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Eliot paints a grim picture of poverty in Victorian England. We see struggling farmers and a modest craftsman. Religion played a major role. A methodist preacher strolls around the country to spread a message of devotion and puritanism. Class was another major factor. A woman from the lower classes couldn't get married to a nobleman. There were unequal standards. Pregnancy outside of wedlock meant to be judged as a "fallen woman".
This may be a coincidence, but Adam Bede is an anagram of Bad Medea.
Eliot's prose is quite wordy and she uses vernacular in the dialogues, so it can be challenging for a modern reader. It takes a while to get going, but it's worth continuing until the end
This may be a coincidence, but Adam Bede is an anagram of Bad Medea.
Spoiler
Medea also murdered her own child. The story is a kind of tragicomedy, because in spite of the tragic events Hetty doesn't die, and it ends with Adam's marriage.Eliot's prose is quite wordy and she uses vernacular in the dialogues, so it can be challenging for a modern reader. It takes a while to get going, but it's worth continuing until the end