The picture painted of the marriage of Lydgate and Rosamond in this short segment of Middlemarch, by George Eliot, is not as romantic or as “happily-ever-after” as one might initially expect. Eliot takes a more realistic approach in developing the complex relationship between Lydgate and Rosamond. The marriage between the two is not the quintessential fairy-tale marital relationship, but is instead being degraded by negative traits and actions of both the husband and wife. Eliot, in this segment of Middlemarch, portrays the strained marriage of Rosamond and Lydgate by accentuating the negative effects of Rosamond’s timely yielding deportment in a difficult economic situation, as well as by showing the caring yet repressive nature of Lydgate as a husband in the marriage; despite being in accord with social norms, such attitudes indubitably leads to broken marital relationships.
Middlemarch is set in Victorian England during the 1800’s, which allows for the reasonable speculation that the characters in the passage were obliged to live according to Victorian social norms. Women, in particular, were required to be submissive, yet inspiring, cordial, yet negligent to an un-introduced party of the opposite sex. Women were also deemed unable to comprehend the matters of men, matters that included financial and economic transactions and ordeals. Rosamond, in the passage, is conscious of her reserved opinion but is unable to voice it over her husband’s own. This, as Eliot shows, is partly due to Lydgate’s domineering attitude as well as Rosamond’s own unwillingness to escape the social norm of not expressing her true feelings about their financial situation. Eliot emphasizes that the repressed opinion of Rosamond or of any similar wife is soon joined by an equally repressed bitterness towards the husband, as portrayed in lines 86-90. Whether it is the husband’s fault or the wife’s, such a festering bitterness can only have negative effects on a marriage.
An understanding of the economic situation that Rosamond and Lydgate are in is also necessary for a complete understanding of Eliot’s portrayal of their marital relationship. The two, in the passage, have lived a lifestyle that they could not afford. “‘I ought to have seen that I could not afford to live in this way’” explains Lydgate (37-38). Too much spending has forced the couple to consider selling their valuables and financial assets, a consideration that would be hard on any relationship. Rosamond is subtly hinted at by Eliot as the culprit of the spending, perhaps because she is accustomed to a previous lifestyle in which she was more financially secure. This is why Rosamond implores Lydgate to ask her father for money, which he proudly refuses to do because of the consequential humility. Such an action would prove that Lydgate is not capable of handling the financial responsibilities of a husband, yet not doing so would lead to the further detriment of their financial situation as well as their marriage. Lydgate, as Eliot shows in the passage, is too proud to ask for help from his family, and is ashamed of himself as a husband. Blaming oneself but not acting to right the wrong because of mere pride is not an effective strategy to solving a problem. Eliot clearly displays this principle in the passage, yet another problem that is hurting Lydgate and Rosamond’s marriage.
Lydgate, despite being a typically despotic Victorian husband, is not entirely committed, whether consciously or not, to the utter dissolution of his own marriage. Regardless of his pride, Lydgate does try to comfort his wife in the scene. “‘Try not to grieve, darling,’ said Lydgate, turning his eyes up towards her” (33-34). He tries to physically comfort his wife, as well as encourage both himself and his wife in the difficult situation. “We shall weather it,” he confidently explains(42). Even taking the blame for their financial crisis gives Rosamond hope that he will listen to her opinion(53). But it is ultimately Lydgate’s pride yet again, derived from the Victorian social norms of the time, that is his downfall. Rosamond’s suggestions of selling the home or going to friends are ignored, and Lydgate tells her to stay out of matters that she doesn’t understand.
All of these factors do not leave Lydgate and Rosamond’s marriage in a good place. Eliot’s emphasis is on the couple’s failure to communicate outside of social norms in their time of desperation. The suppression of Rosamond’s opinion, both self-inflicted suppression and that of her husband, causes an internal bitterness to grow within Rosamond. The couple’s irresponsible lifestyle has led them into a critical financial situation that requires cooperation and humility to solve, two necessary traits of a marriage that are both missing. Despite attempts to mend the crumbling relationship, it is the social norms that both husband and wife are conforming to that Eliot portrays as the acid that is dissolving their marital bond. The passage concludes with a bitter and dark tone that portrays both Lydgate and Rosamond as the antagonists of their marriage.
This essay, the most recent of Alex's in this collection, does almost everything right. It has a mature and intellectual collection of analytical body paragraphs that not only analyze the text and its themes, but also connect the text to a real world message that Alex effectively delivers about the very make up of marital arrangements. The analysis is smart, and never too broad as has been the case before. Even the conclusion manages to impress and add to the work as a whole. Instead of simply wrapping the piece up, it reviews and finalizes the aforementioned analysis without ever sounding redundant or boring. The only problem with the piece is in the introduction. The thesis is vague and oddly worded. It seems as though Alex's ideas were simply too complex to squeeze into a single thesis statement, and the essay suffers because the thesis is never one the reader is positively sure of.
Process wise, analytically and intellectually afterword, as well as the effective examination of the text are the highlights of this essay, which doesn't truly reach perfection until after the first paragraph. The meticulous work put into the author's ideas of marriage is expertly articulated in the essay, providing for a smart and interesting read.
The picture painted of the marriage of Lydgate and Rosamond in this short segment of Middlemarch, by George Eliot, is not as romantic or as “happily-ever-after” as one might initially expect. Eliot takes a more realistic approach in developing the complex relationship between Lydgate and Rosamond. The marriage between the two is not the quintessential fairy-tale marital relationship, but is instead being degraded by negative traits and actions of both the husband and wife. Eliot, in this segment of Middlemarch, portrays the strained marriage of Rosamond and Lydgate by accentuating the negative effects of Rosamond’s timely yielding deportment in a difficult economic situation, as well as by showing the caring yet repressive nature of Lydgate as a husband in the marriage; despite being in accord with social norms, such attitudes indubitably leads to broken marital relationships.
Middlemarch is set in Victorian England during the 1800’s, which allows for the reasonable speculation that the characters in the passage were obliged to live according to Victorian social norms. Women, in particular, were required to be submissive, yet inspiring, cordial, yet negligent to an un-introduced party of the opposite sex. Women were also deemed unable to comprehend the matters of men, matters that included financial and economic transactions and ordeals. Rosamond, in the passage, is conscious of her reserved opinion but is unable to voice it over her husband’s own. This, as Eliot shows, is partly due to Lydgate’s domineering attitude as well as Rosamond’s own unwillingness to escape the social norm of not expressing her true feelings about their financial situation. Eliot emphasizes that the repressed opinion of Rosamond or of any similar wife is soon joined by an equally repressed bitterness towards the husband, as portrayed in lines 86-90. Whether it is the husband’s fault or the wife’s, such a festering bitterness can only have negative effects on a marriage.
An understanding of the economic situation that Rosamond and Lydgate are in is also necessary for a complete understanding of Eliot’s portrayal of their marital relationship. The two, in the passage, have lived a lifestyle that they could not afford. “‘I ought to have seen that I could not afford to live in this way’” explains Lydgate (37-38). Too much spending has forced the couple to consider selling their valuables and financial assets, a consideration that would be hard on any relationship. Rosamond is subtly hinted at by Eliot as the culprit of the spending, perhaps because she is accustomed to a previous lifestyle in which she was more financially secure. This is why Rosamond implores Lydgate to ask her father for money, which he proudly refuses to do because of the consequential humility. Such an action would prove that Lydgate is not capable of handling the financial responsibilities of a husband, yet not doing so would lead to the further detriment of their financial situation as well as their marriage. Lydgate, as Eliot shows in the passage, is too proud to ask for help from his family, and is ashamed of himself as a husband. Blaming oneself but not acting to right the wrong because of mere pride is not an effective strategy to solving a problem. Eliot clearly displays this principle in the passage, yet another problem that is hurting Lydgate and Rosamond’s marriage.
Lydgate, despite being a typically despotic Victorian husband, is not entirely committed, whether consciously or not, to the utter dissolution of his own marriage. Regardless of his pride, Lydgate does try to comfort his wife in the scene. “‘Try not to grieve, darling,’ said Lydgate, turning his eyes up towards her” (33-34). He tries to physically comfort his wife, as well as encourage both himself and his wife in the difficult situation. “We shall weather it,” he confidently explains(42). Even taking the blame for their financial crisis gives Rosamond hope that he will listen to her opinion(53). But it is ultimately Lydgate’s pride yet again, derived from the Victorian social norms of the time, that is his downfall. Rosamond’s suggestions of selling the home or going to friends are ignored, and Lydgate tells her to stay out of matters that she doesn’t understand.
All of these factors do not leave Lydgate and Rosamond’s marriage in a good place. Eliot’s emphasis is on the couple’s failure to communicate outside of social norms in their time of desperation. The suppression of Rosamond’s opinion, both self-inflicted suppression and that of her husband, causes an internal bitterness to grow within Rosamond. The couple’s irresponsible lifestyle has led them into a critical financial situation that requires cooperation and humility to solve, two necessary traits of a marriage that are both missing. Despite attempts to mend the crumbling relationship, it is the social norms that both husband and wife are conforming to that Eliot portrays as the acid that is dissolving their marital bond. The passage concludes with a bitter and dark tone that portrays both Lydgate and Rosamond as the antagonists of their marriage.
This essay, the most recent of Alex's in this collection, does almost everything right. It has a mature and intellectual collection of analytical body paragraphs that not only analyze the text and its themes, but also connect the text to a real world message that Alex effectively delivers about the very make up of marital arrangements. The analysis is smart, and never too broad as has been the case before. Even the conclusion manages to impress and add to the work as a whole. Instead of simply wrapping the piece up, it reviews and finalizes the aforementioned analysis without ever sounding redundant or boring. The only problem with the piece is in the introduction. The thesis is vague and oddly worded. It seems as though Alex's ideas were simply too complex to squeeze into a single thesis statement, and the essay suffers because the thesis is never one the reader is positively sure of.
Process wise, analytically and intellectually afterword, as well as the effective examination of the text are the highlights of this essay, which doesn't truly reach perfection until after the first paragraph. The meticulous work put into the author's ideas of marriage is expertly articulated in the essay, providing for a smart and interesting read.