Major themes in middlemarch

 

Tamsa pandya

Paper: Victorian Literature

Topic:-Major Themes in Middlemarch

P.G.No:2069108420200030

Roll number:28

Email ID: tamsapandya25@gmail.com

Submitted: department of English

Words:1860

Introduction:-

The Victorian Age was a period when female writers were gradually putting their influence on literature.  The Middle March covers many aspects of the female writers as well as the various aspects of the society involved, such as human nature, money, property, love, affair, marriage, unity.

        “Middlemarch” is written by George Eliot who was born on November 22, 1819. This is a highly unusual novel. Though It is primarily a Victorian novel it has so many undertaken characteristics of modern era as well. The subtitle of this novel is “A study of provincial life.” This means the Middlemarch framing the life of ordinary or common people, and how whole issues are related with such people. Middlemarch is a true  spirit of nineteenth century England through the unknown, historically unremarkable common people. England's industrialization is growingly to in very rapid manner so the kind of Novels firmly introduced by this era. 

Ø Major themes of Middlemarch :-

 Responsibility:-

      The novel Middle March strikely touches the very emotions and reflections of ordinary people so general things can be taken as important such as responsibility, here in this novel   Fred’s character is much relevant with this theme, motifs say that he must become responsible for his finance and his choices.fred  should aware and be believer of his own instead of depending upon others. He also must learn how to become independent in many ways. When Bestrode wants to hide his existence fr his grandmother, for that tries to give money to Fred to cover and hide everything but the Nobel character Fred respects Dorothea, felt much respect towards her, he refused bestrode offer, because for Fred money matters nothing he loves everything that is beautiful.  

 The imperfection of Marriage:-

   Marriage can be considered as the prominent theme of middle March.   Most character in ‘Middlemarch’ marry for love , love is at the center in every character of middle March, rather than obligation, yet marriage still appears negative and unromantic, with the first glimpse Marriage is not considered the ultimate source of happiness.  There are Two failed examples of marriage in middle March , Dorothea and Lydgate. Dorothea is with highly revolutionary thoughts, she firmly wants to reform the society. She wants to reform all the vices prevailed in society and wants a society as people are marry each other for helping instead of for money and for property Innova with a kind of maturity and with wisdom. But one mistake of her perhaps ruined her life , chooses a wrong person we can say that this decision stick why she is very passionate about her love and this decision considered as a unconscious. She chooses wrong person we can say that passionate nature makes unconscious. She Thought that 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. The journey of reformation it cannot be easy as much we think. She gets unfortunate failure in herself. Her actions perhaps are not clear or far from clear. What is she doing she doesn’t know. 

 The only reason behind her impulsive and reckless behavior is that she has very passionate nature and her thoughtless nature. Her marriage perhaps gets filled because she lived in kind of illusion that I am marrying measured in old man and can be easy to understand each other and to love each other but in reality not at all, 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:-

         The character Rosamond in middlemarch can be considered as the most extremes stubborn character. Meaning of stubborn in this middlemarch is people whatever they are thinking and doing the wait is correct if some things around done as per their expectations people started doing them the same case of its failure can be considered as a huge stubborn as behind it. 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:-

 Prejudice are also the central part of the novel Middle March. this particular theme can reflect in character Lydgate and Ladislaw can’t seem to beat. So the People's falling In middlemarch not allowing other don't like others hu is not basically from middlemarch. Ladislaw and Lydgate are both good people, but become a victim of people's prejudice .Sometimes based on invalid or circumstantial reasons, those mean that they are never liked or accepted in Middlemarch.

Conformity:-

       Conformity is the related with a social expectations but in a different way  An issue that 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.

Love:-

        Love primary source of the present novel,Love keeps people together, or can be the drift apart.This theme is formulated with those who are truly fell in love which just like the character Ladislaw and Dorothea, Mary and Fred are bound together by it. They are very alike in temperament and outlook. This tym love presents use the temperaments of those Those who laking such things such as it like Lydgate and Rosamond, Casaubon and Dorothea are ill-suited to each other in marriage and they are very disappointed by their unions. And other hand we can see that the prosperity of love much seen when Fred refuse offer of money by bultrode, for hiding his existence Fred refused it because money doesn't matter in comparison of love and responsibility towards dorothea. A partly the theme of love plays a vital role in middlemarch in a both side doors who are true lovers and those were laking this it reflects a kind justice to the each and every character of middlemarch.

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:-

       Vanity is a kind of quality which were first introduced in a Victorian era that people write the kind of literature which consists primary natures of human beings so this theme of unity is , Especially relevant to Rosamond and her suitors.  Rosamond's caracteresis exceptionally vain about her charm and her appearances and for beauty. So what happened how much concern become 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. This incidents presents kind of vanity ego when we can consider as amount as a character of attention seeker.

Social Expectations:-

      Through the reading of the novel middlemarch keywords in key points are very interesting and I catching that love money expectations are the primary and Chief things in the novel and the expectations are are kindly joint with societies hierarchy. They search within the i ideas about how everyone should act in certain situations. Lydgate proposes to Rosamond because society expects that he should do it swastik society lygate has progressed. 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.

Works Cited

Eliot, George. "Middlemarch." n.d. Image. 7 March 2020. <https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/middlemarch-167>.

Seresin, Indiana. "Middlemarch Themse." LitCharts (2019). 7 March 2020. <https://www.litcharts.com/lit/middlemarch/themes>.

"What is theme of Middlemarch?" enotes Editorial (2018). 7 March 2020. <https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-theme-middlemarch-1285088>.