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A review by briannasiegrist
Middlemarch by George Eliot
4.0
Oh, wow. This book, more clearly than any other book I've read, shows how a wife can make or break her husband. Mrs. Garth, Mrs. Lydgate, Mrs. Bulstrode, and of course Mrs. Casauban/Mrs. Ladislaw are contrasted so clearly.
Mrs. Garth, a highly educated woman who "marries down," builds her family by gracefully carrying out the education of her children and heartily and cool-headedly economizing to do the best in her circumstances. She never complains, never despairs. Just does her best.
Mrs. Lydgate marries a man for the future he might build for her- and then proceeds to blame him instead of standing by him when misfortune comes their way. Instead of being his ally, she demands his abandoning of all of his hopes and dreams and delights in life in order to keep her comfortable. She never, ever, chooses to look at him with a selfless love. Never tries to see things from his point of view or love him the way he loves her.
Mrs. Bulstrode, who marries a man with a terrible secret, does probably the most heroic thing of all... Stands by him, and shares the pain. Wow.
Mrs. Casauban. Well. Let's start with Mr. Casauban. Everyone acts like he's such a monster. But think of this: He had a dream and she encouraged it. And then when Will came into the picture, he started to be afraid of pursuing the dream... and instead of confiding in her, being vulnerable... He just assumed she was against him also. And so really she could do nothing in that case. He's not really a monster. Just a coward, for not being brave enough to be vulnerable- but also for having that kind of self-serving love that Mrs. Lydgate did. Mrs. Casauban herself was mostly a victim in her marriage.
No one likes Dorothy these days, she's too old-fashioned, too non-feminist. I don't really know what to do with her. I find myself too easily identifying with her in most of the story, and because I don't know what I want for myself, I don't know what I want for her... or whether I like her ending.
I do know I do not want to be Rosamond.
Mrs. Garth, a highly educated woman who "marries down," builds her family by gracefully carrying out the education of her children and heartily and cool-headedly economizing to do the best in her circumstances. She never complains, never despairs. Just does her best.
Mrs. Lydgate marries a man for the future he might build for her- and then proceeds to blame him instead of standing by him when misfortune comes their way. Instead of being his ally, she demands his abandoning of all of his hopes and dreams and delights in life in order to keep her comfortable. She never, ever, chooses to look at him with a selfless love. Never tries to see things from his point of view or love him the way he loves her.
Mrs. Bulstrode, who marries a man with a terrible secret, does probably the most heroic thing of all... Stands by him, and shares the pain. Wow.
Mrs. Casauban. Well. Let's start with Mr. Casauban. Everyone acts like he's such a monster. But think of this: He had a dream and she encouraged it. And then when Will came into the picture, he started to be afraid of pursuing the dream... and instead of confiding in her, being vulnerable... He just assumed she was against him also. And so really she could do nothing in that case. He's not really a monster. Just a coward, for not being brave enough to be vulnerable- but also for having that kind of self-serving love that Mrs. Lydgate did. Mrs. Casauban herself was mostly a victim in her marriage.
No one likes Dorothy these days, she's too old-fashioned, too non-feminist. I don't really know what to do with her. I find myself too easily identifying with her in most of the story, and because I don't know what I want for myself, I don't know what I want for her... or whether I like her ending.
I do know I do not want to be Rosamond.