A Study On The Theme Of Self-Sacrifice In George Eliot's Novel

Self-sacrifice is an important theme in George Eliot’s novels and a key reason for her criticism by feminists,but this theme has not received enough attention.Domestic and foreign scholars mainly studied the qualities related to self-sacrifice,such as responsibility and obligation,while ignoring the development process and deep-seated reasons for Eliot’s self-sacrificial view.This thesis focuses on Adam Bede,Romola and Middlemarch to explore Eliot’s changing views on women’s survival issues during different periods,attempting to point out how these three novels reflect her pursuit of the ideal selves of women.Eliot’s translation of religious books and interactions with other critics led to the formation of her unique humanistic religious views,which,in turn,influenced her early understanding of women’s status and value.Therefore,in Adam Bede,she described a form of self-sacrifice that involves sacrificing oneself to“God” or religious causes.Romola was a turning point in Eliot’s early and later works,where self-sacrifice had an “angelic” quality,emphasizing sacrificing one’s core interests for others,which was closely related to her dependence on her father and cohabitation with George Henry Lewes.In Middlemarch,her masterpiece,written in her later career,Eliot described the ideal self-sacrifice,emphasizing sacrificing one’s core interests for personal ideals,influenced by her mature thoughts and organic social theory.Therefore,this thesis believes that Eliot had a profound understanding of the social trends of the time,which influenced her views on female’s self-sacrifice.Her purpose in shaping female images with a self-sacrificial spirit is to advocate for men and women to leverage their respective strengths and advantages in their fields,and to find their ideal selves and realize their self-worth while sacrificing themselves.