Reconstruct A New Homestead Of Life: Belief In Middlemarch

Through the whole 19^th century, Great changes had taken place in Britain, spiritually and materially. Due to the improvement of productivity and science, British industry was flourishing, it greatly promoted the economic power and international status of Britain. However, accompanying with the development of industry, Human's spiritual life relapsed into inanity and anxiety. Religion still took up very important position in human life, it can be said that religion is spiritual stanchion of western people, but people began to suspect of religion in 19^th century, it directly lead to belief crisis. People who lost faith became aware of being at loose ends.As an outstanding writer of Britain in 19^th century, George Eliot set eyes on these problems naturally, She profoundly noticed the series of problems which brought to. This motif impenetrate through her novels, it's most obviously shown in the magnum opus Middlemarch. Many critics consider that she has her own humanitarian religion or morality of human nature. But this essay will illustrate that Eliot put forward many principles by no means only religious or ethical problems. From deeper perspective, they are belief. Eliot reconstructed the spiritual home all through her works, explored the principle and basis of belief. From a deeper perspective, they are problems of crisis. Eliot frequently talked about religious crisis, so this essay will take this as cut-in point to research her novels. Middlemarch will be exemplified to discuss how Eliot figured out the way to resolve belief crisis problems.This essay will illustrate the belief problem in Middlemarch from three aspects: the belief crisis in Middlemarch, causes to belief crisis, to rebuild a new homestead. The belief crisis mainly represented in: oscillation of religious crisis, loss of religious ethic, fadeaway of religious emotion. Combining with the specific text, this essay will reveal the belief crisis step by step through these three aspects above. It will discuss how Eliot's own suspected thoughts and social context influents the theme of the novel. Eliot believes that religion had been in crisis at that moment, people's spiritual plight need to be settled quickly, and the way is going back to life, going back to human nature from deity, going back to mundane life from spiritual life, combining the belief with life tightly. This essay will discuss how to rebuild a new homestead in the belief crisis from three aspects: turning around from religious hope to mundane life, pursuing caritas and giving up individualism, going back to true feelings. It will make readers to understand the belief crisis and the turning to life profoundly.