Questions for the first Book of Middlemarch – Miss Brooke (Chapters 1-12)
1) In the Prelude, we are introduced to St. Theresa of Avila and told:
Many Theresas have been born who found for themselves no epic life wherein there was a constant unfolding of far-resonant action; perhaps only a life of mistakes, the offspring of a certain spiritual grandeur ill-matched with the meanness of opportunity; perhaps a tragic failure which found no sacred poet and sank unwept into oblivion… Here and there a cygnet is reared uneasily among the ducklings in the brown pond, and never finds the living stream in fellowship with its own oary-footed kind. Here and there is born a Saint Theresa, foundress of nothing, whose loving heart-beats and sobs after an unattained goodness tremble off and are dispersed among hindrances, instead of centring in some long-recognizable deed. (Prelude )
What do you think about the passage? Does it apply to Dorothea?
2) Describe your impressions of Dorothea. It is often said that she’s a self-portrait of George Eliot – do you think she is?
3) In Chapter 3, Dorothea realizes that Mr. Casaubon desires to marry her. Her reaction is,
“Into this soul-hunger as yet all her youthful passion was poured; the union which attracted her was one that would deliver her from her girlish subjection to her own ignorance, and give her the freedom of voluntary submission to a guide who would take her along the grandest path.
"I should learn everything then," she said to herself, still walking quickly along the bridle road through the wood. "It would be my duty to study that I might help him the better in his great works. There would be nothing trivial about our lives. Every-day things with us would mean the greatest things. It would be like marrying Pascal. I should learn to see the truth by the same light as great men have seen it by. And then I should know what to do, when I got older: I should see how it was possible to lead a grand life here -- now -- in England. I don't feel sure about doing good in any way now: everything seems like going on a mission to a people whose language I don't know; -- unless it were building good cottages -- there can be no doubt about that. Oh, I hope I should be able to get the people well housed in Lowick! I will draw plenty of plans while I have time."
Do you think that Dorothea has realistic expectations of a marriage with Mr. Casaubon? Does he have a realistic expectation of marriage to her?
4) Describe your impressions of Celia’s reaction to the proposed marriage (Chapter 5 ) What do you think of the relationship between the sisters and do they assess each other well?
5) In one of the more (in my opinion) obnoxious quotes from this section, Mr. Brooke tells Mrs. Cadwallader - "I don't pretend to argue with a lady on politics," said Mr Brooke, with an air of smiling indifference, but feeling rather unpleasantly conscious that this attack of Mrs Cadwallader's had opened the defensive campaign to which certain rash steps had exposed him. "Your sex are not thinkers, you know --/ varium et mutabile semper / -- that kind of thing. You don't know Virgil. I knew" -- Mr Brooke reflected in time that he had not had the personal acquaintance of the Augustan poet -- "I was going to say, poor Stoddart, you know. That was what / he / said. You ladies are always against an independent attitude -- a man's caring for nothing but truth, and that sort of thing. And there is no part of the county where opinion is narrower than it is here -- I don't mean to throw stones, you know, but somebody is wanted to take the independent line; and if I don't take it, who will?" (Chapter 6)
What do you think of the characters of Mr. Brooke and Mrs. Cadwallader? What do you think of this exchange?
6) In Chapter 8, we see Chettam continuing his project with Dorothea, and in Chapter 9, plans for the wedding are moving along quickly. Has there been any change in the expectations or preparedness for their marriage by Dorothea or Mr. Casaubon? What do you think of the character of James Chettam and his relationship with Dorothea, Celia, and Mrs. Cadwallader?
7) As Chapter 11 opens, the marriage has occurred, and we shift focus (this is the chapter I ended up going back and just beginning again) to the Vincys. Why do you think there is this shift, and what contrast is being drawn between the Brookes and the Vincys?
8) What other thoughts, scenes, etc did I miss?
I’ll post my answers in the comments – I look forward to hearing your thoughts and to continuing on with Book 2. There’s a note in my edition that suggests that you should wait a day or two between books, as it was published in separate books. It wasn’t intentional, but I did allow that a bit, as I was unable to get some reading time in yesterday.
posted by Mimi @ 2/19/2010 02:06:00 PM
7 Comments
7 Comments:
1. While I'm ignorant about St. Theresa, I think the passage gives us a clear picture of the type of person Dorothea is: Beautiful, lofty, ascetic, but tragically about to be spoiled and wasted.
2. Dorothea's character frustrates me. I don't find her likeable just yet. She makes me want to roll my eyes - perhaps I'm a Celia! You can see that she is indeed an extraordinary person, and she should marry well, and I suppose her marriage choice is honorable, but you can see the impending doom and you wonder if she is delusional, thinking this match will somehow elevate her. I'm also ignorant of George Eliot so I can't answer the second question here.
3. I can't imagine myself making a match without love or romance, so I again see Dorothea as the odd bird that she is.
I see her expectations of marriage to Casaubon as unrealistic because she is expecting him to complete her in a way that is most unlikely. Her expectations are honrable but unrealistic. I think Casaubon has realistic expectations in that he's thrilled to have won the jackpot of a wife - brains, beauty and youth at his old age and unattractiveness.
4. I completely relate to Celia. She pushes Dorothea's buttons, but then feels bad, and mostly wants her sister to be happy, and tries to accept her sister's decision to stay in her good graces. You can see they really love eachother, and I love the affectionate "Dodo" she calls Dorothea. She is a Dodo!!
5. Cadwallader is the typical meddling town know-it-all and Brooke is pretty much a jerk.
6. Sir James seems to be just a nice young man. You get the impression he is sincere, and very good marriage material. He humors Cadwallader, genuinely likes Dorothea (and is even disappointed in not getting to marry her), and you hope he marries Celia because you know the two of them could actually be happy.
7. For some reason I find Rosamond more likeable than Dorothea, even though she is more selfish and spoiled. Her brother seems to be nice enough - but just a bit of trouble and I find the pickle he gets into with his uncle very funny. The description of them both preoccupied on their ride home - her fancying herself in love and at her life's epoch, and he unsure of what he could have said to get out of his uncle's good graces and whether or not to tell his father who has already become out of humor with him - quite amusing!! The contrast is perhaps two sets of young siblings making life decisions like marriage, and/or two beauties like Dorothea and Rosamond who are so different and how they choose their spouses...I can't wait to find out how Eliot ties it all together! :)
8. I found the exchange between Rosamond and Mary interesting, and also that Mary is an interest to Fred, even though she is described as plain (but that could have been just in comparison to the extraordinary Rosamond.)
1)I find the focus on St. Theresa an odd one for such a Protestant character, and a Protestant time of English life. Having said that, the beauty of the entire Prelude quotes and the idea of there being many “Theresas” called is absolutely beautiful. At first, I was sure that it was Dorothea, but then when I was introduced to Rosamond, I wondered if they were both being drawn as Theresas. It’ll be interesting to see her use this as a framework (if she does) throughout the book.
2) Like Lauren, I don’t know that I know enough about Dorothea to speak with authority, but having that in the back of my head, I did kind of think of the character as Eliot’s eyes in the storyline. I liked the character.
3) I think that Dorothea is setting herself up for a hard fall, and is reading into the idea of this marriage more than is there – more than Casaubon can offer, and more than he is. I also, however, think that he is misreading her character as well, thinking she is going to be moldable, and docile.
4) I too, really liked Celia’s character. I also got a giggle about her calling Dorothy “Dodo” – I think she’s a fairly observantly drawn character as a younger sister, and as someone who is negotiating her place in society, especially being under the charity of another.
5) My opinion of obnoxiousness aside, I thought it was an interesting commentary on the societal pressures against women at the time, and I think something that Eliot strained against. I also thought that the character of Mrs. Cadwallader was well drawn – there’s one in every town, village, or social circle – the one who thinks she knows everything that is going on, and if something goes on without her knowledge, will strive to put herself in the middle of the situation to draw it back to something under her control.
6)In a lot of ways, I was rooting for James and Dorothy as a match. I find his character interesting and I look forward to it being fleshed out. I think that the interaction between Casaubon and Dorothea, especially to the language tutoring, to be very telling – she is attracted to the knowledge that he can give her, and he is attracted to the idea of her being docile and moldable.
7) After I got over my surprise at figuring out who exactly this family was, I really liked the Vincys. Like Lauren, I find Rosy to be an interesting character, and I hope that she is a player in the novel.
8)When Googling, I was surprised to discover that the interaction between Dorothea and Celia over the jewels was significant. I am embarrassed to admit that the social interactions of the moment went right over my head, and it wasn’t a particularly notable scene for me at all.
I am short on time, but I did want to post a response to question 3. I, too, think Dorothea has the wrong impression of marriage. I think we need to be whole ourselves, and that we should not look toward others to make our lives richer or better in marriage. Every one of us is flawed, and if we place our hopes and dreams in another person, we will set ourselves up for failure and disappointment.
I have never been married (though I hope to be one day), and I think Dorothea's impression of marriage is what my impression of marriage would have been when I was younger. And at the risk of placing religion into the argument even if it is not supposed to be placed here, I would argue that our only true sense of wholeness can come with Christ--that He is the only one who can fully satisfy us. And that only when we know this and try to live like this will our expectations of marriage be reasonable.
1. The way I read this was not that Eliot meant that there are many "St. Theresas" out there who are unknown to us (which I would agree with--of course there are saints we don't know of) but that there are many out there who would be saints if they were in different circumstances. But I think one of the things that makes a saint is that they overcome their circumstances to be a witness to the faith. As to whether or nor Dorothea will overcome her circumstances, I guess I will have to read and find out.
2. If Dorothea is a self-portrait, than Eliot has a very romantic view of herself. I think Dorothea seems sincere and somewhat misguided, looking for a place to direct her energies, and I think she also has a rather romantic view of herself.
3.To both questions, no, I don't think their expectations are realistic and I think the reader is meant to see that and feel a sense of foreboding about the marriage.
4. I think the sisters probably know each other better than anyone else. As more of a realist, I think perhaps Celia has a more accurate assessment of Dorothea than Dorothea has of her. I think both of the sisters underestimate Celia.
5. Mr. Brooke seems pompous with an inflated self image, Mrs. Cadwallader a classic busy body, meddling, but with good intentions. I get the feeling Eliot wrote this with tongue firmly in cheek, having encountered similar characters to each in her own life.
6.Chettam seems totally likable. I love that he didn't take offense as the spurned lover but is continuing with the cottage project. I think it's funny how Mrs. Cadwallader thinks she can lead him around by the nose, and I'm curious to see if he ends up marrying Celia. As to the marriage,it seems like Causobon is feeling vague misgivings about his lack of feelings for Dorothea, despite the fact that she seems to him to be the perfect woman. I was amused that he reassured himself not with the idea that such intense feelings may not be necessary for lasting marriage, but that the poets must exaggerate.
7.I felt like this sets us in suspense about the marriage--we're all wondering how it will work out since it seemed to be set up to fail. I agree that we also get some parallels and contrasts with the sibling relationships, parental figures and romantic situations.
8.I don't really have anything to add right now. So far I'm really enjoying this. I like that the chapters tend to be pretty short, so I can read one or two before I have to go to sleep. Also, I'm enjoying not knowing what to expect, so I'm trying to avoid reading anything about the book.
Lauren I love that you identify with Celia, and the way that you expressed it. I also wish I knew more than the blurb in my book about George Eliot so I could more accurately assess the parallels.
I agree about Rosamond - I find her a very likable character too.
Oooh, and very good point - I do like the character of Mary, and her school friendship with Rosamond. I like the fact that she likes to read, and I think that she and Fred will be an interesting development as well.
Ali I love what you say about Dorothea's expectations of marriage - not only that she saw him as a romantic character, when he clearly wasn't, but that she had unrealistic expectations about marriage itself, and that her foundation was incorrect (the martyrdom that we hear about in the Orthodox marriage service).
Sarah This point but that there are many out there who would be saints if they were in different circumstances. was so amazing - it never occurred to me to look at this quote and the set up in this way, wow!
I like your assessment of Celia as well - I agree, that she is underestimated by Dorothea, herself, and her society - Mrs. Cadawaller, Mr. Brooks, etc. She is seen as the flighty little sister, and I think that she has greater depth that even she imagines.
I am also going into it "blind" - as I don't know much about the plot, and I certainly don't know how it is going to unfold.
I also like the lengths of the chapters - they are very easy to sit down and read just one or two, without being overwhelmed
Although, I find if I go back and re-read a bit, I am really finding that there is more in it that I missed every time. I can definitely see re-reading this book and getting a totally different level out of it.
Thank you all!
Sorry I am coming to the conversation late. Since I've read this book before my impressions are different than the first time I read it.
2. This time around I like Dorothea less. The first time I was hopeful but knew that her ideals of marriage were going to be dashed. I thought she was merely a silly girl with her head in the clouds. This time I find her hard, unbending, and silly (can those go together??).
5. I can't help but like Mr. Brooke's even though he is useless as a guardian and has such silly ideas about everything. I do like Mrs. Cadwallader. I like a lady who speaks her mind - even if she is a busybody.
6. I also like James, but realize this time even more that his marriage to Dorothea would have been just as much a disaster as her's to Casaubon, just for different reasons.
Deb - I love hearing your thoughts, especially as it is a reread for you - I do admit, I know very little of how the plot will unfold, so it is new to me.
I really like this point that you made about Dorothea and James:
his marriage to Dorothea would have been just as much a disaster as her's to Casaubon, just for different reasons.
that is a very true statement - it would have been idealism and idealism instead of idealism and codgerism (is that a word?)
And, I do think that Dorothea is a combination of silly and unbending - her idealism is very rigid.
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