Middlemarch - George Eliot Book Review by Tacita

In this article, the writer analyzes the portrayal of nineteenth century England in George Eliot's work, "Middlemarch" and notes that George Eliot uses a mixture of optimism and pessimism to portray human nature. The writer maintains that Eliot's goal was to create an image of ordinary human life with all its complexities. The writer then points out an optimistic aspect of "Middlemarch", that all the characters seem to marry for love, as well as a pessimistic aspect of 'Middlemarch', that it reveals how our human nature can be dramatically altered by money. The paper further relates that 'Middlemarch' expresses how it is embedded in human nature to put social expectations onto others and to look down at those of a lower class and that it is also human nature to join a community. The writer concludes that 'Middlemarch' represents the spirit of nineteenth century England through its characters.