| Eliot's last four novels are the primary focus of this dissertation: Middlemarch, Romola, Felix Holt and Daniel Deronda. I have explored the development of Dorothea Brooke, Romola de Bardi, Esther Lyon, Mrs. Transome and Gwendolyn Harleth towards a greater differentiation of consciousness by examining the concept of man's spiral development and Eliot's use of the labyrinth motif. The labyrinth is an archetype of transformation and represents inner complexities, which are the primary concern of this study.;I have found that the progress of Eliot's characters towards a position of sympathy--the recognition of an "equivalent center of self" in others--corresponds to phases in the labyrinthine journey. Although Eliot's use of the labyrinth motif has been casually mentioned, especially in regard to Middlemarch, a concentrated study of this image in Eliot's novels does not exist. Instead, the principal focus has been the image of the web, which highlights Eliot's deterministic strain. In contrast to the web, the labyrinth emphasizes the transformative value of suffering towards a spiritual rebirth. Eliot's novels explore various stages of development in terms of resistance and regression, and in terms of active suffering towards a greater understanding of the inner and outer world. This is Eliot's primary concern and the essence of the labyrinthine journey. |
