All posts by vickieculpepper

My-Life-in-Middlemarch

Reflections of My Life

There is so much information available in My Life in Middlemarch that is overwhelming.  The background, history of Eliot’s life and how it intertwined with the author was quite interesting.  It appears that in most cases, Rebecca Mead could identify with each of the characters at one or more points in her personal life journey.

But, what is very interesting are Mead’s story telling abilities for Ms. Mary Ann Evans.  Wild in her thoughts and actions, Mary Ann is truly an innovative woman.  She openly defied the confines of organized religion, set up house and openly lived as a husband and wife with a married man, was prosperous and a smart business woman in regards to her publications.   It surprises me in many ways is that during my educational years, George Eliot was not heralded as such a brave and unique woman.  The actions that Mary Ann Evans took were not in the norm and while it appears by Mead’s historical references Evans was not applauded but I did not gather that she had been ostracized as a person as much as maybe the Bulstrod’s.

But, in that same respect, through Meade we find evidence of Eliot’s life mimicked in Middlemarch in the same way that we can identify with the story in our personal lives the same that Meade does.  For example, in Eliot’s early life – she is much like Celia – seeing the world and rational as a young adult.  Celia was Dorothea’s balance and I also find Eliot like Dorothea – loving and devoted to the older gentleman and giving a great portion of her being to Thornie just as Dorothea did with Casaubon.  Eliot was chastised by many just as the Bulstrod’s and made positive impressions on the lives of others just as Mary and Fred.  I also found interesting the similarities in the idea of what some of us wished – if Dorothea and Lydgate would have come together.  I wondered if maybe their relationship would be similar and comfortable like Eliot and Lewes was.  When Eliot would be writing and Lewes would be “examining specimens under his microscope” (Mead pg. 249).  There is so many similarities between the author presented to us by Mead that an entire paper is possible to compile, but that is not my aim.

I find it ironic that Middlemarch is still so relevant.  Many of the same situations and busy body tendencies are still present in today’s times.  It makes me wonder if human kind has evolved at all with respect to social relationships.  We deal with gossip, snotty and snide people, those who have self-absorbed ideas who pleasure in shutting down the others around them.  I can pick out the Rosamund’s in my neighborhood.  These are the “keeping up with the Jone’s” type of people, usually as spouse who is jealous of others or wants to make the impression that they are successful when they are barely getting by.  I also know who the Bulstrod’s are and that I feel for them more because of reading Middlemarch.  I recognized immediately the gossip mongers in my neighborhood:  which is ironic as it is a group of men who walk their dogs together every morning instead of the town’s women gathering for tea in the shop down the street.  The neighbors around the corner from me is the Mary and Fred couple of the area.  You just go past their house and with the kids playing in the yard under Mom and Dad’s watchful eye and feel the love ooze from their home.

As for myself, I have yet to identify exactly who I most resemble.  In many ways, I feel as though I am much like Mead where different parts of my life can place me in different characters as times pass.  Overall, while I appreciated the in-depth analysis of all the characters in Mead’s book, I found the historical references more intriguing.  As a person who always prefers real or historical non-fiction as a general read the presentation that Mead gives us is so conversational I was surprised when it was finished opposed to when Eliot’s was completed I was relieved.  All being said, Mead has piqued my interest to go seek out and read (when I get some free time HA!) The Mill on the Floss.

Book-Seven

A View of the Townspeople

Book seven was definitely the buildup section to the end of the book and while all the attention was focused on Bulstrode, Lydgate, Dorothea and Rosamund, I was personally appalled at the town’s people.  I know that scandal is a tinder wood for gossip but I felt sorry for those involved in the middle of it.  For the most part, they had no clue for some time.  I also do not understand why the people would take the word of a drifter as truth instead of asking those who have lived among them.

I understand that when Mr. Garth was approached, he kept his word and did not divulge the information, but his attitude was well know.  He did not agree nor disagree to it, and did not expand and the real culprit is Mr. Hawley.  Mr. Hawley approached and questioned Mr. Garth and just like a game of telephone, the statement of Mr. Garth was so misconstrued that it “had quite lost the stamp of inference” (pg 718).  So, this whole situation was made worse by the gossips and appeared that Mr. Garth was the one who started it.  Such a mess.

The town was so upset that Rosamund was wooed and pulled to a newcomer that, as Trudy previously pointed out, was able to “carry off the prettiest girl in town” (pg 639).  Since Lydgate was already under suspicion it still seems strange that he would be automatically deemed an accomplice on the word of a ragged man, Mr. Raffles.  – Side bar: his name is great, he completed ruffled (raffled) up the community.  – But the town’s people took this unknown as truth verses one that was in their company for a while.  Mr. Raffles was even able to get the people on his side in death with the situation calling him a “poor creetur” and a “finer gentleman” than Mr. Bulstrode (pg 724).  If they would have actually encountered him and interacted with the people, I do not believe that Mr. Raffles would have impacted Middlemarch so much with his waggling tongue.

As for Mr. Bulstrode, he too was treated and never told of anything either, but as he stated, people didn’t care for him much of the time anyway because of his business so he was unaware that anything was different in the town gossip. With a completely awful outing at the town meeting, I truly thought that Mr. Bulstrode was going to have a heart attack and collapse.  It probably would have turned out better for him and his family if he had.     I do acknowledge that Bulstrode contributed to Raffles death.  Raffles was a chronic alcoholic and Lydgate never really said what was wrong with him, just what not to give him.  Bulstrode deliberately did not advise his maid to refrain from giving him alcohol and even gave her the key to the cellar.  Contributed only because without that habit, Raffles would have never been sick.  I will fully admit that I wanted Bulstrode to kill Raffles, but would have preferred that it was done by smothering and not being a coward and sending his maid to do it.  Regarding his personal holiness that was in his own mind, he preached at others but he never listened to the sermon of another which would skew his view.  I vaguely wonder if he may have had some mental deficiencies.  But, I think an ending of Bulstrode going to jail / prison would have satisfied me more.

On the same point, Raffles was diagnosed with alcohol poisoning, most likely alcoholism and an ill-functioning liver, which was confirmed by the other doctors.  These same doctors defended Lydgate’s practices and that he did nothing wrong and yet the people still believe Lydgate to be a scoundrel and he lost more patients.  No one bothered to mention to the townspeople that alcohol poisoning creates delirium would could negate the information that Raffles provided as was provided by Lydgate at the initial consultation.

I guess, all the towns people really wanted to have a new scandal.  It created business, as this information “required dinners on it” and any and all ladies “went out to tea” oftener (pg 723).  It seems that there was not this much commotion or business and socializing since the auction earlier.  People and their reactions are very interesting to me. I am also still amazed that no matter what the time or era, people still gossip mongers and how many others are destroyed during chin-wagging.  Mrs. Bulstrode is the largest loser of the group, she lost everything.  Even if she would have submitted and left or divorced her husband, she would then become the divorcee which would have ousted her from the Middlemarch community.  Valerie was right early on in Book Three – maybe they should have all considered moving.

Vickie Culpepper

Book-Eight

Disappointment

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

Book-Six

Education, Smeducation

While Middlemarch occupies us with gossip, love and politics-another subject that is repetitively brought up is education.  Much discussion is centered on the quality of education and the necessity of it.  Fred started with University and then left due to his poor grades.  After failing spectacularly as a young man, although in fair honesty he had a lot of help from his parents, he did complete his B.A. only to be promptly chastised by Mr. Garth on the lack of his abilities.  Fred questions Mr. Garth asking if he is “too old to learn” his business and is reassured that while the education is not learned from books, a “foundation” can still be laid to provide Fred with a future (pg. 561).  Mr. Garth does not question Fred’s learning ability but questions the quality of Fred’s foundation.

What strikes me most is the critique Mr. Garth offers regarding Fred’s education.  This evaluation is age old and often raised, as it is today, about how the education of people impact the future.  Mr. Garth exclaims at the faulty penmanship of Fred and observes that “to think that this is a country where man’s education may cost hundreds and hundreds” only to turn out a poor product (pg 566).  What is interesting is how the penmanship statement is relevant today.  Not only a personal statement, penmanship presents a picture to the world – careful letters and straight lines show care and attention to detail.  Architects are taught how to write in the standard block style on blueprints before they are introduced to CAD.  A need for handwriting analysts for verifying signatures is necessary.

As some know, cursive writing is no longer taught in many public schools.  I wonder at how foregoing the instruction of manuscript may impact our future?  How will students be able to read historic documents which are full of beautiful and careful script?  It is commonly known that with technology so prevalent in our culture the need for certain talents are negligible.  I can see in the future that cursive writing will soon be regarded as a “fancy” ability, where cursive is only taught at a defunct finishing school or other private institution, just as calligraphy was dropped from the norm as well.  Possibly, there will be some parents who see the need for this style to remain with our culture.  I know that I was taught calligraphy – both to write and read – when I was in about fourth grade.  Granted, I went to a non-traditional grade school, but remember distinctly being told by the teacher that to have this ability will help in college and in business.  Hand written thank your and letters are a norm and the ability to read historical documents, as in our Constitution, would be necessary.  This is something that I still use today, in thank you letters and reading documents from the past.  Script is very important.  It often shows the type of person you are and the care that you take with certain matters.

Recently, I was shopping and overheard a conversation between two employees.  One girl, who recently graduated from high school told her manager that she was not able to read a sign in the employee area.  This grabbed my interest and I was plainly eavesdropping.  The manager asked her why, and the girl said that it was something that they were not taught, that the style of writing was not presented to their class for reading.  The type face was Lucinda Calligraphy.  It’s a standard script found in most computer programs, and often in company emails to present a more personal style of closing an email.  I was shocked to find that this is a standard.  I wanted to ask how she signed her name, was it just printed or did she just give up and put a big X?  Is this what our society is reduced too – an educational system or standard that is subpar and unable to take the time to recognize and teach a writing style that is centuries old?

Shaking my head, I continued on with my shopping.  I felt sorry for the girl, thinking of all the things that she will not experience because of her inability to read cursive writing.  How is she going to read others signatures?  Will she be able to appreciate the historical documents of our country?  How is this going to impact her future?  Can all we look forward to is atrocious spelling, computer typeface and made up words with shortcuts established to get our meaning across in one-hundred eighty characters or less?  I feel sorry for our future persons who will not appreciate the written cursive word.

I am an avid support of technology – the ability to store important documents on a flash drive, email and text a friend in a manner of seconds and I support companies and entities that endorse paperless environments.  But there are a few things that I can’t seem to let go.  I love books, not Kindles and Nooks, but books.  I don’t want to read by the glow of a blue light or give up my favorite bookmark.  There is something so wonderful in the joy of holding the heft of the pages, the feel of the pages and being able to smell the glue which binds it to it spine.  I adore the ability to make my own notes in the margins (in script, mind you) and skim effortlessly to find them and even the ability to flip through the pages quickly where they run into a blur.  I love the ability to write a pretty and thoughtful letter to a friend instead of sending an email or calling.  But more significantly, I love how I sign my name.  It’s a personal statement and gives so much information about the personality of who is writing it.  I’d rather keep my signature instead of an X or *cringe* a thumbprint or even *horrifying* to lick the paper to seal it with my DNA.

Mr. Garth brings up a great point to Fred:  his penmanship is “disgusting” and he needs to consider the consequences of it (pg. 566).  Just as Mr. Gath advises, Fred must take the time to “form the letters and keep a straight line” in order to prevent “sending puzzles” across the country (pg. 566).  Even if Fred did not go into Mr. Garths profession, his penmanship would affect his abilities as a clergy man.  Letters and notes of congratulations or sympathy would need to be drafted.  Clarification and documentation for death and weddings and births would have to be officiated – how could Fred not be able to foresee how his writing would impact others?   He would be sending out cryptic messages into the unknown, where in the case of our current students – will they be haunted by the ghostly script of Dickens or Shakespeare sending them cryptic messages they are unable to read?  In the future, students will not be able to read cursive without the aid of a computer program that transcribes it into plain text.  Does this mean that the rare books collection will soon be lost too?  Would Rebecca Mead even bothered to visit the New York Public Library to touch, smell and see in person the script of her idol, George Elliot, if she had not been taught to read and write cursive (Mead pg 11)?  Right now, the future is uncertain.  I hope school districts don’t forget the importance of cursive script, otherwise we will live in a world of abridged manuscripts and forgotten words because someone could not “translate” the code.  Cursive writing my well become the next hieroglyphics.   

Vickie Culpepper

Book-Five

The Dead Hand

Admittedly, I adore the titles of each of the books and when “The Dead Hand” came up, I was secretly thrilled and terrified at what I would encounter.  This section did not disappoint me in thrills and terror.

For the thrills – I love that we are getting more information on Fred and Mary.  Fred is a train wreck I can’t help wanting to gawk to see what will happen next.  There is something about his character that I find endearing; maybe his foolishness or his general clueless boy attributes.  He is thoughtless in so many ways and while this section of Middlemarch is really about Dorthea and Edward, the unusual placement of Mary and Fred’s story brings me to anticipate what dead hand will embrace them in chapters to come.  He’s outed to the Vicar his love, who unfortunately also is infatuated with Mary, and places his trust in Farebrother without knowing the pain that he has caused Farebrother.  Fred is one of those that is impetuous with his decisions and does not look too far into the future to see the ramifications.  But creating the thrill of where their relationship may go, I am enjoying the fact that Fred is the perfect foil for Mary.  He is unthinking and rash and this gives him, in my opinion, to be a boy playing in the mud.  Where Mary is just too goody-goody and she needs him to bring levity to her character, I imagine her as a child being prissy but obedient.

The fleshing out of Mr. Bulstrode’s character is a refreshing change and a wonderful foreshadow for the remainder of the novel.  It was a bit of a shock to find Bulstrode’s past slowing being eked out in bits.  His character always carried an undercurrent of “smarmy” but nothing of the magnitude that is found out about his previous marriage or how he came to get his money.  With the tidbit of information from Mr. Raffles and Bulstrode’s desire to get him as far away from Middlemarch as possible only alludes to how bad a person Bulstrode actually is.  I also now want to find or make a Middlemarch family tree because the relationships are starting to get a little convoluted.

Now for the terror – not surprised about the clause in Mr. C’s will, his jealousy was so out of control that I would be more surprised if there wasn’t anything about Will mentioned.  It is not the bit of information about Dorthea’s remarriage that is terror, but what was terrifying is that everyone else knew about it but her.  Even Mrs. Cadwallader knows of the situation of Mr. C’s will and she is quite the busy-body so it would be in good faith to assume that she discussed it with others as well.

What is sad and terrifying is when Dorthea searches her husband’s desk she does not find anything that shows her that he loved her.  I think this is the true terror that happens Middlemarch – the lack of not finding the proof of love when one looks for it.  Dorthea married a man that she placed upon a pedestal, pinning ideas and unrealistic dreams of what her life would be like without even discussing any of it with him.  Because she did this, she missed so many cues about how he was cold and not a person to show a lot of affection.  In the same respect, she also expected to be shown love and adoration; he was just tired of being alone and she would be a great secretary and one of the few women that did not aggravate him. In his own way, I think Casaubon did love Dorthea in a way that he could not show her.  She is very much like his work – allusive, unavailable to the average man, and a mystery – maybe Dorthea was the key to Casuabon, and instead of looking for the mythologies that he studied about, she was the key to his mythology.  Dorthea was definitely his weakness, especially when we find out the lengths he goes to when spurred on by his jealousy.  The defeat she felt on page 494 when she searches his desk for proof that he loved her was heartbreaking.  Although, Dorthea may overlook Mr. C’s motivations behind his weird will.  She is looking for proof of his love and in a way, he leaves her with it written in his will about her remarriage.  So sad in general that these two actually really loved each other, but neither of them could talk to each other.  I wonder if he was too smart that it made his dumb and she blind.

On a lighter note of terror, the strange way Celia dotes on her child is rather creepy.  It’s not as though she is a mother looking at her child doing all the things that most parents do – believe that their child is the brightest and best just because he blinked – but almost that she regards him more like a doll or a puppy.

 

Vickie Culpepper

Book-Four

Cha-Ching!

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

Book-Three

Reflections on Family

Book three is very interesting to me.  I finished it quite quickly and have pondered over my post for the last two weeks trying to decide how to approach this section of Middlemarch.  Characteristics of Fred remind me greatly of some of my own family members who try to get themselves out of a predicament only to find themselves in deeper.  With the end result often being the same – why didn’t they just ask someone for some guidance?  Granted, pride and other notions of adulthood seem to supersede Fred’s reasoning but it strikes me how Fred is so juvenile at his age, where I would assume to find such actions more likely from a naïve teenager between the ages of 14-16.

Although, I should not be too surprised by the actions in this family.  Fred’s relationship with his mother is very similar to many other families – their relationship is not a Freudian Oedipus way but rather in how his mother does not see his glaring faults.  Many mothers have one child that they do favor, while they say that that they love each one the same amount I do not doubt, but often the baby or the eldest sometimes is doted on a bit more than the others which results in mothers being blind to the fact that their children can do nothing wrong.  In my own personal experience, I deal with this fairly often.  My mother in-law refuses to see that her baby (my brother in law) can do anything wrong, regardless of how bad it is and argues with anyone and all evidence to the contrary.  In addition, an acquaintance refuses to accept her son’s prison conviction and has sacrificed everything – her marriage, home, retirement and own wellbeing – to fight against the evidence, even when he admitted to his mother that it was true and he did it.

Familial love is such a complex and twisted relationship that it is a treacherous path.  Just as Fred’s mother dotes on him, Fred is aware of this and uses it to his advantage to manipulate his parents.  I do commend his actions regarding giving the money to his mother to hold onto, but not seeking the advice of his father regarding his gambling debts is a little ridiculous.  I, personally, would rather have the wrath of my father and request his assistance rather than depend upon strangers in which you lose much more than an hour of being yelled at.  And, in turn, he still had to go and come clean about everything and loose the opportunity with the girl he loves as well and looking more of a fool.  If he would have just been straightforward in the beginning, his mother would have certainly intervened between him and his father if there was any attempt to throw Fred out.  But in the end, the stupidity of this child, stuck in a man’s body, pouted, whined and caused so much unnecessary pain to others.  His actions caused pain to Mary, the entire Garth family, his father when he had to ask for the ridiculous letter (obviously Featherstone was fully aware of the gambling problem), disappointment to his family and the loss of his favorite horse.  I think there is more to see of Fred in the coming chapters, but his own foolishness created larger issues that he will need to contend with.  In the end, Fred is a very silly child.

 

Vickie Culpepper

Book-Two

Oedipus, Frankenstein and Mrs. Pinchwife

Ugh, I am at a loss when I begin to think of Dorthea and Mr. Casaubon.  The dramatic irony in Middlemarch reminds me of so many Greek/Roman tragedies.  I have caught myself speaking out loud about how obtuse Dorthea can be and she exasperates me to the point that I cannot even feel sorry for her.  For example, when William tells her that she is a poem and she just blows it off and says thankyou (223).  By the end of Book 2 I kept finding so many parallels between this novel and others that I have read that I find myself linking their traits.

For example a dramatic irony; as you read along and you want to jump into the pages and tell Dorthea that Will is infatuated and idolizes -I would not say love yet-with her and Mr. Casaubon is jealous and worried about their growing relationship.  Also, it was apparent in book one that Dorthea had ill-conceived ideas about how her marriage was going to be and she is already changing her personality to morph into what is now her lot in life.  But so many little remarks and jumping to conclusions reminds me of Oedipus in her traits.  Dorthea ignores the obvious and internalizes the results calling herself stupid and obtuse for not knowing art, literature and music.  She does not see the beauty she carries and only believes that her sister has that trait.  Oedipus does not see that he is king and the prophecy was only to locate the former king’s murderer, not maim himself and banish himself from his city instead of acknowledging that he could be king of the other city and leave the one to Creon.  Dorthea does not mention Will any further when Edward gets grumpy, just as Oedipus drops the accusations against Creon when Jocasta tells him to.   Will worships her just as the townspeople of Thebes worshiped Oedipus on the palace stairs as Will wanted to throw himself to her slippers and they lay on the stairs at the beginning of “Oedipus Rex” (221).  Will also begs for an opportunity to be in Dorthea’s servitude, just as Thebes embraced Oedipus after he conquered the Sphinx and made him king (224).   the many references to Homer and other tragedies – the “Homer bits,” (219) the “tragic chorus, wailing and moralizing over misery,” (219) He would not see the truth and/or did not want to believe it about his father, just as Dorthea does not see the truth about how her marriage will be.  The response the Chorus gives acknowledging Oedipus is the same as the townspeople responding in disbelief of Dorthea’s marriage.

In another way, Edward remind me of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  Frankenstein left his wife alone on their wedding night similar to how Edward leaves Dorthea alone for most of their honeymoon.  This action of Edward’s reminds me of how Frankenstein was so self-centered in his brilliance and egotism that the creature would come for him, just as Edward is so wrapped up in his egotism about his research that he doesn’t thing that anyone will come and take his bride away.  But, both men, Frankenstein and Edward, find that someone will take their wife away.  Fortunately, Edward acknowledges a threat and spends more time with Dorthea towards the end of their trip in an attempt to “protect his property” as he really sees Dorthea as property instead of a person.  Another way that Edward is much like Frankenstein is that both men have God-complexes.  Edward appreciates the fact that Dorthea worships and idolizes him.  In the same respect Frankenstein created his creature for the sole purpose to be God-like as well.  The egos these men have could power a city if it could be captured.

In addition, Will reminds me of a reluctant Horner from “The Country Wife.”  He is not really trying to chase Dorothea, but he is pursuing her in a similar way that Horner goes after all the women.  While Mrs. Pinchwife is also obtuse, just as Dorthea is, she does bend to Horner’s will eventually.  I will have to wait and see if Dorthea does the same, but the similarities between Middlemarch and the other novels and plays I have read is amazing.

 

Vickie Culpepper

Book-One

A Callous Proposal

I am certain Mr. Casaubon’s character will occupy many of my thoughts, therefore I must bring attention to his incredibly dull letter asking Dorthea for marriage.  I understand Dorthea and her childlike naïveté will bring elements of both hilarity and horror in her choices, but this letter should make her run like her hair is on fire.  Cold and reserved does not describe this letter accurately, there is more emotion in a job offer for an undertaker.

The attempt of flattery is astounding as Mr. Casaubon attempts to relate his admiration to Dorthea with a long and complicated sentence.  She has allowed his “observation” and “impression” to “emphatically” convince him of her “fitness” where she can ease the “consciousness…need” (pg. 43).  His letter of declaration of admiration is bland and unemotional, similar to reading your car’s owner’s manual.  How this letter sends the poor child to the floor with so much unrestrained emotion where she cannot even pray still amazes me.  Dorthea read the letter greedily and quickly, she missed many of the warnings that Mr. Casaubon supplies her.

Devoid of any obvious emotion, Mr. Casaubon moves to remind Dorthea about what he expects in a companion.    Plainly stating to Dorthea that he is looking for a woman who must have the “capability of devotedness”, Mr. Casaubon is not seeking a mental equal, but a common housekeeper that talks to him when he is lonely (pg. 43).  In addition, Mr. Casaubon gives fair warning to Dorthea on these intentions referencing to their time spent together where he believes, and we are to assume as readers, that she understands their future life together.  Boldly stating that he has “made sufficiently clear to [her] the tenor of [his] life and purposes,” Mr. Casaubon continues to reinforce the fact that he is looking for a person who understands that he will live and study just as usual (pg. 43).

Granted, Casaubon does compliment her with “mental qualities”, but that is the only positive item that he has given her other than what she will do for him (pg. 43).  Dorthea is missing the point when he tells her that he is looking for her to “cast charms over vacant hours (pg. 44).  This is not a statement that says he will sweep her away on a cloud of love, it says that he will take on a bride but continue to work and study as he always have and devote attention to her only when he finds it convenient.   I cannot hold Mr. Casaubon in contempt for not being upfront and honest as his letter clearly indicates the reasons why he choose Dorthea and what her purpose would be.

Obviously Dorthea has interesting ideas regarding what her life will be like with Mr. Casaubon.  Her afternoon spent fantasizing about her future with Mr. Casaubon and presumes it would be equivalent to “marrying Pascal.” (pg. 19)  Plainly stated, Mr. Casaubon is approving her, and could very well live alone with no issue, but because he does not find her offensive and she appears to want to be devoted to him, he will provide her with financial security, faithfulness and some affection (pg. 44).  Dorthea is clearly looking to marry out of what she believes is love, but Casaubon is really looking for a caregiver, not a wife that he will companion.  Assuming Dorthea’s fantasies inhibit her from seeing the scope of her decision, Mr. Casaubon’s warnings and cautions from other people, the readers will wait with baited breath as this dramatic irony unfolds.

Vickie Culpepper