The Role Of Women In George Eliot's Middlemarch

Upon an initial reading of George Eliot’s Middlemarch, the role of ladies in society is outlined to be that women are ultimately meant to become wives in order to be satisfied. Throughout the novel, the “ideal wife” is described by the men in the novel as a woman who is attractive, unobtrusive, and submissive. However, upon further examination, Eliot shows throughout the novel that women are more complex then they appear and that the seemingly “perfect” wife may not be the best partner for all men. One way that Eliot commented on the role of women in Victorian society was through the creation of many dynamic female characters, such as Dorothea and Rosamond. Another way that she criticized a woman’s place in society was through the juxtaposition …show more content…
In Middlemarch, it is favourable for a woman to be “docile,” (Eliot 84) and to not be overly “earnest,” (Eliot 86) or “headstrong”, (Eliot 84). From a male perspective, such as that of Mr. Lydgate, the portrayed ideal partner is one that is “an accomplished creature who venerated his high musings and momentous labors and would never interfere with them,” (Eliot 331). In this society, women “should” listen to the men in their life because they are “capricious,” (Eliot 51) and they often cannot understand things since, “there is a lightness about the feminine mind — a touch and go,” (Eliot 60). Women are viewed as light in mind due to the fact that they are “varium et mutabile semper,” (Eliot 50) or in English are, “always fickle and changeable,” (Author #) according to the likes of Mr. Brooke. While many of the characters in the novel feel this way about women, George Eliot likely did not. She showed that she did not agree with this by juxtaposing Rosamond and Dorothea. Rosamond is the “flawless” wife by Victorian standards who turns out to be imperfect, whereas Dorothea is a less conventional wife who proves to be a greater …show more content…
Women are meant to be lovely and passive, not strong-minded and clever. Eliot, however, shows that there is no faultless or “perfect” wife. One tactic that Eliot employed to make this clear was making Rosamond and Dorothea character foils; the two are described as, “strikingly different,” (Eliot 87). One way the two are different is Rosamond values her beauty while Dorothea does not. In Dorothea’s first introduction she is described to have, “poor dress,” (Eliot 7); this is because finery is not what Dorothea values due to her, “mixed conditions,” (Eliot 7). Rosamond, however, on first introduction is described as different from this, “[Rosamond] was the reverse of Miss Brooke… [and] had excellent taste in costume,” (Eliot 89). Dorothea did not value finery as most of society at this time, including Rosamond, did. Moreover, another way that the two women are opposites is that Dorothea cares about the hospital and Lydgate’s practice whereas Rosamond does not. Dorothea proves her interest in Lydgate’s career when she donates to the hospital. Rosamond, however, does not think much of his profession, for instance she told him “Of course, I wish you to make discoveries…But we cannot live like hermits,” (Eliot 411). She does not find a doctor’s career fulfilling because Lydgate is not paying her enough attention, “confess you like those things [Lydgate’s work] better than me,” (Eliot 411). Similarly to how she supports