Marriage as Slavery in Middlemarch Essay example - 2432 Words

Marriage as Slavery in Middlemarch One of George Eliots challenges in Middlemarch is to depict a sexually desirous woman, Dorothea, within the confines of Victorian literary propriety. The critic, Abigail Rischin, identifies the moment that Dorotheas future husband, Ladislaw, and his painter-friend see her alongside an ancient, partially nude statue of the mythic heroine, Ariadne, in a museum in Rome as the key to Eliots sexualization of this character. Ariadne is, in the sculpture, between her two lovers. Theseus, whom she helped to escape from her fathers labyrinth in Crete has already left her, while the jubilant God, Bacchus, her next lover, has yet to arrive. By invoking the silent visual rhetoric of ancient†¦show more content†¦Unable to fully explain something by itself, Eliot takes advantage of literary devices to displace the content and coat it so that her reader may swallow the meaning. Sir Thomas Brownes definition of satire, which Eliot includes at the begining of chapter 45, further admits Eliots awareness of the displacing (as Miller says) literary tact she employs in describing ideas that her reader will not otherwise be comfortable with, like her sexual female character or her complex theory on perspective. Without the borrowed help and satire of times past; goes the quotation from Browne, condemning the vices of their own times [passed times], by the expressions of vices in times which they commend [present times]... [Satirists] cannot but argue the community of vice in both (422). A bit earlier, Eliot puts the definition more subtely in the words of Mr. Brooke, Dorotheas father, Satire, you know, he states, should be true up to a certain point (369). Middlemarch itself is written in the context of having taken place about 40 years prior (1832) to the point in time that the narrator herself occupies (1871). Likely, Eliot frames her criticisms of t he town of Middlemarch such that they reflect on the then-current state of things in England. An instance of EliotsShow MoreRelatedWomen in Middlemarch1174 Words   |  5 PagesWomen in Middlemarch by Mary Elizabeth Rupp February 23, 2002 A major theme in George Eliot s novel, Middlemarch, is the role of women in the community. The female characters in the novel are, to some extent, oppressed by the social expectations that prevail in Middlemarch. Regardless of social standing, character or personality, women are expected to cater to and remain dependent on their husbands and to occupy themselves with trivial recreation rather than important household matters. DorotheaRead MoreHow Is the â€Å"Woman Question† Reflected in Middle March?1906 Words   |  8 PagesStates of America, Canada, and Russia. Issues of womens suffrage, reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, property rights, legal rights, medical rights and marriage dominated cultural discussions in newspapers and intellectual circles. While many women were supportive of these changing roles, they did not agree unanimously. Often issues of marriage and sexual freedom were most divisive. By the way,  The works of women are symbolical,  We sew, sew, prick our fingers, dull our sight, Producing what? A pairRead MoreRobinson Crusoe vs Pride and Prejudice2573 Words   |  11 PagesDaniel Defoe was familiar with this practise, even though he did not actively criticise it. There is consequently no surprise that, Robinson treats Friday as his slave. However, Crusoe is able to recognise Friday’s humanity, though he does not see his slavery as a contradiction. Robinson Crusoe was written in a context of a European colonialism well established around the globe. Next, material wealth is a sign of prestige and power in Robinson’s mind. For instance, he often lists his belongings, like the