ideas about how women ought to behave. Dorothea and Celia are orphaned children and Mr. Brooke may probably have contracted the services of other women caretakers to take charge in actively taking care of these two girls when they were young. Celia seems to be more the more conforming type while Dorothea expresses her opinions actively even as she lives more in her mind. The decisions that each one takes have a corresponding effect on the others. For instance, Dorothea's decision to marry Casaubon leads Sir James to choose Celia instead.
In another context, Bulstrode's dirty dealings on Raffles mean disgrace to both Lydgate and Will Ladislaw. Thus, it seems that people at Middlemarch are all interconnected with each other and the actions and decisions of one have repercussions to another individual. There are also restraints on how people, especially the women, ought to behave. Lydgate proposes to Rosamond since it is society that is the one who expects that he should do it.
Meanwhile, Dorothea is coerced into marrying again after she is widowed because that is what society expects her to do. These expectations are ingrained in society and whether one likes it or not, the impositions of society dictate most of their actions. Mr. Brooke holds unkind and biased views of females.
He also directly says his opinions about them outright and with no regard for their feeling. He has traditional ways of seeing them, especially his nieces, thinking that women are just flimsy and irresponsible. It is through Mr. Brookes character that Elliot expresses the views of women at that time. Society formats and contents change incessantly. Ideas of gender and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, identity and selfhood are in a steady process of change and transformation.
Society has a significant but not completely direct relationship with people's sense of gender and identity. In order to deepen ones understanding of the cultural values embedded in society and to explore current values and power structures regarding men and women, it is important to investigate the effects that society may have in influencing beliefs and beliefs of people. Certainly, society is a powerful factor which influences our beliefs, attitudes, and the values we have of ourselves and others as well as the world surrounding us. Every portrayal of women and men is important in that it contributes some increment to our overall model of social reality. In the end, we see how society communicates and reflects reality in a less truthful way.
Society offers us something to see, but also shapes the way in which we see by creating shared perceptual modes. Society's messages are used and interpreted by audiences according to their own cultural, social, and individual circumstances.
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