LIFE AND WORK
What was George Eliot’s real name and where was she born?
real name was Mary Ann Evans, and she was born in Arbury, Warwickshire.
What is Middlemarch and how is it structured?
Middlemarch is a very long novel divided into eight books
What is the main theme of the novel?
The main theme is the relationship between the individual and the environment in which he or she lives.
What experiences influenced her break with formal religion?
Her contact with intellectual circles in Coventry and her friendship with the Bray family
Who is Dorothea Brooke and what kind of person is she?
Dorothea Brooke is a rich young country lady living in Middlemarch with her uncle
Does the environment completely determine the characters’ behaviour?
No, the environment does not determine the characters completely; they are morally responsible for their own choices, which have consequences for themselves and others.
What kind of work did Mary Ann Evans do in London before becoming a novelist?
she worked as a freelance writer
Why does Dorothea decide to marry Reverend Casaubon, and what does she later realise?
he marries Casaubon because of her intellectual ambitions, but during their honeymoon in Rome she realises that the marriage is a mistake, even though she decides not to leave him.
How does Eliot illustrate the value of self-sacrifice through her characters?
She shows self-sacrifice through characters like Dorothea, who chooses to care for her husband instead of abandoning him.
Why did Mary Ann Evans choose the male pen name “George Eliot”?
She chose George because it was the name of George Henry Lewes, and Eliot because it was easy to pronounce
What happens to Dorothea after Casaubon’s death?
After Casaubon’s death, Dorothea becomes involved with Will Ladislaw; they eventually declare their love, get married, and move to London
What moral philosophy replaces Christianity in George Eliot’s view?
After rejecting Christianity, Eliot developed a religion of humanity based on love and duty to others, rather than duty to God.
Which writers influenced George Eliot’s style?
She was influenced by Jane Austen, Walter Scott, Fielding, and Thackeray.
Why did George Eliot choose a provincial setting for Middlemarch and what makes her narrative technique innovative?
George Eliot chose a provincial setting to show a society undergoing change and made the novel innovative by focusing on the inner thoughts and psychology of the characters rather than just on the plot.
How does Eliot’s narrative technique and style help convey her moral and psychological aims?
Eliot uses an omniscient narrator who organises social opinions and directly addresses the reader through commentary and irony, creating a shared moral viewpoint. Her realistic, analytical style, influenced by positivism, allows her to explore moral issues and human psychology rather than simply entertain the reader.