George Eliot

George Eliot [pseudonym of Mary Anne or Marian Evans] (1819-1880) Englis! aut!or
"rote The Mill on the Floss (18#0)$
%How can you talk so, Mr. Tulliver? She's too big a gell--gone nine, and tall of her age--
to have her hair cut short an' there's her cousin !ucy's got a row o' curls round her
head, an' not a hair out o' "lace. #t see$s hard as $y sister %eane should have that
"retty child #'$ sure !ucy takes $ore after $e nor $y own child does. Maggie, Maggie,&
continued the $other, in a tone of half-coa'ing fretfulness, as this s$all $istake of
nature entered the roo$, &where's the use o' $y telling you to kee" away fro$ the water?
(ou'll tu$ble in and be drownded so$e day, an' then you'll be sorry you didn't do as
$other told you&%
Maggie's !air as s!e t!re" off !er (onnet painfully )onfirmed !er mot!er's
a))usation& Mrs& *ulliver desiring !er daug!ter to !ave a )urled )rop %li+e ot!er fol+s's
)!ildren% !ad !ad it )ut too s!ort in front to (e pus!ed (e!ind t!e ears$ and as it "as
usually straig!t an !our after it !ad (een ta+en out of paper Maggie "as in)essantly
tossing !er !ead to +eep t!e dar+ !eavy lo)+s out of !er gleaming (la)+ eyes--an a)tion
"!i)! gave !er very mu)! t!e air of a small ,!etland pony&-.oo+ 1 )!& /
0o!n Morley in !is essay titled %The !ife of )eorge *liot% (1901) re)alls Eliot's
frustration to"ards t!e '!a(it' of literary (iograp!y& ,!e !erself lived a )ontroversial and
un)onventional life !as (een t!e su(2e)t of mu)! s)!olarly de(ate and (een t!e study of
many (iograp!ers& 3n !er time many "ere s!o)+ed (y some of !er )!oi)es in life
'un(e)oming a "oman' (ut s!e eventually earned t!e deserved esteem of an
a))omplis!ed aut!or& 4er "or+s stand on t!eir o"n not to (e overs!ado"ed (y !er
personal life& Among t!e (est of t!e 5i)torian "riters Eliot deals "it! t!emes of so)ial
)!ange and triump!s of t!e !eart and !as a remar+a(le talent for s!o"ing us t!e dept!
and s)ope of 6rovin)ial Englis! life7 its )lasses pretensions and !ypo)risies& Many of
!er novels today are in)luded in t!e )anon of )lassi) 19t! )entury literary "or+s& ,ome
!ave (een adapted to film many still in print today&
Alt!oug! s!e "ould use a num(er of spelling variations of !er name over t!e
years s!e "as (orn Mary Anne Evans on // 8ovem(er 1819 at t!e family !ome %,out!
9arm% on t!e Ar(ury Estate in :ar"i)+s!ire England& ,!e "as t!e youngest daug!ter of
;o(ert Evans (1<<=-1819) and !is se)ond "ife >!ristiana 6earson Evans& Mary !ad t"o
step-si(lings ;o(ert and 9anny and t"o full si(lings >!rissey and 3saa)& 4er fat!er "as
a stern (ut loving man "or+ing under great aut!ority for t!e 8e"digate family as a land
agent and (uilder& ;o(ert is li+ely in part inspiration for Eliot's fi)tional )!ara)ters Adam
.ede (18?9) and >ale( Gart! in Middle$arch (18<1-/)& @nli+e t!e many poor tenants
"!o "or+ed t!e estates' land and surrounding mines t!e Evans's en2oyed a )omforta(le
life& Aoung Mary attended >!ilvers >oton >!ur)! "it! !er family and (e)ame an avid
reader spending mu)! time in t!e li(rary& ,!e "as very )lose to >!rissey and devoted to
!er older (rot!er 3saa) alt!oug! in later years t!ey "ould disagree on most matters
familial and religious& 3t "as very diffi)ult for t!e s!y and introverted Mary to see !im go
off to (oarding s)!ool&
4er o"n formal edu)ation at (oarding s)!ool started in 18/1& ,!e "as neBt
enrolled at Mrs& :allington's ,)!ool at 8uneaton "!ere t!e s)!ool's governess Miss
Maria Ce"is too+ !er under !er "ing& Mary found in !er evangeli)al piety purpose and
)omfort$ s!e (e)ame !er mentor and t!ey !eld a long )orresponden)e after Mary left t!e
s)!ool& 8uneaton "ould play a large role in Eliot's fi)tional "or+ Scenes of +lerical !ife
(18?8)& At s)!ool in >oventry Mary learned to play t!e piano studied languages and
(egan "riting stories and poetry& ,!e fully em(ra)ed !er fait! and "as a pious and
serious student$ !o"ever li+e Maggie *ulliver in *!e Mill on t!e 9loss s!e "ould )ome
to Duestion !er fait!&
After !er mot!er died of )an)er in 18=# Mary moved (a)+ to t!e family !ome
%Griff 4ouse% on t!e Ar(ury Estate& 3saa) "as (a)+ !ome living "it! !is fat!er in
preparation to ta+e over !is position on t!e estate and >!rissy "as also t!ere& Mary
!elped !er run t!e !ouse!old and ta+e )are of t!eir fat!er& 4e (oug!t many (oo+s for
Mary and !ired a tutor for !er (e)ause s!e !ad done so "ell in s)!ool--!e "anted !er to
)ontinue !er studies& ,!e also found time to "rite$ t!e >!ristian E(server pu(lis!ed !er
first poem in 1810& *!e neBt year s!e moved "it! !er no"-retired fat!er to %.ird Grove%
in 9oles!ill near >oventry and em(ar+ed on a period of great )!ange& 9or many years
Mary !ad (een self-)ons)ious a(out !er appearan)e and (een plagued (y self-dou(t$ s!e
"as afraid of (e)oming a spinster and tended to melan)!oly& And s!e "as Duestioning
!er >!ristian fait! and forming !er o"n opinions of 5i)torian so)iety& 4er soul sear)!ing
resulted in !er de)iding not to attend )!ur)! anymore "!i)! strained relations "it! !er
(rot!er and fat!er& .ut anot!er "orld of purpose and )omfort !ad opened to !er$ !er
so)ial )ir)le "idened as s!e "as "el)omed into >oventry's intelle)tual )ir)le& ,!e
(e)ame friends "it! irreverent freet!in+ers li+e >ara and >!arles .ray and started
reading non-religious literary "or+s su)! as t!ose of *!omas >arlyle ;alp! :aldo
Emerson and ,ir :alter ,)ott& ,!e also met pu(lis!er 0o!n >!apman "!o printed !er
first translation Cife of 0esus in 181#& Anot!er translation of !ers' 9euer(a)!'s Essen)e
of >!ristianity "as pu(lis!ed in 18?1&
:!en !er fat!er died in 1819 after a lengt!y illness Mary travelled "it! t!e .rays to
3taly and ,"itFerland& 3n Geneva s!e met t!e G'Al(ert Gurades family and revelled in !er
freedom& 4er fat!er !ad left !er a small yearly in)ome 2ust enoug! to live on and s!e
moved to Condon in !opes of (e)oming a 2ournalist as Marian Evans& ,!e roomed at 11/
,trand t!e !ome of and offi)es for >!apman "!o "as no" o"ner of t!e :estminster
;evie"& Marian assisted as editor vetted su(missions and "rote revie"s for it& 4er +een
intelle)t years of religious study +no"ledge of languages and literature and "or+ in
translations proved invalua(le to >!apman and t!e ;evie"& ,!e "as given "ide-ranging
editorial )ontrol and fleBed !er mig!t as a "riter in t!e non-fi)tion vein !er arti)les
pu(lis!ed anonymously& ,!e en2oyed a parti)ularly unort!odoB position as a single
"or+ing "oman in a mid-1800's male-dominated industry$ s!e "as independent and free
to ma+e !er o"n )!oi)es& .ut life in Condon "as (e)oming )ompli)ated& Marian fell for
t!e )!arms of t!e )!arismati) >!apman "!o "as married !ad a mistress and "as no"
spending mu)! time "it! !er& Marian "as also attending le)tures and t!e t!eatre and
(e)oming a)Duainted "it! many figures in t!e pu(lis!ing "orld in)luding >!arles
Gi)+ens :il+ie >ollins and prolifi) aut!or p!ilosop!er and )riti) George 4enry Ce"es
(181<-18<8)&
:!en Marian met t!e (o!emian Ce"es !e "as in an open marriage "it! Agnes
0ervis (ut (y t!e end of 18?/ !e "as staying "it! Marian at !er ne" rooms in 4yde
6ar+& Alt!oug! no" a free-t!in+er !erself Marian )!ose not to !ave )!ildren not
"anting t!em to (e (orn to unmarried parents& Alt!oug! t!e Ce"es's never memorialised
t!eir union legally t!ey )onsidered it a marriage despite t!e derision t!ey re)eived from
friends and relatives and t!e effe)t it !ad on t!eir professional )areers& Marian no" )alled
!erself Mrs& Marian Evans Ce"es& *!e t"o travelled to t!e >ontinent a num(er of times
and s!ared several !omes in)luding %6riory% in ;egent's 6ar+ Condon and %*!e
4eig!ts% at :itley until Ce"es' deat! in 18<8& 4er lover and !er (est friend Ce"es "as
an avid supporter to Marian and en)ouraged !er to ta+e up !er pen and "rite fi)tion&
Gespite t!e pu(li) s)andal t!at arose from t!eir relations!ip Marian's most prolifi) and
su))essful period of "riting started "it! t!e serialisation in .la)+"ood's MagaFine of !er
,)enes of >leri)al Cife (18?8)& A )olle)tion of t!ree stories it "as !er first "or+
pu(lis!ed under !er pseudonym George Eliot& *!ere "ere a fe" reasons for !er )!oosing
a pen name at t!is point in !er life$ pu(li) +no"ledge of !er adulterous relations!ip "it!
Ce"es "as one& Anot!er "as t!at alt!oug! s!e !ad (een pu(lis!ed anonymously in t!e
:estminster ;evie" many no" +ne" it "as s!e "!o "rote "it! t!e s!arp and )unning
intelle)t t!at )ut a"ay )onventions and eBposed t!e medio)rity to (e found in literature of
t!e day& 8eit!er male nor female aut!ors "ere immune to !er s)rutiny& ,!e did not "ant
!er reputation to pre)ede !er "or+s& 4aving a male pen name ('George' of )ourse (eing
Ce"es' first name) set a tone for !er fi)tion apart from t!e feminine genre of )oo+(oo+s
and domesti) moral tales&
Adam .ede (18?9) "as !er first full-lengt! novel& 3t "as an immediate su))ess
(ut attra)ted fervent pu(li) gossip as to "!o t!e real aut!or "as& :!en it "as dis)overed
t!at Eliot "as Mrs& Marian Evans Ce"es many )astigated !er (ut s!e "as also lauded (y
friends fello" aut!ors and feminists& *!e dedi)ation in Adam .ede read$
&To $y dear husband, )eorge Henry !ewes, # give the $anuscri"t of a work which
would never have been written but for the ha""iness which his love has conferred on $y
life.&
*!e Cifted 5eil (18?9) refle)ts t!e personal struggles Eliot "ent t!roug! as a
"oman and aut!or in t!e spotlig!t sin)e t!e su))ess of Adam .ede& ,!e still felt self-
dou(t at times and !ad (outs of depression--t!is sensitive inner-life refle)ted in many of
t!e portraits painted of !er& .ut al"ays Ce"es "as t!ere to urge !er for"ard& Eliot's most
auto(iograp!i)al novel *!e Mill on t!e 9loss (18#0) "as follo"ed (y ,ilas Marner7 t!e
:eaver of ;aveloe (18#1)& 4er epi) !istori)al novel for "!i)! s!e did mu)! resear)!
;omola (18#/-=) is (ased on t!e life of Gomini)an Mon+ ,avonarola& 3t "as follo"ed
(y .rot!er 0a)o( (18#1) and 9eliB 4olt7 *!e ;adi)al (18##) a politi)al story set in t!e
time of t!e Great ;eform A)t of 18=/& Eliot "rote many poems in)luding !er epi) %*!e
,panis! Gypsy% (18#8) and %4o" Cisa Coved t!e Hing% (18#9)& Et!er poems "ould (e
in)luded in *!e Cegend of 0u(al and Et!er 6oems (18<0)& Eliot's masterpie)e
Middlemar)! (18<1-/) "as follo"ed (y Ganiel Geronda (18<#)& Around t!is time t!e
Ce"es's "ent to live at %*!e 4eig!ts% in :itley ,urrey& George !ad (een si)+ for some
time and died on =0 8ovem(er 18<8& Eliot "as profoundly grieved (ut found some
)omfort in editing !is 6ro(lems of Cife and Mind& ,!e "as also "or+ing on !er o"n last
"or+ a )olle)tion of essays titled 3mpressions of *!eop!rastus ,u)! (18<9)& :!ile Eliot
isolated !erself from family and friends s!e did allo" (an+er 0o!n :alter >ross to visit
!er& Ever t"enty years !is senior >ross as+ed Eliot to marry !im& 3nitially s!e "as very
relu)tant (ut in an odd turn of events s!e a))epted& *!ey "ere married in May of 1880
and Eliot reverted (a)+ to !er name Mary Ann only dropping t!e e& :!ile it "as a
)onvention s!e !ad re2e)ted for so many years !er marriage did )ontri(ute to
re)on)iliation "it! !er (rot!er 3saa)& ,ettling at 1 >!eyne :al+ in >!elsea Condon t!e
>ross's marriage "ould (e s!ort-lived&
George Eliot died on // Ge)em(er 1880& ,!e no" rests "it! Ce"es in 4ig!gate
>emetery in Condon England& 4er epitap! reads7 %Ef t!ose immortal dead "!o live
again 3n minds made (etter (y t!eir presen)e&% Here rests the body of )*,-)* *!#,T.
.M/-( /00 +-,SS1& Alt!oug! Eliot's "is! to (e (uried in :estminster A((ey "as not
granted in 1980 a memorial "as pla)ed in 6oet's >orner in !er !onour among ot!er su)!
esteemed literary figures as :illiam .la+e Ap!ra .e!n and 4enry :ads"ort!
Congfello"&
El(ert 4u((ard in !is !ittle 2ourneys 5ol& 17 Good Men and Great )ompares Eliot to
,!a+espeare--t!eir lives loves and "or+s$
3arwickshire gave to the world 3illia$ Shakes"eare. #t also gave Mary /nn
*vans. 0o one will 4uestion that Shakes"eare's is the greatest na$e in *nglish literature
and a$ong writers living or dead, in *ngland or out of it, no wo$an has ever shown us
"ower e4ual to that of )eorge *liot, in the subtle clairvoyance which divines the in$ost
"lay of "assions, the e'"erience that shows hu$an ca"acity for contradiction, and the
indulgence that is $erciful because it understands.
WORKS
Fiction
Adam .ede
.rot!er 0a)o(
Ganiel Geronda
Middlemar)!
;omola
,)enes of >leri)al Cife
,ilas Marner
*!e Cifted 5eil
*!e Mill on t!e 9loss
*om and Maggie *ulliver
Non-Fiction
3mpressions of *!eop!rastus ,u)!
Poetry
.rot!er and ,ister
>ount *!at Gay Cost
God 8eeds Antonio
4o" Cisa Coved t!e Hing
3 Grant Aou Ample Ceave
3n a Condon Gra"ingroom
Mid My Gold-.ro"n >urls
E May 3 0oin t!e >!oir 3nvisi(leI
;oses
,"eet Endings >ome and Go Cove
*!e Cegend of 0u(al
*"o Covers