Pink Floyd said it best in his song “Money” – “I’m all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack.”  Money is such an important issue in this novel.  Lydgate is obsessed about it and shortly after his engagement is wondering about Rosemond’s dowry.   Mr. Balustrade seems to horde it and uses everyone to his advantage to get it.  Mr. Vincy never has it, struggles for it, and has taught his children nothing about money management.  Poor Fred, he and his gambling addiction will be the end of him I believe.

But what is surprising is how concerned Dorthea is about it.  In the beginning, she says that money does not mean much to her, but it becomes apparent later on that it does.  Her naiveté about finances is strange to me, because it is as though she does not realize that it costs money to travel and pay servants and etc.  She has grand ideas to revamp and upgrade the homes of the tenants but does not realize that the repairs and upgrades would cost money to do it.  She wants to do all this good, but does not understand that being a missionary takes funds to make those ideas come to fruition.  And she becomes overly concerned with the future financial status of Will.  It seems presumptuous to me that she would implore her husband to change his will to leave funds for Will even without knowing everything about the situation.  She is so gullible that I am really beginning to despise her character.

In contracts, Casaubon is securing his money’s future by saying to Will to “keep your hand off my stack” because of whatever the family reason was, but he did give generously to the young man to “find himself” some part of it by duty so we are told, but could it have been ordered to him in another will by a different family member?  Who knows, but it is a plausible case that Casaubon was bequeathed the money to provide for Will until a certain point and that could be the reason for his bitterness when Will rejects any more financial assistance.  I don’t blame Casaubon for his reaction at all, but I do hold him accountable for keeping Dorthea in the dark.  Mr. and Mrs. Casaubon are perfectly matched for each other.

In regards to Mr. Featherstone, he was also a stingy man but loved to flaunt his money in the end to the people around him.  I also was disgusted when the family would sit around and wait for him to die, it was really creepy. But even in death, Mr. Featherstone ensured that he reminded people of his wealth and ultimately keeps his family hands off his stack.  The amount of moping and outrage that occurs at his will reading is quite disgusting.  I don’t even know why Fred thought he would be entitled to something.  It reminds me of my uncle hunting down my brother during my grandmother’s funeral to discuss her will with him.  I suppose it is a good thing to know that people never change.

Money seems to be a huge driver in Middlemarch, while the overlaying story is about love and relationships and often reads as a tabloid, the undercurrent of politics and money propel the story forward.  I find myself very invested in the character’s lives, but I am constantly reminded of how money is a big driver of everything then and now.

Vickie Culpepper