REDGAUNTLET
The plot revolves around the (purely fictional) return of Prince
Charles Edward Stuart to England some years after 1745 in a final
attempt to claim the crown. The Jacobite party is energetically led
by a Border laird, Redgauntlet, otherwise known as Herries of
Birrenswork. He kidnaps his young nephew Darsie Latimer (whose real
name is Sir Arthur Darsie Redgauntlet), hoping that his prestige as
the head of the house will aid the Jacobite cause. Darsie, whose
father was executed for his role in the 1745 rebellion, has been
brought up in Edinburgh under an assumed name and in ignorance of
his true identity. When informed by Redgauntlet of his family
history, he resists all attempts to involve him in the rebellion.
Meanwhile Darsie's school-friend the lawyer Alan Fairford (in whom
many critics have seen an authorial self-portrait) sets out to
rescue him, aided along the way by the Quaker Joshua Geddes, the
sea-captain Nanty Ewart, and the blind fiddler Wandering Willie.
Both Darsie and Fairford fall in love with the mysterious
'Greenmantle', who lives with Herries as his ward. Redgauntlet
fails to whip up sufficient support for the rebellion and the plot
is discovered by the government. The Young Pretender is permitted
to return to France and his supporters are not pursued. Seeing that
his party is no longer regarded as a serious threat, Redgauntlet
realizes that the Jacobite cause is finished and accompanies
Charles into exile. Darsie is liberated and remains a staunch
Hanoverian. Fairford marries 'Greenmantle' who is revealed to be
Lilias, Darsie's sister, kidnapped by Redgauntlet in early
childhood.
Redgauntlet
Author
Sir Walter Scott
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Series
Waverley Novels
Genre
Historical novel
Publisher
Archibald Constable
Publication date
June 1824
Redgauntlet(1824) is ahistorical novelby SirWalter Scott, set
inDumfries, Scotland in 1765, and described byMagnus Magnusson(a
point first made byAndrew Lang) as "in a sense, the most
autobiographical of Scott's novels."[1]It describes the beginnings
of a fictionalthirdJacobite Rebellion, and includes "Wandering
Willie's Tale", a famous short story which frequently appears in
anthologies.
Plot introduction
The novel's hero is a young man named Darsie Latimer. Early in
the novel he is kidnapped by Hugh Redgauntlet, and taken to a
village in Dumfries. Darsie's friend Alan Fairford sets out to
rescue him. After much intrigue Darsie discovers that Redgauntlet
is his uncle, and he is also reunited with his sister. He also
discovers that a number of prominentJacobites, and PrinceCharles
Edward Stuart(Bonnie Prince Charlie or the Young Pretender) himself
are staying in the village. Redgauntlet has summoned them all to
start a newJacobite rebellion, and he wants Darsie to join them.
However, the Prince is still reeling from the French naval defeats
at Quiberon Bay and Lagos, which represented Charles's last
realistic chance to recover the British throne for the Stuart
dynasty. Furthermore, Redgauntlet discovers that his fellow
Jacobites are not as committed as he, and their stated objection is
that they suspect the Prince's mistress,Clementina Walkinshaw, of
being a spy. During these discussions, General Campbell arrives
amongst them to announce that he and the government know what the
conspirators are up to. The Prince is allowed to go into exile, and
his followers peacefully disperse. Redgauntlet, seeing that the
Jacobite cause is now lost, joins the Prince in exile. Darsie is
set free having always remained loyal to the current king, and Alan
marries Darsie's sister.
Plot summary
Darsie had been Alan Fairford's favourite schoolfellow, and, to
please his son, Mr Fairford had consented that Darsie, who received
an ample allowance on the understanding that he was to make no
inquiries respecting his family until he completed his twenty-fifth
year, should live with them. Alan was studying for the law, but his
companion had started for his first country ramble, and the story
commences with a long correspondence between them. As he returned
from fishing in theSolway Firth, with Benjie as his instructor,
Darsie was overtaken by the tide, and carried by Mr Herries,
dressed as a fisherman, on horseback to a cottage, where his niece
Lilias said grace at supper-time; and next morning he was placed
under the guidance of Joshua Geddes. The Quaker, who was part owner
of some fishing nets in the river, invited him to spend a few days
at his house; and while there he heard from Alan that a young lady
had called to warn him that his friend was in considerable danger,
and to urge that he should at once return to Edinburgh. A letter,
however, from old Mr Fairford determined him not to do so; and
having made acquaintance with the blind fiddler, who told him a
tale of the Redgauntlet family, Darsie went with him to a fishers'
merry-making, where he danced with Lilias, who reproached him for
leading an idle life, and begged him to leave the
neighbourhood.
Mr Fairford had arranged that Peter Peebles, an eccentric
plaintiff, should be his son's first client, and Alan was pleading
the cause before the Lords Ordinary when his father, by mistake,
handed him a letter from Mr Crosbie, announcing that Darsie had
mysteriously disappeared. Alan instantly rushed out of court, and
started in search of his friend, who had accompanied the Quaker to
await an attack on his fishing station, and been made prisoner by
the rioters, of whom Mr Herries was the leader. After being nearly
drowned, and recovering from a fever, he awoke in a strange room,
to which he was confined for several days, when he was visited by
his captor, and conducted by him to an interview with Squire
Foxley, who, acting as a magistrate, declined to interfere with Mr
Herries' guardianship. As the squire was leaving, however, Mr
Peebles arrived to apply for a warrant against Alan for throwing up
his brief, and startled Mr Herries by recognising him as a
Redgauntlet and an unpardoned Jacobite. Darsie obtained a partial
explanation from him, and was told to prepare for a journey
disguised as a woman. Meanwhile, Alan had applied to the provost,
and, having obtained from his wife's relation, Mr Maxwell, a letter
to Herries, he started forAnnan, where, under the guidance of
Trumbull, he took ship forCumberland. On landing at Crakenthorp's
inn, he was transported by Nanty Ewart, and a gang of smugglers, to
Fair-ladies' House, where he was nursed through a fever, and
introduced to a mysterious Father Buonaventure. After being closely
questioned and detained for a few days, he was allowed to return
with a guide to the inn.
Darsie was also travelling thither with Herries and his
followers, when he discovered that Lilias, who accompanied them,
was his sister, and learnt from her his own real name and rank. He
was also urged by his uncle to join a rising in favour of the
Pretender; and, having hesitated to do so, was detained in custody
when they reached their destination, where Alan, as well as other
visitors and several of the neighbouring gentry, had already
arrived. He was then introduced to a conference ofCharles Edward
Stuart's adherents, and afterwards to the prince himself, who
refused to agree to their conditions, and decided to abandon the
contemplated attempt in his favour. Ewart was, accordingly, ordered
to have his brig in readiness, when Nixon suggested that he should
turn traitor, upon which they fought and killed each other. Sir
Arthur now learned that Fairford and Geddes were in the house; but,
before he was allowed to see them, they had been shown into the
room where Lilias was waiting, when Alan became aware that his fair
visitor at Edinburgh was his friend's sister, and heard from her
lips all the particulars of her brother's history. Their
conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Benjie, in whose
pocket a paper was found indicating that Nixon had communicated
with the Government; and, during the confusion which ensued, the
Hanoverian General Campbell arrived, unarmed and unaccompanied, and
after explaining that the Jacobites had been betrayed weeks before,
announced that he was sufficiently supported with cavalry and
infantry. The Rebellion was over before it could begin. His
instructions, however, from King George were to allow all concerned
in the plot to disperse, and he intimated that as many as wished
might embark in the vessel which was in waiting.
The Pretender was, accordingly, led by the Laird of Redgauntlet
to the beach, and Lilias offered to accompany her uncle in his
voluntary exile. This, however, he would not permit, and, after an
exchange of courtesies with the general, the prince departed amidst
the tears and sobs of the last supporters of his cause, and
henceforward the term Jacobite ceased to be a party name. Lilias,
of course, married Alan, and Herries, who had asked his nephew's
pardon for attempting to make a rebel of him, threw away his sword,
and became the prior of a monastery.
Characters
MrDarsie Latimer, afterwards Sir Arthur Darsie Redgauntlet
Mr Saunders Fairford, a Writer to the Signet
Alan Fairford, his son, an advocate
Mr Herriesof Birrenswork, the assumed name of Sir Edward, the
Laird of Redgauntlet
Lilias, his niece
Cristal Nixon and Mabel Moffat, their servants
Jack Hadaway, a village lad
Benjie, a village lad
Joshua Geddes, of Mount Sharon, a Quaker tacksman
Rachel Geddes, his sister
Willie Steenson, a blind fiddler
Peter Peebles, Alan's first client
Mr William Crosbie, Provost of Dumfries
Squire Foxley, of Foxley Hall, Cumberland
Master Nicholas Faggot, his clerk
Mr Peter Maxwell, of Summertrees, alias Pate-in-Peril
Tam Trumbull, of Annan, a contraband trader
Nanty Ewart, captain of the Jumping Jenny
Father Crackenthorp, a Cumberland innkeeper and smuggler
The Sisters Arthuret, of Fairladies' House
Father Buonaventure, afterwardsThe Young Pretender
Clementina Walkinshaw - mistress to The Young Pretender, named
in Scott's introduction
General Colin Campbell, an English officer
Literary significance and criticism
In the introduction to the novel, Scott discussed the position
of the former Jacobites:
Most Scottish readers who can count the number of sixty years,
must recollect many respected acquaintances of their youth, who, as
the established phrase gently worded it,out in the Forty-Five....
Jacobites were looked on in society as men who had proved their
sincerity by sacrificing their interests to their principles; and
in well-regulated companies, it was held a piece of ill-breeding to
injure their feelings...
Magnus Magnussonwrote:
Its two young heroes, Alan Fairford and Darsie Latimer
(Redgauntlet's nephew), between them reflect the duality of Scott's
own character. Fairford, an Edinburgh advocate, is the son of a
strict, ultra-conservative Edinburgh lawyer; Latimer ... is the
young adventurer seeking to discover the secret of his parentage in
the wilds of Dumfriesshire. Alan Fairford is Scott's Edinburgh
self; Darsie Latimer is his Borders self. Between them ... they
discover an ultimate commitment to the Hanoverian peace.[1]
David Daicheswrote:
The picture of the slow disintegration of the meeting, of the
embarrassment of the Jacobites when faced with the problem of
reconciling their fierce protestations of loyalty to the House of
Stuart with the realities of their present situation, is
brilliantly done. The scene is one of the finest in Scott. The two
worlds are finally brought together, and the romantic one
disintegrates.[2]
The early parts of the novel are inepistolaryform consisting of
letters between Darsie Latimer and Alan Fairford, or between Darsie
and Saunders Fairford (Alan's father). It changes to third person
narration from the court case where Alan represents Peter Peebles.
The remainder of the novel is mostly third person, with some
extracts from the journal of Darsie Latimer.
One of the major highlights of the novel is "Wandering Willie's
Tale", which occurs in the epistolary section. Wandering Willie is
a wandering musician and the narrator of the tale. It is a ghost
story with the climax being an encounter between Willie's
grandfather, Steenie Steenson and the ghost of his landlord Robert
Redgauntlet (Hugh's grandfather). All of the supernatural events
have rational explanations which Willie mentions but vehemently
denies.
Middlemarch
Dorothea Brooke, ventenne religiosissima, e Celia Brooke,
sorella minore pi moderata, vivono con lo zio, che le ha allevate
da quando sono rimaste orfane, a Tipton Grange; pur non essendo
aristocratica, la loro famiglia di rango elevato: il carattere di
Dorothea estremista, poco indicato per i rapporti con gli altri,
troppo rigido nel rispetto della sua morale, mentre quello di Celia
pi amabile, moderato dal buon senso.
Dorothea innamorata del reverendo Edward Casanbon, studioso di
religione, ed convinta che James Cheltam, un ottimo partito per
qualsiasi ragazza ma scarsamente impegnato in problemi culturali e
morali, aspiri alla sorella; in realt James fa di tutto per esserle
simpatico e, quando Celia gli rivela che non lo fa per ingraziarsi
la futura cognata ma perch ne innamorata, piange dallirritazione
che una simile eventualit provoca in lei, ma si riprende subito,
perch poco dopo lo zio le riferisce lofferta di matrimonio avanzata
da Casanbon, che lei accetta senza troppa esitazione e senza badare
allet pi anziana ed alla scarsa salute, pregustando invece le gioie
duna vita religiosa e studiosa passata accanto ad un uomo di mente
cos elevata.
Il matrimonio non ben visto: Celia trova brutto e poco simpatico
il cognato, ma si butta tra le braccia della sorella non appena sa
del fidanzamento; Mrs. Cadwaller ne indignata, perch si considerava
fiera daver combinato il matrimonio con Cheltam; Cheltam non se la
prende, accusa il colpo ma si riprende subito e non esita a
dirottare i suoi interessi su Celia; anche lo zio perplesso, ma la
sua esperienza agli insegna a non interferire, e siccome Casanbon
molto freddo e del tutto privo di passione, Dorothea lunica
entusiasta, tra la compassione della sorella e la disapprovazione
dei vicini; prima di sposarsi si reca a visitare i suoi nuovi
possedimenti, dove conosce Will Ladishaw, sfaccendato cugino di
Casanbon, convinto assertore del proprio genio inespresso ed in
procinto di partire per il continente in cerca di nuove esperienze
che gli servano da stimolo.
A Middlemarch vive la famiglia Vincy: il padre fabbricante; il
figlio Fred, indirizzato agli studi ecclesiastici, non gradisce n
listruzione n il mestiere, ed ha anche debiti di gioco; la figlia
Rosamond la pi bella ragazza del paese, annoiata dai concittadini
ed in attesa dun principe azzurro che venga da lontano per amarla.
Oltre che dalla madre, Fred protetto dal vecchio Featherstone,
molto ricco ed ormai prossimo alla morte, che intende includerlo
tra gli eredi a dispetto della sorella Mrs. Waule, che gli rivela i
debiti del giovane; il vecchio accudito dalla poco graziosa Mary
Garth, amica dinfanzia di Rosy; in casa Featherstone Rosy incontra
il giovane Sydgate, e tra i due sinstaura subito un sentimento
reciproco; nello stesso giorno il vecchio punisce Fred chiedendogli
di provare di non aver dato la futura eredit come garanzia per i
debiti.
Tramite il padre, Fred ottiene dallo zio banchiere Bulstrode una
lettera che lo libera da qualsiasi sospetto e Featherstone gli
regala del denaro, anche se meno di quanto saspettasse; Fred si
dichiara a Mary, che per gli rinfaccia dessere un buono a niente,
neppure dottenere quel diploma che tanti altri hanno ottenuto senza
troppa fatica e di vivere soltanto in attesa delleredit.
In viaggio di nozze verso Roma, Dorothea, ora Mrs. Casanbon,
scontenta della propria situazione: la fredda ufficialit ed i
continui impegni del marito lhanno condotta ad una solitudine tanto
fisica quanto morale; comincia ad intravedere un futuro meno roseo
e pi grigio, e a capire che il grande sapere del marito non basta a
riempire la sua vita; anche Casanbon non contento della moglie,
perch vede in lei una superficialit infantile per quanto riguarda
il suo lavoro, un entusiasmo ignorante che potrebbe rovinare tutto.
A Roma c anche Will Ladishaw, che intuisce come Dorothea si sia
sposata pi per servire che per amare, e, a poco a poco, se ne
invaghisce. Ai cugini fa conoscere Neumann, un pittore tedesco che,
volendo ritrarre la bellezza di Dorothea, esegue un ritratto a
Casanbon, glielo vende e, nel frattempo, approfitta della presenza
della sua vera modella; Will quasi geloso di Neumann, e, col suo
modo desprimersi ben pi franco e naturale di quello del marito, s
reso molto simpatico a Dorothea.
Fred non pu pagare un debito di cui il padre di Mary sera fatto
garante: non pu rivolgersi a suo padre, che non lo aiuterebbe perch
in disaccordo da quando Fred ha deciso dabbandonare gli esami, e
perci dovr pagare la famiglia Garth, ma i Garth sono pi poveri dei
Vincy, e, pi orgogliosi di Fred, non chiedono elemosine al ricco
parente Featherstone; con il suo lavoro dinsegnante, la madre di
Mary ha messo da parte quanto basta per far intraprendere gli studi
al figlio Alfred, e Mary stessa ha accumulato qualche risparmio
servendo Featherstone: tanto gentile, onesto e fiducioso quanto
ingenuo nel farsi compromettere da Fred, il buon Garth deve
ricorrere ad entrambi i risparmi. Fred si scusa sia con i genitori
sia con la figlia, ma ormai lopinione che tutti si vanno facendo di
lui che sia bravo pi con le parole che con i fatti: grazie,
infatti, alleredit, Fred troppo certo del proprio futuro per
trovarsi unoccupazione seria che lo renda indipendente dagli altri;
egli non fa che aspettare la morte del vecchio vivendo alla
giornata sino a quel giorno. Per questo Mary non accetta le sue
dimostrazioni daffetto: ha troppo buon senso per capire come sar la
vita di Fred e troppo orgoglio per pensare di accettarla; intanto
Fred s ammalato seriamente, e la diagnosi sbagliata del medico di
casa Vincy consente a Sydgate di porre rimedio e dintrodursi (ma
gli procura anche inimicizie presso gli altri medici); nelle sue
frequenti visite bada pi a Rosamond che a Fred, anche se non si
decide ad appagare le speranze della giovane. Tornata nel frattempo
dal viaggio di nozze, Dorothea apprende del fidanzamento della
sorella con James Cheltam, e litiga con il marito che la offende
come se lei volesse sempre qualcosa che a lui dispiace, ma poco
dopo il marito ha un serio attacco di cuore; Sydgate si rende conto
della gravit e gli consiglia di dedicare pi tempo allo svago,
mentre rivela a Dorothea che ci imperativo, se si vuole evitare una
morte improvvisa, ma Dorothea sa quanto gli studi contino nella
vita del marito, e non vede come egli possa cambiare vita da un
giorno allaltro e rinunciare alle ambizioni per cui ha lavorato cos
tanto; in lacrime Dorothea chiede consiglio a Sydgate, che,
commosso, non sa cosa risponderle.
Rosamond molto imbarazzata e spaventata dallindecisione di
Sydgate: si parla apertamente dun loro fidanzamento, mentre lui non
le ha ancora detto nulla, anzi, un giorno Sydgate confessa di non
aver propositi matrimoniali, e questo fa sentire Rosamond
uninnamorata non corrisposta; allarmato dalle voci insistenti,
Sydgate entra in casa Vincy affliggendo ancor pi Rosamond, e quando
vi torna il suo tono freddo provoca le lacrime della ragazza, che
cos confessa i propri sentimenti, e, in quel momento, il medico
sinnamora definitivamente e si dichiara.
Ormai prossimo alla fine, Peter Featherstone assillato dai
parenti che vogliono essere ricordati nel testamento e che
inveiscono contro i Vincy, considerati degli intrusi; poco prima di
morire il vecchio chiama accanto a s Mary e le rivela daver steso
due testamenti, per riservarsi sino allultimo la possibilit di
scegliere quale bruciare, ma invita invano Mary a prendere le
carte: Mary non se la sente dessere protagonista di un atto cos
importante, e gli chiede di chiamare qualcun altro, oppure
daspettare il giorno dopo; nonostante il vecchio le ordini di
prendere le chiavi e le offra persino del denaro, Mary rifiuta;
poche ore dopo Featherstone muore. Si trovano due testamenti, il
primo dei quali lascia quasi tutto a Fred, mentre il secondo
(quello che voleva bruciare con laiuto di Mary) lascia quasi tutto
ad uno straniero, Joshua Pigg. Le conseguenze di questeredit sono
la crisi della famiglia Vincy (in cui la sfaccendaggine di Fred ed
il matrimonio povero di Rosamond erano tollerati in virt duna
futura ricchezza), il senso di colpa di Mary (che stata, seppur
involontaria, arbitra della fortuna di Fred), e lo scontento dei
Featherstone.
Tornato dal suo viaggio, Will Ladishaw si stabilisce presso il
padre di Dorothea, che stima molto le sue capacit, e, comprato un
giornale locale, offre un impiego al giovane; Will tanto simpatico
a Dorothea quanto antipatico a Casanbon. Dorothea trova in lui la
compagnia giovane e vivace che le manca, ed un buon motivo per
stimare il marito, da anni benefattore di Will. Casanbon irritato
da questa simpatia, considera una specie daffronto la decisione, da
parte del cugino, di rendersi indipendente, soprattutto perch
intende esercitare nel vicinato, come a voler dimostrare di poter
fare a meno di lui e meglio di lui. Casanbon pensa che la simpatia
della moglie sia dovuta alla tattica seduttrice di Will; Dorothea
difende la sua causa irritando Casanbon, che non gradisce neppure
le visite del nipote (in realt semplicemente geloso del giovane
attraente); Will considera Dorothea una specie di martire e non
esita a considerare Casanbon il suo carnefice: si propone daiutare
e servire Dorothea, in modo che possa trovare in lui la
comprensione e la dedizione che il marito non le concede; pur
essendo ufficialmente riconoscente verso Casanbon, Will sa
dellostilit, e la ricambia.
Mr. Brooke ha intenzione di presentarsi come candidato alle
prossime elezioni per il parlamento: spinto dalle critiche rivolte
al suo comportamento verso i locatari delle sue terre, su pressione
di Dorothea e dei vicini costretto ad ingaggiare Caleb Garth per
restaurare tutti i villini; questo lavoro risolleva le condizioni
della famiglia, cosicch Mary pu restare a casa. Il buon Garth fiero
dessere stato richiamato al posto che gi occupava molto tempo
prima.
Casanbon apprende della gravit del proprio malanno; la sua
freddezza ha posto Dorothea in una solitudine ingiusta, che
assomiglia molto ad una reclusione; Dorothea premurosa e sensibile,
unottima moglie, e non sa spiegarsi lostilit del marito;
ciononostante prosegue umile a volergli bene, contenta delle poche
parole affettuose che riceve e di essere utile allingegno del
marito, ma Casanbon sempre pi geloso di Ladishaw: pur avendolo
bandito da casa sua, teme che alla sua morte il giovane cugino
sposer Dorothea.
Celia diventa mamma e Casanbon muore, lasciando come ultimo
desiderio un veto ad un eventuale matrimonio tra Dorothea e
Ladishaw, come se tra loro vi fosse gi qualcosa; questa postilla al
testamento ed un sincero discorso della sorella spingono Dorothea a
vedere il marito sotto un altro aspetto: i suoi pensieri egoisti,
diffidenti e sospettosi erano certo meno elevati di quanto lei
pensasse. Rimessasi, Dorothea deve tornare agli affari di Sowick,
e, per prima cosa, affida gli affari spirituali a Farebrothen,
tanto buono quanto poco coerente nella sua abitudine al gioco,
peraltro dovuta alla necessit di racimolare un po di denaro per i
familiari; Farebrothen stima Mary Garth, e le sorelle non esitano a
spingerlo a propositi di matrimonio, ma , tra laltro, anche
confidente di Fred, che lo incarica di chiedere proprio a Mary se
potr mai essere sua moglie, e se approva la sua decisione
dintraprendere la carriera ecclesiastica: Mary e Fred sono
cresciuti insieme e Fred ha amato Mary da sempre. Mary non pu
promettergli che sar sua, perch cos facendo andrebbe contro la
volont dei genitori, ma gli promette che non sar mai sua se lui
entrer nella chiesa.
Annoiatasi della compagnia della sorella e del neonato, Dorothea
torna stabilmente a Sowick, riordina i taccuini del marito ed
aspetta con ansia dincontrare Will; su un appunto lasciatole dal
marito scrive "non posso sottomettere la mia anima alla tua,
lavorando a cose in cui non credo": pur avendo perso la fiducia e
la stima del marito, prova come un sentimento di piet verso le cose
da lui lasciate, per quelluomo cos turbato e, in fondo, infelice
che aveva dedicato tutto al suo lavoro e che era morto prima di
completarlo, e la cui moglie era intenzionata a seppellire anche
quel poco che rimaneva di lui, cio proprio i frammenti di quel
lavoro; ciononostante Dorothea desidera ricevere Will: in lei
sempre pi forte lassociare la sensazione dellingiustizia con la
posizione di Will, forse privato della sua legittima propriet dai
Casanbon, maltrattato e bandito dal marito, ed ora vittima delle
malignit, e resta sempre forte il suo sentimento damicizia verso di
lui, pur sapendo quello che il mondo intero penserebbe di lei se
riallacciasse quellamicizia. Quando Will, intenzionato a
trasferirsi in citt per un lungo periodo, si presenta per dirle
addio, Dorothea, dapprima molto agitata, stenta a riprendere il suo
controllo: come sempre parla con molta sincerit e senza
cerimoniali, con un tono di saggezza e rassegnazione; forse Will
vorrebbe che lei scoppiasse in lacrime, e sarrabbia; quando stanno
per dirsi qualcosa di pi profondo, arriva James Cheltham, e Will
deve lasciare Dorothea.
Spesso i sentimenti di Dorothea, in apparenza cos forte e
sicura, si esprimono attraverso il pianto (reale, preteso od
imminente), e cos il suo sguardo e le lacrime sono il metodo pi
semplice di descrivere le sue emozioni: Will era stato lunica gioia
della sua breve esperienza matrimoniale, e, pur senza rendersene
conto, quella che lei aveva considerato unamicizia era qualcosa di
pi; decisa comunque, pur essendo poco pi che ventenne, a non
risposarsi, si mette alacremente al lavoro con Caleb Garth per
migliorare i suoi possedimenti; il molto lavoro consente al buon
Garth di assumere Fred (che, sfidando le ire del padre, ha
rinunciato alla carriera ecclesiastica e non esita a confessare il
suo amore per Mary ed il suo bisogno di riabilitarsi lavorando)
alle sue dipendenze. Il padre di Mary lieto di offrirgli
unoccasione, forse influenzato dal gesto di Mary (che decise le
sorti delleredit), mentre la madre ne dispiaciuta: sperava in
Farebrothen, un marito che avrebbe elevato di molto il rango della
famiglia, ma Caleb, pur fiero di questa possibilit, giudica il
grande affetto di Fred pi importante per il futuro di Mary; quando
per Fred apprende delle diverse speranze della signora Garth
singelosisce di Farebrother, il suo migliore amico, e, sconsolato,
si presenta da Mary, professandosi certo che lei finir per sposare
il pastore; Mary, infatti, spesso ospite della sua famiglia per
piccoli lavori, ed quindi influenzabile dalla madre e dalle sorelle
del bravuomo, oltre che dalla propria madre e, soprattutto, da
Farebrothen, perfetto in ogni sua maniera, colto ed elevato, tanto
migliore di Fred sotto ogni aspetto, ma Mary quasi soffende di
questa gelosia.
Sydgate si trova in difficolt economiche ed ha qualche
disaccordo con Rosemond: Rosemond stata infatti viziata, abituata
allo spreco, testarda e disubbidiente; amante dellequitazione,
nonostante il marito le avesse proibito quello sport, perde un
figlio cadendo, incinta, da cavallo; gongola nel frequentare il
ramo nobile dei Sydgate, perch ama essere invidiata; non per nulla
ben disposta verso la nuova vita che le difficolt economiche
rilevatele dal marito le prospettano, e, disubbidendo ancora una
volta, chiede aiuto a suo padre, che peraltro sempre stato poco
favorevole al matrimonio e non ha nessuna intenzione di provvedere;
infine, non appena saputala, rivela a Will la postilla del
testamento di Casanlon.
Bulstrode, altro ricco zio di Fred, ha cominciato la sua
carriera dal nulla: orfano, allevato in una casa di carit, aveva
iniziato a lavorare come impiegato; preso da una foga spirituale,
aveva anche pensato di diventare missionario. Il membro pi ricco
della sua congregazione, Demkirk, laveva accolto in casa sua e gli
aveva affidato gli incarichi che favorirono linizio della sua
fortuna. Morti Demkirk ed il figlio di questi, e fuggita la figlia
per darsi al teatro, Bulstrode sera trovato nella condizione di
poter sposare la ricca vedova; prima di sposarsi questa volle
verificare se la figlia avesse messo al mondo un bambino, nel qual
caso gli sarebbe stato concesso qualcosa degli averi dei Demkirk;
ma, per impadronirsi dellintera eredit, Bulstrode corruppe luomo
che aveva rintracciato la giovane affinch non rendesse noto lesito
delle sue ricerche. Bulstrode giustificava questo, e, in generale
il suo attaccamento alla ricchezza, con una visione molto
egocentrica della provvidenza, che lavrebbe scelto per disporre nel
bene ci che altri avrebbero disposto nel male; morta la moglie,
Bulstrode sera conquistato una posizione rispettabile di banchiere
e benefattore a Middlemarch, ed aveva sposato Harriet Vincy; ora
per era ricattato da Raffles, lunico uomo che sapesse del misfatto;
lipocrisia di Bulstrode ancora pi grande per il fatto che i
traffici dei Demkirk erano tuttaltro che puliti: prestavano denaro
su pegno senza troppi scrupoli sulla provenienza dei beni
impegnati; Bulstrode decide comunque di porre rimedio al male
arrecato allerede naturale, che risulta essere Will Ladishaw, ma
questi rifiuta sdegnosamente del denaro proveniente da traffici
disonesti; dopo un ultimo saluto a Dorothea, ormai innamorata e
persino gelosa, Will parte da Middlemarch in cerca di
unoccupazione.
Sydgate simpiega nellospedale che Bulstrode ha fatto costruire,
ma la situazione familiare peggiora: nonostante i debiti, Rosemond
si ostina a non voler abbandonare il suo tenore di vita, lo
contraddice e disubbidisce in tutte le decisioni, agisce di
nascosto per evitare che si realizzino i suoi piani di sacrifici.
Sydgate si rivolge invano a Bulstrode: quando i creditori gli
entrano in casa, Rosamond decide di tornare dai suoi.
Bulstrode decide di liberarsi di Raffles portandolo lontano da
Middlemarch, ma Raffles ritorna in condizioni fisiche disperate, e
viene trovato da Caleb Garth, al quale rivela in delirio il passato
di Bulstrode; informato Bulstrode, Garth rifiuta di lavorare ancora
per lui: Bulstrode sa che Garth non parler con nessuno, ma teme che
Raffles possa delirare ancora in presenza di altri, e perci lo
veglia personalmente ed esegue le prescrizioni di Sydgate; presto
per comincia a sperare nella morte del suo persecutore e finisce
per accelerarla, omettendo deseguire alcune delle raccomandazioni
del dottore; pur dingraziarsi questultimo, gli presta i soldi
necessari per pagare i creditori. Pur felice daver risolto i suoi
problemi, Suydgate non capisce il motivo di tanta generosit dopo il
primo rifiuto; prima dammalarsi Raffles ha comunque parlato con un
abitante di Middlemarch, e la voce s sparsa velocemente; alla prima
occasione Bulstrode viene pubblicamente accusato dai suoi nemici, e
Sydgate viene considerato suo alleato: entrambi vengono isolati, ma
mentre la moglie di Bulstrode decide di seguirlo comunque con
affetto, Rosamond viene scagliata ancora pi lontano da Suydgate, e
tra i due sinstaura lincomprensione pi totale. Dorothea si offre di
aiutare Sydgate, sia moralmente (difendendolo dalla calunnia), sia
economicamente (finanziando lospedale istituito da Bulstrode e
pagando il debito di Suydgate verso questi); si reca persino a casa
sua per convincere Rosamond ad abbandonare i propositi di partenza
e per testimoniare la sua stima nei confronti del marito, ma nella
sala daspetto di casa Sydgate trova Rosamond e Will Ladishaw
intenti, mano nella mano, a sussurrare teneramente lun laltra i
propri problemi; Rosamond soltanto imbarazzata dessere colta in
quellatteggiamento, ma Will, rendendosi conto daver perso la
fiducia di Dorothea, sinfuria con lei, e mentre Dorothea cerca di
non soffrire pi del dovuto per quellimmagine che guasta i suoi
buoni propositi (e, in generale, per quelloffesa che il suo buon
cuore non meritava), Rosamond sprofonda nellumiliazione e nella
disperazione: abituata ad essere coccolata da tutti e da tutti
preferita, deve sopportare la preferenza che Will accorda a
Dorothea, proprio quando sperava di trovare in lui qualcuno che le
prestava pi attenzioni del marito; invece Will non si lascia
impietosire neppure dalla sua umiliazione, mentre Sydgate ne ancora
innamorato ed ancora commosso da ogni sua depressione. Dorothea si
rende conto daver amato Will: quando la coscienza si sostituisce
allemozione del momento, scoppia in un pianto dirotto; la sua
grande forza morale nasconde ancora una volta un punto di grande
debolezza che lei stessa ha contribuito, con un comportamento
infantile, a rendere ogni giorno pi debole. Dorothea rifiuta sempre
di rendersi conto dei suoi sbagli finch non ha altre alternative,
ed allora piange; passa una notte intera sul pavimento di casa, ma
il giorno dopo ha gi riacquistata tutta la sua forza e si dirige
nuovamente verso casa Suydgate: Rosemond laccoglie freddamente,
poich vede in lei la preferita di Will e la preferita di Suydgate,
e teme questi suoi vantaggi, ma il solito tono naturale, cordiale,
sincero e colmo demozione con cui, dimenticando lincidente del
giorno prima, Dorothea affronta i problemi di Suydgate, vincono la
diffidenza di Rosemond, tanto che finiscono per abbracciarsi
piangenti, e Rosemond trova il modo di spiegarle che, con
quellatteggiamento equivoco, Will stava confessando il suo amore
per Dorothea e vanificando le speranze di Rosamond: Dorothea felice
di questa rivelazione, e, se non felice, Rosamond perlomeno
convinta che il suo miglior rifugio tra le braccia del marito, che,
pur rimpiangendo qualche carenza di carattere nella moglie, sa di
essere a sua volta legato a lei, e si sente responsabile della sua
felicit.
Quando sincontrano, Dorothea e Will capiscono che il loro amore
mimetizzato da amicizia non pu durare a lungo in quella forma: Will
si dispera, ma Dorothea decide egualmente di sposarlo, anche se
dovr rinunciare alleredit di Casanbon e vivere in una delle tante
strade di Londra con gli esigui guadagni di Will, ma, non essendo
mai stata attaccata al denaro, non essendo abituata a grandi spese
personali neppure nellabbigliamento ed avendo sempre pensata la sua
agiatezza come eccessiva, Dorothea sente di poter sacrificare il
suo mondo nonostante le minacce dei parenti ed i curiosi rimproveri
della sorella.
Anche Bulstrode lascia Middlemarch; al nipote Fred lascia, sotto
la responsabilit di Caleb Garth, la conduzione della propriet
appartenuta a Featherstone, ed ora in suo possesso; cos Fred e Mary
possono sposarsi: sotto locchio attento e contento di Caleb Garth,
laffetto di Fred (che dura sin dallinfanzia) e la saggezza di Mary
garantiscono per il futuro.
Alla nascita del primogenito, Dorothea si riconcilia con il
parentado: ben conoscendo il suo nobile carattere ed i suoi
generosi sentimenti (che, sfociati spesso in illusioni, hanno
assunto laspetto di errori, complicando la vita a lei ed a coloro
che le sono affezionati) nessuno vuole portarle rancore.
Il romanzo costruito su tre coppie principali:
Suytgate-Rosamond, Dorothea-Will e Fred-Mary; Dorothea e Sydgate
sono i personaggi pi compiuti, entrambi idealisti frustrati dalla
vita pi che dalla societ; Fred e Mary sono due caratteri
complementari, quasi a s stanti, da sempre destinati a vivere
insieme ma sottoposti ad una serie di prove prima di ottenere il
premio finale: le loro personalit sono pi normali e pi comuni, pi
rurali e pi popolari, prese da problemi concreti che si
ripropongono giorno dopo giorno e non da tragedie o slanci
idealistici. Attorno a queste coppie ruotano molti altri
personaggi: i buoni (come Caleb Garth e Farebrother), i cattivi
(come Bulstrode e Raffles), i simpatici (come Celia) e gli
antipatici (come Casanbon); tutte le loro vite sono viste
nellambito del matrimonio: i loro caratteri sono svelati dai
rapporti con linnamorata o con la moglie e viceversa; in quasi
tutti i casi (compresi Sydgate e Dorothea) il coniuge lo specchio
rivelatore dellanima del personaggio, attraverso i piccoli gesti e
le reazioni spontanee, alle sollecitazioni della compagna o del
compagno; le storie sintrecciano dando origine al villaggio, che,
nel momento di giudicare, assume vita autonoma: il giudizio non del
singolo, ma della comunit (cos per il fallimento di Sydgate, per il
passato di Bulstrode, per il secondo matrimonio di Dorothea); gli
eventi non rappresentano fortune o tragedie eccezionali, e proprio
per questo sono assunti a simbolo universale, della gente che giace
in tombe abbandonate e che ha fatto la societ cos com, risolvendo i
problemi quotidiani della propria esistenza; la variet di queste
piccole vite descritta dalla moltitudine di personaggi; tra i tanti
la Eliot addita Dorothea e Sydgate, quelli che si rendono conto di
essere parte della societ e che, con le loro sole vite, vorrebbero
cambiarla in meglio, ma i loro desideri ed i loro sforzi sono nulli
nella massa di minuscole vite che sono minuscoli contributi al
cambiamento globale, ma tanto numerose che, sommate insieme,
soffocano qualsiasi individualit, e soffocano il bene cos come
soffocano il male, sicch Bulstrode e Casanlon non alterano che di
poco la vita di coloro che sono stati infelici per causa loro.
Questa legge della dinamica duna societ media (cio n aristocratica
n proletaria, n urbana n rurale) contempla un certo numero di
forze: denaro, rango, professione, che agiscono tra due persone
determinando il comportamento reciproco; quando, per, si tratta dun
microcosmo familiare (le due persone sono, cio, marito e moglie od
innamorati), interviene la forza pi nascosta, che agisce in uno
strato pi profondo, nella mente: lincomunicabilit, limpossibilit di
confidare interamente s stessi nonostante il bisogno di farlo
(Sydgate con Rosamond, Dorothea con Casanbon, ma anche i Bulstrode,
Will e Dorothea, ecc.), di farsi capire e di farsi aiutare,
limpossibilit, quindi, di unire gli sforzi individuali. Ma,
nonostante la rinuncia ai propri ideali, alla fine sono tutti
felici (salvo i cattivi), perch nella coppia si realizza una parte
di s.
Middlemarch Plot Analysis
Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients:
the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense,
denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the
recipe and add some spice.
Initial SituationDorothea marries Mr. Casaubon; Lydgate marries
Rosamond
Already, the plot of Middlemarch goes against traditional
Victorian plots. Usually, the protagonist gets married at the very
end, but here, these two couples are married by the end of the
first volume. Dorothea longs to do great and noble work in the
world, but she can't really explain what that work will entail. She
thinks that marriage to a scholar like Mr. Casaubon will somehow
satisfy all of her inexpressible longings. And Lydgate thinks that
marriage to Rosamond will be like a chivalric romance. They're both
wrong.
ConflictEveryone is disillusioned by marriage
Dorothea discovers that Mr. Casaubon is too tied up in his own
little world to pay any attention to her, and Mr. Casaubon begins
to fear that Dorothea doesn't look up to him enough. Lydgate
realizes that Rosamond's seeming docility is just an act and that
she's really as stubborn as a mule, while Rosamond discovers that
Lydgate lives for his work, and not for her.
ComplicationWill Ladislaw shows up in Middlemarch
Dorothea is happy to see Will, but his appearance puts another
strain on her marriage: Mr. Casaubon is jealous and suspicious of
the friendship between Dorothea and Will, and he tries to stop them
from seeing each other. Meanwhile, Will has made friends with
Lydgate and Rosamond and hangs out at their house a lot. He's not
conscious of it, but Rosamond is developing a crush on him.
ClimaxMr. Casaubon dies and leaves an unfair codicil in his
will
The codicil in Mr. Casaubon's will makes it impossible for
Dorothea and Will to see each other without causing a lot of
gossip. The codicil says that if Dorothea remarries Will Ladislaw,
she'll forfeit all the inheritance from Mr. Casaubon. The
implication is that she wanted to marry Will in the first place.
Will feels like he can't go anywhere near her without people
whispering about how he's only after her money.
SuspenseDorothea catches Rosamond and Will together
Dorothea is ready to ignore her dead husband's codicil because
she has realized that she's in love with Will, but then she walks
in on Rosamond and Will alone together. She thinks they're making
out, but really Will is telling Rosamond to back off because he's
in love with Dorothea. Will they ever get over this
misunderstanding?
DenouementRosamond explains it all
Even after seeing Rosamond and Will together, Dorothea is
generous enough to visit Rosamond to try to help her save her
marriage. Rosamond is so touched by Dorothea's generosity that she
tells Dorothea that everything was her fault she was coming on to
Will, and he was rejecting her, when Dorothea walked in. Will's in
love with Dorothea after all!
ConclusionDorothea and Will marry and live happily ever after;
Lydgate and Rosamond do not
The final chapter (the "Finale") explains what happens to all of
the major characters. Dorothea and Will marry even though it means
giving up Mr. Casaubon's fortune. And Lydgate and Rosamond live
unhappily ever after. Until Lydgate dies and Rosamond is free to
remarry.
Whats Up With the Ending?
The ending ofMiddlemarchis a problem for a lot of readers and
critics: is it a happy ending? This is an honest question we learn
in the "Finale" chapter what happens to all the major characters:
Mary and Fred live happily ever after; Lydgate and Rosamond live
unhappily, but at least non-adulterously, until Lydgate dies and
Rosamond is free to remarry.That's all fine, and what we would have
predicted. But what about Dorothea? She becomes Mrs. Ladislaw, and
Will becomes an important politician. Wasn't Dorothea destined for
greater things? The narrator tells us that many of her friends
thought so: "many who knew her, thought it a pity that so
substantive and rare a creature should have been absorbed into the
life of another, and be only known in a certain circle as a wife
and mother" (8.finale.13). Her brother-in-law, Sir James Chettam,
always used to say that Dorothea should have been a "queen," and
yet she ends up playing the conventional Victorian role of "wife
and mother." Are we supposed to be disappointed that she doesn't
lead an "epic" life?Take a look at the final lines of the novel
Eliot says that Dorothea's "full nature, like that river of which
Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no
great name on the earth." In other words, Dorothea's lofty,
idealistic nature is like a river that gets dammed up and
redirected and turned into lots of smaller canals. So, instead of
being a wide and powerful river, her energies get turned into
narrower channels. Is this a bad thing? Seems like it could be but
read on.The narrator goes on to say that Dorothea's "effect [] on
those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good
of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts." So, the good
thing about the river that gets redirected into many narrow
channels is that it provides water to lots of people, even if they
don't realize what a great and powerful river it used to be. It's
the same way with Dorothea: her "effect" on the people around her
is "incalculably diffusive." And this is important, too: it might
not have been an "epic" life in the sense that she didn't complete
any of her grand plans, but just because her "acts" were
"unhistoric" (i.e., not worthy of being recorded in history books
alongside great battles and lives of kings and queens), doesn't
make them any the less important in the long run.The ending
ofMiddlemarchmight not be "happy" in the traditional sense after
all, the final words are "unvisited tombs" but maybe it's not as
pessimistic as it at first might seem. We're all performing
"unhistoric acts" everyday, and although we might not see all the
consequences of what we do, the effects still could be as
"incalculably diffusive" as Dorothea's.
Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Middlemarchfalls into the category of literary fiction pretty
tidily: it's a novel, it's written in prose, and the third-person
narrator is concerned with developing characters that have
psychological depth and that react to events in a way that seems
bothrealisticandsympathetic(i.e., we're able to imagine ourselves
in their position, even if we don't agree with
it).CallingMiddlemarcha work of "historical fiction" is slightly
more problematic. What makes something "historic,"
anyway?Middlemarchwas written in 1870-71, but it takes place in
1830-32. Does a gap of forty years make it historical fiction? The
novelist who (arguably) invented historical fiction, Sir Walter
Scott, wrote his first novel,Waverley, about historical events that
took place sixty years before the time of writing. So, if sixty
years makes something "historical fiction," why not forty
years?
Middlemarch Narrator:
Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more
importantly, can we trust her or him?
Third Person (Omniscient)
The narrator ofMiddlemarchdoesn't just know everything about
everybody in the novel (that's what "third person omniscient"
means), she seems to know everything about everybody, ever. The
narrator is always making references or comparisons to literature,
art, music, science, and history these references are so frequent
that most readers are constantly flipping to the footnotes or
visiting the "historical references" section of Shmoop's "Shout
Outs." Why does the narrator do this? Well, one effect of all those
references is to make the struggles of the individual characters
seem more timeless and universal. The narrator is always switching
from the micro-level problems of characters in the novel to the
macro-level trends that those characters represent. And by
frequently referring to famous authors (Shakespeare, anyone?), the
narrator is able to make the point that the struggles she's
representing inMiddlemarcharen't unique to the nineteenth century
they're timeless.
Middlemarch Setting
Where It All Goes Down
Middlemarch, England
The novel is set in the fictional town of Middlemarch, England
in 1830-1832. (For more on why it's set in 1830, when it was
written in 1870, check out the "In a Nutshell"; for more on the
town of Middlemarch, see "What's Up with the Title?") Aside from a
couple of flashbacks (to Lydgate's time in France and Bulstrode's
time in London) and Dorothea and Mr. Casaubon's honeymoon in Rome,
the novel stays pretty well glued to Middlemarch.
Whats Up With the Title?
Middlemarch is the name of the town where almost every scene of
novel takes place. It's a pretty average place, as the "middle"
part of the name suggests. It's a fictional town, but one that is
supposed to be representative of dozens of other towns like it at
this point in English history. It's in the "middle" of England,
toonorth of London, and pretty much in the "middle" of nowhere you
get the picture.The second part of the title, "A Study of
Provincial Life," sounds almost scientific. Eliot wants to suggest
that she's giving the reader an objective, anthropological "study"
of the way people really lived in the provinces (in the country, in
other words outside of major cities like London, Edinburgh, and
Manchester). But how objective is Eliot? Well, science is certainly
a major theme of the novel (see the "Themes" section), but the
narrator's "scientific" objectivity comes and goes
Portrait of Will's Grandmother
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
The portrait of Will's grandmother comes up again and again.
Dorothea associates it with Will, because it looks like him, but it
could also be seen as a symbol for unhappiness in marriage. It
seems to work both ways. Early on in the novel, the narrator says
outright that Dorotheafelt a new companionship with it, as if it
had an ear for her and could see how she was looking at it. Here
was a woman who had known some difficulty about marriage. Nay, the
colours deepened, the lips and chin seemed to get larger, the hair
and eyes seemed to be sending out light, the face was masculine and
beamed on her with that full gaze.(3.28.5)Dorothea feels
"companionship" with the painting itself, and imagines that the
woman in it can listen sympathetically to her trouble because she
had had problems, too. But then she starts to imagine that it's
actually an image of Will Ladislaw, who is the only person who has
ever listened to and understood her. The association of the
painting with Will Ladislaw, and with harsh judgments more
generally, continues throughout the novel. Towards the end of the
novel, Dorothea openly caresses the miniature painting: "she took
the little oval picture in her palm and made a bed for it there,
and leaned her cheek upon it, as if that would soothe the creature
who had suffered unjust condemnation" (6.55.2). It's not clear
whether the "creature" she's trying to soothe is Will Ladislaw or
his grandmother, or maybe it just stands in for all people who are
judged unfairly.Dorothea doesn't just associate the portrait with
Will Ladislaw because of the family resemblance. Will's grandmother
gave up the Casaubon family fortune to be with the man she loved
(also named Ladislaw, of course). Dorothea's interest in Aunt Julia
and her portrait could also be seen as foreshadowing her eventual
decision to give up the Casaubon family fortune to marry her
Ladislaw. So the portrait could be doing something more complicated
than the simple association with Will Ladislaw, or with injustice
it could be seen as a symbol of the ways that history repeats
itself.
Analysis of Major Characters
Dorothea Brooke
Dorothea is an exceptional woman: she is smart, pious, and
beautiful, and the governing principle of her character is her
desire to help the needy, seen in her interest in redesigning the
local farmers cottages. By giving money to Lydgates hospital, she
is able to help the less fortunate, and by giving money directly
Lydgate, she frees him from his debt to Bulstrode. Her
philanthropic impulse indicates her essential goodness.
Dorothea is also stubborn and strong-willed, going against
common advice to wed Casaubon, a much older man. Her marriage to
him is driven by her desire to be taught by him, and she devotes
herself to him entirelyand is appropriately devastated when he
dies. Unfortunately, Casaubon doesnt trust her unmitigated
devotion, either to his work or in loving him. When Dorothea learns
of a clause in his will that forbids her to marry his cousin Will
Ladislaw, Dorotheas devotion to her deceased husband shifts. She
feels betrayed by his insinuation that she was unfaithful. In
response, Dorothea refuses to finish Casaubons work, an indication
that she is returning to her independent, pre-marriage self. When
Dorothea does marry Ladislaw, she reveals her growth as a person.
This marriage is a mutual understanding and partnership, and both
members are equals. This marriage required Dorothea to flout
convention and forgo her inherited wealth, and her willingness to
do so show that she has regained her earlier rebellious energy but
with a newfound maturity.
Tertius Lydgate
Lydgate enters Middlemarch as the bright, cutting-edge handsome
new doctor. Although he is of high birth, Lydgate wants to be a
country doctor. Lydgates desire is not entirely selfless, but he is
genuinely interested in helping others. He is motivated by the
desire to reform medical practices, and he symbolizes change and
reform coming to Middlemarch. At first, things go well for Lydgate.
His practice grows, he starts a new hospital, and he gains a
reputation as a good doctor with patients of high social and
financial standing. But when he abruptly falls in love with
Rosamond, things begin to go downhill rapidly. Marriage ruins
Lydgate, both financially and idealistically. As he gets further
and further into debt, his personality changes, vacillating between
coddling and soothing Rosamond and feeling intense bitterness
toward her. The financial burden of marriage comes between him and
his desire to reform the provincial medical practices of the
neighborhood. In addition to his debts, the scandal of Raffles
death marks him as an accomplice to murder.
Rosamond Vincy
Rosamond is the most genteel character inMiddlemarch. Her
interests are not serious; she is concerned with social niceties,
upward mobility, and living well. While Dorothea is beautiful,
Rosamond is stunning and swanlike, a model of perfection. Although
Rosamond comes from a middle-class background, her education lifts
her to a higher social circle. She represents the ability to change
social status through conduct, but in the end her education ruins
her marriage and happiness.
Rosamonds primary motivation is social advancement, which fuels
her desire to wed Dr. Lydgate. Initially Rosamond seems to
genuinely love Lydgate, but when he loses his money, Rosamond loses
interest in him. Their marriage fails as Rosamond struggles to keep
her house and her possessions and becomes petulant and manipulative
in the process.
Character List
Dorothea Brooke
Oldest of two daughters, and raised by her bachelor uncle, Mr.
Brooke. Dorothea is an excessively religious, pious girlto the
extent that she withdraws from the activities she likes most, and
convinces herself to marry a man, Mr. Casaubon, who cannot satisfy
her emotionally or mentally. Dorothea, although she is fairly
well-educated, is nave about the outside world; when her marriage
disappoints her, she is forced to learn that she cannot make a life
through other people, and that she must fulfill her purpose in life
through her own effort.
Celia Brooke
Dorothea's younger sister, the more calm and ordinary of the
two. Although she makes no challenges to convention, Celia is
sensible, and very perceptive when it comes to people and the
Middlemarch world around her. She marries the kind and sensitive
Sir James Chettam, a much better match, and made for better
reasons, than her sister's union.
Mr. Brooke
Dorothea and Celia's guardian and uncle, brother to their
deceased father. He is a strong-willed man, with definite, though
outdated, ideas about what women should and should not do. Mr.
Brooke means well, however, and has few qualms about flying in the
face of Middlemarch conventions and politics, if need be.
Edward Casaubon
Dorothea's middle-aged husband, a crusty old scholar with an
inability to feel emotion or love. He slaves away on a project
called "The Key to All Mythologies," a work that is supposed to
integrate his life's learning. However, Casaubon really has no
intention of writing or finishing it, and has lost his ability to
live and his will to achieve in the musty pages of books. He is
also a man prone to jealousy and insecurity, which places a great
burden on his young wife, Dorothea.
Sir James Chettam
Begins pursuing Dorothea at the beginning of the novel, but
gives her up for her sister Celia when Dorothea becomes engaged to
Casaubon. Chettam is an affable, kind man, who listens ardently to
Dorothea's plans for improving the life of rural folk, and then
takes great measures to make her plans a reality. Unlike many of
the men in this novel, he does not subscribe to ideas that women
should be weak, ornamental, and limited in their activities to
household affairs; this makes his union with Celia a happy one, and
cements his friendship with Dorothea.
Mr. Cadwallader
Preacher of Sir James' parish, and a trusted friend and advisor
to him as well. He is kind, though has strong opinions in certain
issues. He is often at Freshitt, Sir James' estate, for casual
occasions and conversations.
Mrs. Cadwallader
Wife of Mr. Cadwallader, also rather kind-hearted, though with a
tendency to be a bit of a busy-body. She knows all about
neighborhood affairs, showing perhaps a little too much interest in
other people's business.
Will Ladislaw
Young cousin of Mr. Casaubon, whom Casaubon has little regard
for. He is kind though proud, and very intelligent. But, he is of
lower social and economic standing than Casaubon because both his
mother and grandmother married beneath themselves, and were
disowned as a result. He is Dorothea's true love, and both of them
bring out the best in each other.
Dr. Tertius Lydgate
Young man of about 30, of good family and social connections. He
is the newest doctor in Middlemarch, and gains a lot of criticism
from the old guard for his new methods and outsider status. He is
proud to a fault, bright, and thinks that he has the capacity to be
a great innovator in medicine. He falls in love with Rosamond and
marries her, though his finances are less than ideal.
Rosamond Vincy
Very vain, empty-headed young woman, though her social graces
and manner are perfect. She loves Lydgate because he is an outsider
with impressive connections, and flatters her often. She needs
constant attention from male suitors, even after marriage, and only
the finest things around her. She treasures expensive possessions
and furniture even more than her husband Lydgate, which causes
great discord.
Mr. Vincy
Rosamond and Fred's father, mayor of Middlemarch. His family is
one of the foremost in local society, and he is a merchant of good
standing, dealing in cloth. Their family is not all rich, but got
money from business. Mr. Vincy is very economical and works hard,
though the rest of his family does not.
Mrs. Vincy
Wife to Mr. Vincy, and originator of many of her daughter
Rosamond's flaws. She is also rather empty-headed, materialistic,
and impractical; she gets Rosamond used to a very high standard of
living, beyond even her husband's needs. She is not a bad woman,
though she is recognized as being flawed, and not as steady as her
husband.
Fred Vincy
The Vincys' only son; he starts out as a spendthrift and a very
irresponsible young man, though by the end of the novel, he is
doing decidedly better. He is in love with Mary Garth, though she
is below him in social standing. However, Mary is much more
sensible than he is, and gets him to work hard and prosper.
Mary Garth
Oldest child of the Garths, she works for Mr. Featherstone at
Stone Court until his death. She is an intelligent girl who knows a
good bit of literature, and she also has good experience with human
nature. Mary is very affable, practical, and independent. She also
helps Fred to improve himself immeasurably.
Caleb Garth
Mary's father, a hard-working man who manages estates and does
improvements and construction projects on properties. He is far
from rich, and very generous in spirit; overall a good man, who is
always honest, and treats people well. He has a number of children,
Mary being the most prominent. Fred becomes his apprentice when he
cleans up his act.
Mrs. Garth
Wife of Caleb, just as honest and upstanding. She gives lessons
to her own children and to village children as well, making extra
money from this. She prizes responsibility, education, and honesty,
and makes sure all of her children have these traits. She is a
harder judge than her husband, but they are still a good match.
Mr. Featherstone
Owner of Stone Court, and very wealthy; related to both the
Vincys and the Garths through his two childless marriages. He is a
stern, unkind old man who uses his wealth as a threat to other
people. He leaves his estate to his illegitimate son Mr. Rigg,
which disappoints the Vincy family a great deal.
Mr. Rigg
Illegitimate son of Featherstone; he is disliked by people in
Middlemarch for his common origins, and for being an outsider. He
handles business and accountancy matters, and sells Stone Court to
Mr. Bulstrode. He is stern and not very social, but not as mean as
his father.
Mr. Bulstrode
Another prominent figure in Middlemarch, who runs a bank, a
hospital, and other institutions. He has a good deal of money, and
is prosperous; but his tendency to sermonize and keep an absurdly
pious faade in public means that he is very unpopular with many
people.
Mrs. Bulstrode
Mr. Vincy's sister; she is a very good woman, honest,
upstanding, and faithful. She is also very good at evaluating other
people, and their affairs. She gives excellent advice to Rosamond
about marrying, and to the Vincys as well. Though her husband got
his start in London, she is a true Middlemarcher, with a long
family history there.
Mrs. Waule
Mr. Featherstone's sister, whom Mr. Featherstone does not like.
She only comes to see him when he is dying, with the expectation
that he will give her money in his will. A rater unpleasant woman,
and not good company either.
Farebrother
A very honest and good man, though he is also human and would be
the first to say so. He is in the clergy, and makes very little
money; he supports his sister, mother, and aunt with this money,
which is a bit of a strain. He is a good friend to Ladislaw,
Lydgate, and others; he is also in love with Mary Garth, and she
regards him highly.
Mr. Tyke
Another clergyman in the area, though his preaching is more
sanctimonious, and favored by Bulstrode. He gets the position as
the chaplain at the hospital instead of Farebrother for political
reasons, although Farebrother is favored personally and as a
preacher by most of the neighborhood.
Naumann
Will's painter friend in Rome, who appreciates Dorothea's
beauty.
Trumbull
Town auctioneer, and business advisor to Featherstone. He seems
to know Featherstone better than almost anyone, and is the only
person other than Rigg who receives anything from his will.
Mr. Raffles
Rigg's stepfather, a good-for-nothing. Also a former business
partner of Bulstrode's. He helped Bulstrode in some very
disreputable trades, and comes back years later to blackmail him.
He effectively blackens Bulstrode's name, then dies of alcoholism
while under his care.
Christy Garth
The Garths' oldest son; he is a real academic excelling in
languages and other subjects. He is responsible, upright, and
everything that the Garths treasure in a person's character.
Captain Lydgate
Lydgate's flighty, wealthy, and airheaded cousin. Lydgate
doesn't care for him at all, though Rosamond adores him because he
pays her a lot of attention.
Godwin Lydgate
Lydgate's very wealthy uncle, who turns down Rosamond's request
for a loan. He seems rather haughty, and not generous at all.
Miss Noble
Farebrother's aunt, who has never married. She is kindly, and
Will is a very good friend to her.
Ned Plymdale
Vain suitor of Rosamond's, though she rejects him. He goes on to
do well financially, and get married to someone else.
Mrs. Plymdale
Ned's mother, very proud and boastful about her son's success.
Bitter that Rosamond rejects him.
Middlemarch Summary
Dorothea and Celia are two Middlemarch sister of marriageable
age. Dorothea chooses Casaubon, a dried-up old scholar, for her
husband, much to everyone's dismay. Celia, more sensible,
choosesSir James Chettam, a local nobleman who wanted to marry
Dorothea, before she turned him down. Celia andMr. Brooke,
Dorothea's uncle, try to counsel her against marrying Casaubon,
though she will not listen. Dorothea likes him because he is
educated, and she wants to learn, though the marriage is a total
mistake.
Dorothea and Casaubon get married; Casaubon hopes for someone to
comfort and serve him, and Dorothea wants to be of use in his work.
They go on honeymoon in Rome, and there they meetWill Ladislaw,
Casaubon's young cousin, whom Casaubon dislikes. Dorothea and Will
become friends immediately; they love to talk to each other, and
seem to have a real connection, which Casaubon is very jealous of.
The honeymoon turns out to be a disaster; Dorothea feels alone and
unwanted, as her husband devotes his full time to his studies, and
none to her.
Fred Vincyis an irresponsible young man who is used to people
providing all the money he needs. He was unable to finish college
because he had no aptitude for it, and He has a gambling debt
against him, which he cannot pay because he has no job. He hasCaleb
Garth, an honest family man, co-sign for the debt. Fred receives
money from his uncle Featherstone with which to pay the debt.
However, he wastes this money, and the Garths, who have little
money, end up having to pay it. Fred is very sad, since he believes
that this will jeopardize his hopes for Mary, their oldest
daughter.
A young doctor named Lydgate moves to the town; he has new
methods in medicine, which make some of the older, more established
doctors his enemies. Rosamond, the Vincys' vain daughter, takes to
him immediately, because he has good connections, and is new to
Middlemarch. He likes her, but doesn't plan to marry; she believes
he is all hers, and will propose very shortly. Lydgate takes the
controversial step of charging patients for his service. Some
people don't like this new way of doing things, but Lydgate is also
able to cure some difficult cases, so his renown is mixed.
Lydgate is drawn toward Bulstrode, who is very influential
though not too well-liked in the town. Lydgate is also compelled to
vote with Bulstrode on certain issues, like who to serve as
hospital chaplain; he does this to please Bulstrode, though he does
not please his conscience.
Featherstone, an old cranky man who is a relative of the Garths
and the Vincys, is dying; his relatives all come to visit, hoping
that he will put them in his will, since he has tons of money and
property. Fred has special hopes that he will get money, being as
close to the old man as most people can be. Featherstone's
relatives turn up in droves when he is sick, all hoping to be put
into his will and get some money. He ignores all of them, and
hasMary Garth, who is his housekeeper, either entertain them, or
have them go away. He dies, and leaves everything to his
illegitimate son,Mr. Rigg, leaving Fred very disappointed.
Dorothea's marriage continues to be a very unpleasant thing; the
dynamic of their marriage does not change, though Casaubon grown
more irritable. He expects her to devote all her time to making him
feel better, soothing his insecurities, etc.; however, he doesn't
tell her what he wants her to do, leaving her completely confused
about everything. He doesn't expect that Dorothea should be a human
being, with her own opinions and ideas; Dorothea becomes less and
less content in the marriage.
Will Ladislaw moves to Middlemarch, much to Casaubon's
displeasure. Mr. Brooke, Dorothea's uncle, has bought a newspaper,
The Pioneer, and hires Will to work on it. Will and Mr. Brooke are
politically progressive, which means that they are not well-liked
in the neighborhood. Mr. Brooke decides to try and run for office;
but he is mocked a great deal and gives up. Will is very
politically adept, though, and should go into politics himself
someday.
Lydgate, though he has no intent of marrying so soon, proposes
to Rosamond; she accepts, and they are to be married. The couple
are warned that they are not suited to each other; Rosamond has no
sense of money, and likes things that are too expensive. However,
the two are married, as Rosamond soon begins spending more than
Lydgate actually has saved.
Casaubon is in a bad condition; Lydgate says that it is a heart
ailment, and can kill him suddenly. Casaubon asks Dorothea to
promise to follow his wishes after he dies; she does not promise
immediately. But, before she can give him her answer, he is dead,
and she is widowed.
There is a clause in Casaubon's will about Dorothea not marrying
Will, or else she forfeits her property. This clause is a shock,
and does not speak well of Will's character. Dorothea goes to visit
her sister and Sir James, and their new baby, Arthur. However, she
soon finds out about the clause, and is deeply troubled by it.
Fred is told to get a job by his father; instead, all that he
can do is go back and finish school, which makes Mary a little
happier. The Garths come upon a great deal of good fortune; Caleb
Garth gets some new properties to manage, which means that the
family has some money at last.Farebrotherand his family also start
doing well; Dorothea gives them her large parish, and the extra
income will allow Farebrother to marry, and will ensure that they
have enough money to live a little better.
Meanwhile, Lydgate is deeply in debt; he cannot pay back his
loans, and his business is failing quickly. Rosamond applies to her
father and his uncle for loans, but nothing seems to work. He is in
a nervous, desperate state, and the marriage is not looking too
good either. Rosamond begins to hate him because he tries to deny
her all the nice, expensive things that she likes. She treasures
her precious things more than she does her husband, who is too
stressed to pay attention to her. She begins keeping company with
Will Ladislaw, and fancies that he loves her. He does not, but it
keeps Rosamond content for some time.
Will finds out about the clause in Casaubon's will, and becomes
determined to leave. He sees Dorothea one last time, and they have
a very heated confrontation. He leaves and goes to London, to find
another job; she stays and tries not to think of him too often.
Fred does not want to go into the clergy, and he has Farebrother
speak to Mary for him. Mary says that she is determined to marry
Fred if he will make good on his promise to get a job, but says he
should not be a preacher. Fred decides, quite by accident, to
become an assistant to Mary's father. His parents are not very
pleased by this, but this is all he wants to do, or has any
aptitude for.
Bulstrode buys Stone Court from Mr. Rigg, who decides to leave
town and go back to the coast. Bulstrode meetsMr. Raffles, a man
from his past, very much by accident; Mr. Raffles was in a
questionable business of selling stolen goods, and will blackmail
Bulstrode if he doesn't get money. Raffles also married Rigg's
mother; but Rigg wouldn't give him any money, and told him to leave
immediately.
Rigg comes again and again to haunt Bulstrode; Bulstrode pays
him to leave, but Raffles comes back, and he is very ill. Raffles
tells Mr. Garth about Bulstrode's past; but Mr. Garth is too
scrupulous to spread this knowledge around, so Bulstrode thinks
that he is safe. Raffles dies at Bulstrode's house, under Lydgate's
care; this doesn't look good, but Raffles died of natural causes
relating to alcoholism. Bulstrode offers Lydgate a large loan to
keep him from going bankrupt; Lydgate takes it, though it looks
really bad, like a bribe. Bulstrode also found out that he had
married Will Ladislaw's grandmother, and had deprived Will of his
rightful inheritance. He tries to repent by offering Will a good
deal of money, but Will refuses, which is good.
Will comes back, but Dorothea catches him with Rosamond, in what
looks like a bad situation. Dorothea is disappointed, and angry
with Will; Will is in turn angry with Rosamond for making things
look like he loved her, when he didn't at all. Will debates whether
to go and see her or not; Sir James wants him out of the
neighborhood again, thinking that he is no good, and he needs to
protect his sister-in-law.
Raffles told his story to a few more people than just Caleb
Garth; the story gets around to Middlemarch, and things start
looking very bad for Bulstrode. Lydgate is also connected with
this, as the loan is thought of as some kind of bribe for being
quiet about the circumstances regarding Raffles' death. Dorothea,
however, believes that Lydgate is innocent. She, Farebrother, and a
few others convince him to stay; in time, public opinion is not so
much against him, though his practice continues to diminish.
Bulstrode, however, has to leave Middlemarch because the scandal
is so bad. His wife is very sorry, because she had no idea that his
past was so dirty; she is a very good person, and makes up her mind
to stay with him no matter what. He leaves in disgrace, though
Lydgate, who is innocent, stays behind.
Fred is doing well in his work for Mr. Garth;Mrs.
Bulstrodeleaves him the management of Stone Court, and he gets to
live there as he takes care of the property. He and Mary become
engaged, though Farebrother also wishes to marry her. But their
engagement will be long, while Fred continues to prove himself
through work, and saves money for marriage.
Dorothea bails out Lydgate with money to pay Bulstrode back.
Finally, Will comes to see her; though she cannot marry him or else
lose her property, she decides she doesn't want to lose him.
Dorothea gives up all of Casaubon's money and property to marry
Will; Celia and Sir James are shocked, though she has made the
right decision. Sir James continues to think badly of the marriage;
but Will and Dorothea go to London, Will is elected to Parliament,
and they are very happy.