Despair and a little annoyed is how I am left with the close of Middlemarch.  The lead character, Dorothea, held so much promise in all the good that she could do in Middlemarch that I am disappointed with her.  There were moments of a great aptitude for business that she held.  Her work in funding the hospital, the school bell, the improvements and all the other things that she was getting involved in.  Dorothea was becoming a strong woman in a place controlled by men and had a good hold of things to get her own way.  Her decision to marry Will is all good and fine, but I was hoping that she would offer to sell the Lowick Estate to Sr. James and Celia to combine the properties (neighboring) since they had a family monopoly going on.  This way, Dorothea could have emptied out the Estate of Casaubon and used the money for proceeds.  She could have established trusts and funds for the hospital, infirmary, the school and all the other items that she wanted to get involved in.  If given a little time, she could have influenced Farebrother’s sister to become involved in her capacity as she had shown similar Dorothea like qualities in her compassion and demeanor.  Mary would have been an excellent choice to help facilitate the changes.

I also wanted more information on the outcome of Mr. and Mrs. Bulstrode.  Yes, he is a hypocrite and did some stupid things, but made no effort (that we are aware of) to clear his name or look for the support that was given to him.  Even when all came out regarding everything to Dorothea and she took on her Knight in Shining armor act, she could have done something.  She was the holder of secretes to all and with the amount of respect everyone was always giving her, one would think that she would have done something more than reimburse him.

For that matter, Dorothea could have had will contact Bulstode to get back the money of Will’s inheritance and then turned that into an endowment or trust for even further good.  Instead, she just let all the money go to waste.  I know that she said it was an albatross and that she did not want it, just as Will did not want his money that was by unsavory methods but they could have taken it to advance their philanthropic ways.  In the name of Casausbon or his mother.  Dorothea had so much potential with her thoughts and plans, that I am disappointed that she did not use those talents in a better way.  In my opinion, taking money that you don’t want and giving to the Church or other goodwill ways would be a better way to do their good.

I am also disappointed in the majority of it all being “a happily ever after” story.  Everyone turned out, for the most part, happy.  Will and Dorothea lived a do-good life in London, Rosamund got her golden spoon in the end, Lydgate I am sure was adored by his children, and Celia got her sister back and the children kept the estates in the family just as Sir James wanted.  The only ones that did not get their way was the Bulstrode’s to a degree, she did not get to stay in Middlemarch (probably a good thing), but he did not lose his wife, which was his biggest fear.  I believe that Bulstrode could have remained in seclusion on the outskirts of Middlemarch as long as he kept his beloved.  Even though he was a despicable businessman, I believe that he was very devoted to his wife.  The words shared by Eliot about their relationship were few, but what we did have gave me the impression that their relationship was built on mutual love and adoration for each other.  I am not surprised that she did not leave him, while awful, it was not done when she was with him or even knew him.  And I don’t know why everyone got so huffy about it, all they ever worried about was how much everyone had and how much they would get for their wives to be dowries.

Overall, I am disappointed and wanted a little more thorough of a closure.  We get drawn into their lives, like they are our neighbors only to get a snippet of the after effects.  While my whining will not change then ending, I still am left wanting a little more.

Vickie Culpepper