Female Heroines in Victorian Novels

Paper Summary:

This paper compares the female primary characters, Amy, Dorothea and Tess, in each novel. The paper reviews each story and discusses what the novelists hope the reader will know about the character and what the characters do not know about themselves. The author believes that all three novels show women in very different lights, and all use their heroines effectively to illustrate social problems and mores of the time.

From the Paper:

""MiddleMarch" tells the story of several characters who live in the town of Middlemarch. Dorothea and Celia are two sisters who both marry early in the novel. The novel shows how the "other half" lives in the country and their very different concerns. Dorothea is a moralist and a liberal, who would like to see the people become more democratic and caring, especially for their poor tenants. "Surely," said Dorothea, "it is better to spend money in finding out how men can make the most of the land which supports them all, than in keeping dogs and horses only to gallop over it. It is not a sin to make yourself poor in performing experiments for the good of all" Dorothea represents a different kind of Victorian woman, one who can think for herself and attempts to be in charge of her own destiny."

More papers on Female Heroines in Victorian Novels:

• Comparison Essay # 59671 : "Women in Victorian Literature"
• Book Review # 74642 : "The 'Female Malady' in Literature"

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