Interaction Between Self And Society In Middlemarch: Frustration And Fulfillment

It has been said that society itself is a"character"in Middlemarch, changing and evolving with the protagonists. All the characters are greatly influenced by the society they live in. Their fates are to a large extent determined by the outward social conditions.Since society plays such an important role in Middlemarch, it is of primary importance to understand George Eliot's view on society. In her view, society has two contradicting aspects. On the one hand, society is the only context in which an individual's dreams might be realized. No one can divorce himself from society and still be whole. In this sense, society is a fulfillment of individual possibility. On the other hand, society can also frustrate the ambitions of individuals. Hence, society becomes a frustration of individual potentials.This thesis mainly proposes to discuss how George Eliot's view on society as both frustration and fulfillment is embodied in the lives of the two protagonists: Tertius Lydgate and Dorothea Brook.Both Lydgate and Dorothea have failed to achieve their best because of the limitations of society. For example, Lydgate's plan of initiating a medical reform meets with many obstacles, and Dorothea's potentials are belittled because she is a woman. Society is a place where their ambitions are frustrated. But Dorothea is more brave and tenacious than Lydgate. Though once frustrated by social conditions, Dorothea does not choose to withdraw from interacting with society. She feels herself called upon to help others in social activities. It is only by alleviating others'pain that Dorothea feels the value of her life. The recognition that she has made other people's lives better brings her a sense of fulfillment. To Dorothea therefore, society becomes a place where her value is finally recognized. Because of Dorothea's persistence, her interaction with society finally brings fulfillment to her.Chapter One mainly discusses George Eliot's view of society, namely society as frustration and as fulfillment of individual potentials.Chapter Two illustrates Lydgate's frustration by social circumstances when he encounters the backward state of medicine, social conventions, and unfavorable public opinions and so on in the Middlemarch society. Chapter Three and chapter Four mainly focus on the frustration and fulfillment of Dorothea. Though Dorothea's great aims have once been frustrated by the social environment, yet her wish is finally fulfilled because of her persistence.Chapter Five is the final chapter. It summarizes George Eliot's view of society and its embodiment in her masterpiece Middlemarch.