George Eliot's novel Middlemarch provides the reader with valuable insight into the lives of several women in the first half of nineteenth-century provincial England. The novel offers its readers a good idea of ​​how people interact and are formed in society, but it also offers a rather detailed study of the intrinsic qualities of some characters and their impact on interactions with other people and on the formation of the protagonists' role in society. life. At the center of this article are the four young marriageable women: Dorothea and Celia Brooke, Rosamond Vincy and Mary Garth. Although Dorothea is often the center of attention, Eliot provides his readers with enough information about all four women that it is possible to make an assessment of their characters and lifestyles. Due to differences in character, ambitions, actions and of course different positions in society, the roles of these four women vary greatly. Furthermore, throughout the novel, various difficult situations highlight character traits that do not adhere to the external image of these women. I will try to incorporate into the study of their character both the characteristics of women in more peaceful times and their characteristics in times of crisis. All four characters seem to have preconceptions about how they should act, and most of their actions arise from these preconceptions. I will argue that all four women are behaving according to a role stereotype and that they choose to comply with it voluntarily. With the exception of Celia, who does not have to endure any difficulties, all four women are very tried by their fate and having a role stereotype seems to give them a protective shell. This article deals with the question of how they hold within their respective stereotypes and how all these stereotypes adhere, even if only in some aspects, to the ideal of the Angel in the House. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn the following analysis, the influence of society on how the four women adhere to their respective role stereotypes is of secondary importance, with the exception of the initial influence of class, which determines their position in society. Of course, aspects of beauty and the perception of women as beautiful or simple are strongly intertwined with society; however, it will be covered here only from the perspective of women. Another important issue is the question of what this fictional reality represents and how it is represented (and for what cause). Especially to feminist critics, who praised Eliot for her critique of the patriarchal system, Eliot's description of women who are not as independent in spirit and action as she herself was seems disconcerting (Langland 184). However, in her book Nobody's Angels Elizabeth Langland argues that such a depiction is a manifestation of Eliot's desire to capture an "essential truth (187)". It does so by “emphasizing…the invisibility of women in the larger social world of nineteenth-century genteel society…(Newman 96).” Below, I will try to show how women contribute to this by keeping themselves within narrow areas of action. The most immediately evident and best adhered to female stereotype is that assumed by Celia Brooke. For her, being a housewife and mother comes naturally and is her greatest desire. In addition to having a good starting position, being of good birth, he also cares about his appearance; her dress "[has] a tinge of coquetry in its arrangements (Eliot 5)." The fact that he is said to have more “common sense” than his educated sister also indicates that he is perfectexemplary of a good Victorian woman. Although he seems to think highly of his sister, he is also well aware that her sense of what is right for a lady of her social standing is better and more pragmatic, as the jewel scene shows. She is "hurt" by her sister's "presumption of superiority (Eliot 10)" that she, Celia, would be interested in jewels, while Dorothea's mind is above such things, but also observes her sister carefully, because he almost expects “that his sister [will show] some weakness (Eliot 11).” Celia's bodily functions also seem to adhere to her role, as she has a color, or rather a “code” of blush that accompanies her verbal reactions When she wants to tell her sister about her engagement to Sir James, "[her] color changes again and again (Eliot 229)" and Dorothea concludes that this kind of blushing "must mean more than Celia's blushing usually means." ] (Eliot 229).” Celia has an excellent grasp of what is right to do for a good woman and what is not, but the knowledge of correct behavior is not everything. She also seems to fit perfectly with the stereotype she has chosen for herself in her beliefs that is a suitable match rather than about love and her perfect interpretation of the stereotype of the good Victorian woman makes her the perfect wife for Chettam Even when Eliot first writes about Chettam he realizes that young Miss Brooke might like him too , she subtly indicates Celia's strong awareness of proper etiquette, since Eliot writes that "[a]distance from her sister, Celia spoke easily enough (18)" with Lord James. This seems to indicate that while Dorothea is around, Celia lets her talk to Sir James, because she knows of his interest in Dorothea. She begins to think of him as a good match for herself only after Dorothea gets married. Other instances that demonstrate how well Celia fits into her stereotype are when she expresses her husband's opinions on something instead of saying "I think." For example: “[h]ow can you marry Ladislaw…? This upsets James so terribly (Eliot 674).” The idea that men's opinions are worth more and that men are destined to carry out great projects and bring about change in society is also expressed when Celia jokingly tells Dorothea that perhaps Arthur, Celia's son, will continue to do big plans like Dorothea once wanted to do. devise (Williams Elliott 195). Here Celia does not console her sister by telling her that perhaps she herself will one day be able to realize her dream, but takes it for granted that a man can do it better. All these examples highlight the fact that Celia not only respects the Victorian "rules" for good female behavior, but that she is very happy to do so and does not even consider the possibility of thinking otherwise. The most striking about Rosamond's quality is its sophistication. His manners and appearance are perfectly graceful and refined. All this makes her the perfect ornamental wife, which many people consider to be a perfect woman. However, all these results also attest to a high degree of artificiality. Rosamond's chosen role is that of a woman who "even plays her own character, and so well, that she doesn't know it's exactly her own (Eliot 97)." The fact that she only takes on this part is precisely the problem. Unlike Celia Brooke, who is generous and loving on the inside, as well as being an impeccable woman on the outside, Rosamond is selfish and driven only by the desire to climb the social ladder and be admired by people for her beauty and wealth. . As Elizabeth Langland writes, "Rosamond...is depicted as armored in a hard social shell that protects the blind selfishness of a selfvulnerable (Langland 189)." The use of this protective "armor" gets to the point that Rosamond is completely unable to deal with her financial problems. Her qualities as a perfect wife are only superficial, as is her superior musical talent which is not really her, but the “cultured playing” of her teacher, Rosamond’s qualities are only presumed and superficial Rosamond, however, is fully convinced that “external behavior constitutes the person” (Langland 189)” and. that therefore her refined manners mean that everything she does is right and will ultimately lead her to achieve a high social position. As Langland points out, "Rosamond sees society as a means to her pursuit (188)" and therefore takes on a way that will fascinate society. What Rosamond forgets to consider are the effects of her actions, in particular Rosamond's decision to marry Lydgate is once again based, like many of her actions, on stereotype to which it adheres. She evaluates her situation and knows that she can escape her low social class by using her beauty and sophistication to her advantage. When he hears that Lydgate is of considerably high birth, he immediately considers him a good match. Furthermore, she believes that he will “increase the practice (Eliot 291),” as he tells his father, and will be able to use his position for social networking. After the wedding Rosamond takes on a highly passive role. Not only does she pay no attention to her husband's aspirations ("You know, Tertius, I often wish you had not been a doctor. [...] And your cousins ​​in Quallingham all think you have fallen below them in your choice of profession (Eliot 377)”) and problems, Langland also emphasizes his passivity towards his goal: that of achieving a higher social rank (Langland 192). To achieve social progress, Rosamond would have to be much more socially active than she is; he should make many social calls and not accept as many social calls from Ladislaw, as this could jeopardize his reputation (Langland 192). An interesting fact about Rosamond, which could explain her passivity, is that her adaptation to the stereotype she has chosen goes so far that in the moments when she is unprepared for what she encounters, she is completely different. There are two instances in which Eliot plays a different Rosamond. The most memorable is probably the conversation between her and Dorothea in chapter. 81. However, there is another moment where emotions cause Rosamond to forget her acting and make her appear natural and vulnerable. She is “nervous with his struggle between mortification and the desire not to betray her (Eliot 249),” Lydgate sees “a certain helpless tremor (249)” in her eyes, and “[that] moment of naturalness [is] the crystallizing the touch of a feather [that transforms] flirtation into love (249).” The fact that Rosamond appears vulnerable proves that she uses her stereotypical “perfect Victorian lady” behavior as a protective shield. When Lydgate falls in love with her, he naturally assumes that he will be the one to protect, provide, and think for her. Her stereotypical behavior conforms to what was expected of a young woman like Rosamond at the time. Mary is the opposite of the selfish Rosamond (Paris 83). He also stands in stark opposition to every careless, carefree, imprudent, or immodest character in the novel. Maria is happy with her social class, because she has come to accept it. From early childhood she had been taught that girls like her ("terrible plain", poor, not very tall born) should not expect much from life. Over the years, Maria also seems to have developed a slight bitterness and sarcasm (Paris 84). When Rosamond tries to reassure Mary, she sees herself as "a brown blob(Eliot 93)" alongside Rosamond, saying that "[b]eauty has very little importance in reality (93)," Mary responds "sardonically (93)" that Rosamond should speak only of Mary's beauty, since she knows full well how Rosamond's beauty is important. Mary limits herself to the restrictions of her class and has no desire to be a social climber. Through this compliant role “she is less vulnerable to frustration and less likely to be destructive to others (Paris 83).” His pragmatic approach to life and its problems, however, seems to be the key to his happiness. The stereotype Mary chooses is also that of a young woman who has strict standards and principles. These principles help her take a rather active part in Fred's life. When she tells him that she could never marry a man as careless and indifferent as him, she indirectly contributes to the improvement of Fred's character. Although here it should be emphasized once again that Mary, like all the women of Mediomarca, sticks to the rules dictated by the stereotype she chooses for herself. He participates in Fred's recovery from a carefree youth to a responsible young man, but does not actively participate in it (Langland 203). Instead she waits for fate to take its turn, knowing that she may be harmed in the long run. However, this behavior also reinforces the impression that Mary does not want to use Fred's love to gain a higher social status. He demonstrates this on several occasions. For example, he tells Mr. Farebrother that he believes that “Fred has sense and knowledge enough to make him respectable, if he will… [but] to be a clergyman would only be for the sake of kindness, and I think there is nothing more despicable of such imbecilic kindness (Eliot 426).” Mary shows concern not for herself and her chances for respect and higher status, but for Fred's life and happiness, which, as she thinks and as he demonstrated by dropping out of college, he never could find being a priest. Mary's stereotype acts protectively, in the sense that it helps her achieve happiness and contentment, as well as escape from work as a housekeeper to earn a living she would prefer to stay with the irritable and ungrateful old Mr. Featherstone, who treats her just as he would treat any maid. The other option would be to leave and work as a housekeeper, which she detests and feels completely unsuited for partly due to the fact that being governess would mean a step back from her current position (88 ff.), which does not correspond to the fact that she is in any other way opposed to the possibility of social advancement (through marrying Farebrother or pushing Fred to become a priest, which would increase her status if she married him). Furthermore, Paris proposes that Mary's resistance to working as a governess can be explained by her desire to stay at home rather than leave and have to live alone (Paris 88 ff.). Paris attributes this to Maria's desire for stability in life, which she sees as rooted in the fact that, growing up, she had to endure the trauma of being inferior to her peers in terms of appearance, status, and wealth (Paris 87). It's interesting to compare Mary and Rosamond, as they make a series of decisions and take several actions that are completely opposite. Because Mary grew up in a family that was never wealthy, she is used to thinking about financial problems and possible solutions. Rosamond, on the other hand, “had as yet had no anxiety as to ways and means, though her domestic life had been costly and eventful (Eliot 477).” While the first reaction ofWhen Mary's father tells her that she needs money to pay off Fred's debt is to give him her savings, Rosamond asks Lydgate “What can I do […]? (Eliot 489),” instead of asking “what can I do?” Rosamond's immediate idea is to ask her father or any other relative for money, while Mary's pride (and that of her family) would not allow anything of the sort. Mary's strict principles, her pride and common sense prevent her from responding to Fred's feelings when he is in debt and therefore perhaps help guide him on the right path, which ultimately leads to a pleasant life together. Rosamond's pride, however, is based simply on outward appearance and manners and does not prohibit her from asking a relative of Lydgate for money, which puts Lydgate to shame. Rosamond's imprudent conduct, spending habits, and disregard for her husband's wishes and feelings lead to an unhappy marriage and contribute to Lydgate's downfall. In the end it is therefore poor Mary, who had incredibly worse starting conditions, who reaches happiness, while Rosamond, to whom nature and her relatively rich family have granted every possible advantage, lives in an unhappy marriage and never reaches happiness. her primary goal of being a woman who others consider an important member of society. Dorothea appears to be the freest-spirited woman, but she also builds her personality strongly. At the beginning she is a young woman who wishes to rise above others by being more intelligent and less concerned with everyday things ("for her the destinies of humanity, seen in the light of Christianity, made the concerns of women's fashion appear like an occupation for Bedlam (Eliot 6)”). This quote, as well as others, show that Dorothea's ideal is directed against the general opinion of what is feminine and how good women should behave. However, she chooses a female stereotype for herself by marrying Casaubon. Before marrying him, she comes up with grand plans on how to ease the burden of the poor and seems to truly believe in her cause. Every day pragmatic things seem not to be enough for her, as she strives to rise above others through matters of “higher” value. By marrying Casaubon she seeks to help a man she believes to be great in completing his great work. However, ironic as it is, Dorothea ends up confined to the prison of typical femininity of the time. She is denied participation in the completion of Casaubon's work and becomes increasingly unhappy and bored. Interestingly, the situation of her married life echoes a situation where Sir James Chettam offers her a little Maltese dog, a very fashionable breed among women of higher social status (Eliot 24). Dorothea refuses the gift, saying: “It is painful for me to see these creatures raised simply as pets. […] I believe that all the cuddles they are given don't make them happy. They are too defenseless: their lives too fragile. A weasel or mouse making a living is more interesting.” (Eliot 24) Dorothea's comment about the dog seems to apply to her life with Casaubon. Just like the little dog, she is not satisfied with the fact that he thinks she is a nice lady and just like the little dog's existence, hers is full of passivity and narrow-mindedness. This passivity, as Langland points out, does not disappear after Casaubon's death. According to Langland, Dorothea seems to spend most of her time sitting in Lowick (Langland 192 ff.). Furthermore, Eliot seems to belittle Dorothea's existence by describing the errands she runs in the city as "small" ("small" are joined by other adjectives that belittle the lives of Dorothea and the other women), which seems to indicate that the meaning of Dorothea is marginal (Langland193). The fact that Dorothea is rich, influential and intelligent enough to act differently indicates that it must still be her that confines her to stereotypical female passivity. Williams Elliott argues that “the philanthropic heroine was doomed to fail (Williams Elliott 190),” as George Eliot wanted to show as real a picture of nineteenth-century provincial England as possible, and having grand plans for reform was considered unfeminine ( Williams Elliott 196). . Furthermore, he points out, Dorothea is said not to carry out her plan to build a village with a school for industry by men, namely Mr Brooke and Sir James (Williams Elliott 196). Since Dorothea does not act against this, she chooses not to “step out of her place as a woman (Williams Elliott 196).” Not only does Dorothea not object to being patronized by her uncle and brother-in-law, but she betrays her initial ideals by slowly transforming into a stereotypical romantic heroine whose desire to follow her heart's desire is stronger than reason. By marrying Ladislaw she chooses to give up her fortune, which already puts her in a position where she can help less (and thus fulfill her initial ambitions less). Furthermore, voluntarily, out of love and desire for Ladislaw, she limits herself to a life in which she is the weaker party. As described in the finale, she helps Ladislaw in his political career, but this is not much of a contribution and reduces Dorothea to a merely supporting role, while she could have been in a leadership position overseeing work on his housing projects. .An important issue is Dorothea's desire to do good, no matter what. In a conversation with Will, Dorothea speaks passionately about her desire to contribute to the greater good and "power against evil." He says he is aware of his insignificance, but feels that “… by desiring what is perfectly good, even when we do not know well what it is and cannot do what we would like, we are part of the divine power against evil … (Eliot 323).” This, he states, “is [his] life,” from which he “cannot separate himself (Eliot 323).” Williams Elliott observes that, in the end, Dorothea is still a person who is passionate about creating a better living condition. However, she adds, she limits herself to a smaller part, gives up her bigger ideas, and becomes the “woman behind a man” who helps Ladislaw by contributing to the greater good (Williams Elliott 199). This position is not active, but I would still say it is better than Dorothea's initial position, where she seemed to be deluded about what this "higher cause" was. Becoming a more stereotypical good Victorian woman helps Dorothea recognize that she can contribute to the greater good by doing rather mundane things. All four women need their respective shells of stereotypes to provide a protective layer over their lives and actions. Celia is sure that adhering to the stereotype of the good housewife and mother who leaves her thoughts to men guarantees her a respectable social position, a happy and comfortable existence with a good husband and happy children. Rosamond is fully convinced that her composed demeanor and pleasant appearance are all she needs to be content in life, for these qualities carry the promise of a marriage that will elevate her in society. When she cheats on her husband behind his back, she never realizes that she is doing anything wrong. Maria's protective shell lies in the fact that she tells herself that she cannot expect much from her life, because she is not rich, beautiful or well born. Her attitude of expecting the worst (such as her teaching position, a prospect she dislikes) appears as a protection against disappointment. In this way his., 2002.