GEORGE ELIOT

• Philosophical element:
• Psychological realism:
• Plot Construction:
• George Eliot’s concept of tragedy:
• The problem of the ending of the novel:
• The autobiographical element:
• A modern novelist:

Philosophical element:
George Eliot was a philosopher. She was the first novelist to introduce the philosophical element in the English novel. She has also presented her philosophical views and ideas in her novels “The Mill on the Floss” and “Adam Bede”. She has discussed the nature and purpose of human life. She has also tried to analyze the relationship of the individual with the society particularly the relationship of the talented and gifted individual with a convention-ridden and narrow minded society. In this way her novels present her philosophical study of the essentials of life and also of the ideological standards of both of the society and the individual. For the purpose of the study she has presented “Maggie” and “Hetty” as an exceptionally gifted individuals who have to face the restrictions and on-floats of a narrow minded, rigid and unfriendly society: whereas it is not difficult for an ordinary individual to harmonize or coordinate with the rigid traditions and conventions of society. The intellectually gifted persons have to face innumerable problems in this regard. Maggie could not compromise either with the family routine of her relatives or with the traditions of her society. This strife between the intellectually gifted persons and the tradition-ridden society is the central theme of her novels. Her characters are not blind-followers of the practices and conventions prevailing around them, their society become hostile and unfriendly to them. They have to face many moral complications and complexities due to this strife. For George Eliot has not presented any systematic or direct situation of these moral complication and spiritual complexities of her characters. Her characters sank very deep in moral complications and spiritual complexities. George Eliot has not clue to suggest any idea how a compromise or level of coordination could be brought about between the intellectually gifted individuals of the motivated forces of the conduct of her characters but has also made this analysis and organic part of her structure. By virtue of her psycho-analysis of her characters, she has created complex characters in her novels. We not only read about the revealed conduct and behaviour of her characters but we also get knowledge about the inspiring impulses and the motivating sensations of her characters. We learn from her story that Maggie’s love for Philip was motivated by the impulses of pity and sympathy. In the same way we can understand that Maggie was attracted towards Stephan Guest due to a sense of deprivation which she had been experiencing by leading a life of extreme piety, obstination and asceticism.

Plot construction:
The plot of her novels is compact and organic. The action moves smoothly, logically but the plot is not totally without defects and blemishes. Proper proportion and symmetry have not been maintained in the narration of the story. Some important elements have been discussed too briefly and some less important elements have been given too much space. The childhood of Tom and Maggie helps in giving too much space. George Eliot has narrated the story of their childhood with unnecessary details. Although her psychological study of the mind and conduct of children is both excellent and impressive, yet it goes a distinct and remarkable disproportion with the main structure of the novel. This story of the psychological study of the child’s mind does not have a direct or significant bearing with the central theme of the novel. Maggie Stephan affair, which was a very important element for enunciating the central theme of the story related with the moral complications and spiritual complexities of an exceptionally gifted young woman, has been narrated too briefly. Her characters’ efforts to face moral complications after their desertion from family or society which has a direct link with the central theme of the novels, has also been presented too briefly in her novels. Then the ending of the story is also questionable and not technically viable.

Concept of Tragedy:
For George Eliot, tragedy occurred due to the strife between the exceptionally gifted individual and convention-ridden society. But, according to her, tragedy does not occur in the case of ordinary people. Only the gifted and talented people who cannot compromise and coordinate with their narrow minded social set up, have to face a tragic end. They have to suffer troubles and hardships. Their lives become miserable and unbearable and in George Eliot’s thinking only physical extermination is the solution of their complications. Maggie was a gifted and talented individual. She has to suffer many hardships and difficulties at the hand of societies. George Eliot could not find any solution of Maggie’s communication. She could not think of any workable process and coordination and compromise between Maggie and her society. Death adheres to her as the only solution of her troubles and miseries.

The Problem of the Ending of the Novel:
Most of the critics have raised many technical objections concerning the ending of the novel. They have called the ending hasty, abrupt and malo-dramatic when after the Stephan-Maggie episode, Maggie was deserted by her family as well as by her society, her situations became not only complicated but also hopeless. She became a victim of very much spiritual complexities and very severe moral complications. At this junction, things went out of control of George Eliot. She could not run the proceedings with the same technical perfection and skill with which she had carried out the earlier proceeding. Her confident, coolness and equilibrium of her philosophical and psychological attitude were disturbed. She began to move the story in a sensational male-dramatic manner. She was not able to compose a philosophically proper situation for Maggie’s problems. If she had carried out Maggie’s marriage with Stephan Guest, she would have been facing self-sacrifice which Maggie had been demonstrating from the whole action of the story. It could also have impaired the enunciation of the theme of love and duty which was the hallmark of the life not only of Maggie but also that of George Eliot. However not distinct or explicit plan of the ending of the novel is explicable in its action. The story does not suggest any concise philosophically balanced ending. Had a character been introduced somewhere in the middle of the story and who should have been free from all moral encumbrances. It could have been possible endings, i.e. a gradual and logical solution of the moral complication and spiritual complexities of her characters. It could have been shown that relations of love, sympathy and friendship developed between Maggie and that character without indicating them in any moral complications, then Maggie’s marriage could have been possible and a reasonable solution could have been achieved, but in that case such an ending would have negated, George Eliot’s concept of tragedy. In this way, we see that the problem of the ending of the novel is in-explicatory complicated and one cannot suggest any type of ending of this novel. We should have seen a gradual and logical outcome of the proceeding actions. Perhaps the autobiographical strain also make things more difficult and complicated for George Eliot as for as the ending of the story is concerned.

The Autobiographical Element:
“The Mill on the Floss” has a very strong autobiographical element. The autobiographical element of this novel does not exclusively depend on a true and realistic representation of the life of the writer through her heroine. It is in the analysis of the inner life of Maggie’s mind i.e. her moral and spiritual complications that the autobiographical element becomes prominent. George Eliot has shown in the story of Maggie the same spiritual complexities and moral complications as she herself had faced in her life. George Eliot was an intellectually and artistically gifted person and it was very difficult for her to compromise and coordinate with the rigiid conventional society. She has shown the same problems in the life of Maggie. Maggie is also an exceptionally talented person and she also finds it difficult to harmonize and coordinate the rigid conventional attitude of her society. Then there is also the problem of the principle of love and duty. George Eliot, throughout her life, remained firm and loyal to this principle. Maggie also shows the same furnace and loyalty in adhering to this principle. Then there are also some resemblances of events and relations. George Eliot was passionately attached to her brother Isaac. Maggie has also been shown to be very deeply attached to her brother Tom. George Eliot has the tendency to become emotionally attached whenever she came in contact with the personality of her liking. Maggie has also been shown to have this inclination. Hence, she becomes attached to Philips and then she is attracted towards Stephan Guest.

A Modern Novelist:
George Eliot has been called a modern novelist. She brought about her revolutionary change in the art of novel writing. She transformed the art of novel writing from a mere story-telling practice to philosophical description and human relations of life. She was inclined to introduce the philosophical element in the genre of novel writing. She discussed the nature and purpose of life in her novels. She also studied the problems of the relationship of individual and society. She also radically showed a critical and analytical attitude towards orthodox Christianity. She has also shown the struggle of the talented individual with a narrow minded, tradition-ridden society. Another factor that makes her a modern novelist is her great skill of psycho-analysis. She is the first to introduce psychological realism in the English novel. She not only presented the revealed conduct of the characters but also presented a psycho-analysis of the motivating and inspiring forces and sensations behind their conduct. In this way, she presented complex characters in her novels and from this beginning the later novelists specially the 20th century novelists developed the technique of the stream of consciousness in novel writing.