Middlemarch by George Eliot

‘Middlemarch’ is a novel by George Eliot published in 1871. It is set in the 1830s in Middlemarch and a fictional provincial town in England. Widely seen as Eliot's greatest work, it is almost unanimously acclaimed as one of the great Victorian era novels.  we see that main protagonist was Women characters. It is novel about to Women sacrifice and struggle to female. Eliot here studied the life of social people. In a way it is a study of culture or in general it is the study of human nature. Nineteenth century England experienced a great deal of change and upheaval. Societal norms were questioned as Europe experiences numerous   revolutions that cried for equality. Main characters are Dorothea, Will Ladislaw, Casaubon, Bulstrode, Fred Vincey, Rosamond, Mary Garth, Lydgate, Celia Brooke and James Chettam.

                 

   The central character of this novel is Dorthea- A young lady who is idealist and who stands against the patriarchal law of the Victorian Society. Dorthea is known as “FREE BIRD”. She was simple by nature. Her ambition in life is to help people. She married with Casaubon with this intention only that she help him in his research work and also increase her knowledge. But after marriage she came to know that the research which doing by her husband it was already done by someone else. Even the matrimonial life of Dorthea is in ruin. Though she is known as idealist she cannot understand her husband. Rosamond- who is rich lady in search of “Mr. Perfect” and she married with aged Dr. Lydgate. We see that how women represented social, political, religious and cultural life. This women are not only for economy but as emotional thinks.

                                          

    The matrimonial life of Mary and Fred becomes successful because Mary thinks truthfully. Both of them love each other but Mary denied to Fred that if he don’t becomes clergyman she couldn’t marry with him. But after becomes clergyman their life is more lovely. Marriages based on capability work better. Here in this novel Dorthea represent as a ideal woman, Rosamond represent as a real woman, while Mary represent as a truthful woman. Marriages based on capability work better because after the death of Casaubon she fails to break free completely from the societal pressures.

In the novel main themes like that...

·          Marriage

·       Economy

·       love

·       Politics

·       Feminine

·       Respect to society

·       Truth and ideal

    So we can say that some of the major themes stated in the novel can be considered as disillusion, gender roles and frustrated love relations and marriages especially with the marriages of some major characters such as Dorthea and Casaubon, Lydgate and Rosamond, Mary and Fred Vincey. In short the novel “Middlemarch” is a mirror of society. It is speak about the current affairs of society in which individual fails to make his or her own spaces. But at least they march for betterment.