George Eliot and the Techniques of the Novel in Middlemarch

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GEORGE ELIOT AND THE
TECHNIQUES OF THE NOVEL IN
MIDDLEMARCH
AKENDE~N~G~I~U~É~.:§~~~~~IIIIIIIII
.Dalliel Relié
Olllar Bongo Ul/iver'\\'i(~:'
Ellgli.~1t Deportmellt,
BruZZllvil/e-Gabo{}/1
ABSTRACT
The article deals with George Eliot's techniques of the novel in Middlemarch.
After delining the method ofapproach ofhis analysis. the authorofthe article deals with the sources and
composition ofthat nove!. Then he tries to discover and analyse the different methods used by George
Eliot in the huilding up ofher ll1asterpieee.
Il
she kept when writing Middlemarch we can have an
INTRODUCTION
accumte ideaofthe origin and composition ofhernovel.
Middlemarch.was not what George Eliot originally
Middlellltll'ch i is the story of Dorothea Brooke
conceived. In the beginning, it was to be not one novel
\\\\ howanL~ to help the others.lJnloltunately. she cannat
but Iwo. We know from her Jetters that about the New
timl" \\Vay of satisfying her wishes in that town. The
Year's Day ofl869, George Eliot decided to write a
o~iecl of the present article is to deal with George
nove!. She would cali it Middlemarch. Il was to be a
ElioCs techniques ofthe nove! in lIidd/ema,.ch. Sv
novel about provinciallife and the hero was to he a
«techniquc oftht: novel» one has to undcrstand the set
physician. We know from the letters that by II
of processcs carried out by the \\1(l\\ clist ta create his
September 1869. she had corn pleted an introduction
work. \\\\~lat \\\\'C want ta show is hO\\\\ thc anist organizcs
and three chapters and that by May 1870 she had
ail this setofdifferent but complementary elements.
written someJ110re. though as she told her publisher
which C{lnstÎtute the nove!.
John Blackwood. she was 'not so far along as she
Mcthod (If lIpprollch
intended to be'. ln November 1870 George Eliot began
another stol)'. Hel'journal entry for21h December 1870
At tirs!, wc suggest to list the ditferent elements
reads:
ofanalysis present in the text. Then \\Ve shall sec how
J{IIII experimenting in as/ory which J hegan lI'ithout
they are knit together and \\Vhat their l'unctions are. The
tll1Y serious intention f?fcarrying il out tengthi/y. Jt
aim ofthe analysis is to discovcr tl1l' various methods
is (/ subject which ha.~ heen recorded among my
used by the author,
passiMe theme.l' eve/' .l'ince 1hegan to writefiction.
1",1 will p,.ohahly lttke new shapes in the
1. BEGINNINGS AND COMPOSITION
deve/oJ7menl. 1 am loday al p..J.J,:
OFTHENOVEL
Ilerjoumal entl)' tnr 31 Decemher 1870 reads:
'l'hanks to the existence ofGe,lrge Eliot' s Ictters
<,1 have writtl.ln only 100 pages -good printed pages-
and journals as \\vcll as the manuscri pl and t\\l1: 11l1kbook
of a story which r began about the opening of
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November, and at present mean to cali 'Miss
or antic/imactic ordering ofthe plol - bUI indudes
Brooke.
the whole ofa Iilerary work. In other words. each
'»J The next significant journal entry in
connection with Middlemarch occurs on 19 March
work not only has a structure but is a structure'.
1871: (d have written about 236 pages (print) of
Raymond Boudon underlines the trouble one bas
my novel, which 1want to get offmy hands by next
10 define this notion:
November. My present fear is that I have too much
Parmi les concepts clés des sciences humaines le
matter. too many 'momenti '. »~
concept de stru(.·ture est sans doule un des plus
With the evidenèe that we have, it can be stated
obscurs... S'iI s'agissait d'une notion dépourvue
with relative certainty that the novel George Eliot refers
d'équivoque, on ne prendrait sans doule pus tant
to is Middlemarch, that by that date George Eliot had
de peine à la d~tinirl .
written the first eighteen chapters ofMiddlemorch plus
what is now Chapter 23 and that these chapters
For us, the struçture of the work is its
consistedofa fusion oftheorigina1 'Middlemarch' stol)'
composition, that is, the way its elements are ordered.
with the 'Miss Brookc' story as weIl as sorne material
In other words the structure ofthe Iiterary work is at
that would link the two ll10ries. Evidence also leads us
first 1( ... the manner in which it (the lilerary work)
10 believethatthefirstnine and ahalfchapters orninety-
is made «J. But structure is also the disposaI. the layout
six pages belonged to the 'Miss Brooke' stol)', which
in the manuscript, ended on page 96 midway through .
ofparts.
As regards the novel, structure comprises the
the present Chapter 10. The next sixteen pages ofthe
introduction, the parts, the chapters. theirdisposal as
manuscript have been established as bridging pages
weil as the conclusion. Structure includes its plot, the
written to link the two stories. The dinner party seene
disposai ofstories and many other elements such as
in Chapter 10 links 'Middlemarch' with 'Miss Brooke'
epigraphs and suspenses.
by introducing 'Middlemarch' characters into the world
A plot is a succession of events in a novel, a
of«Miss Brooke». What follows these bridging pages
play or a film. Laurence Perrine asserts in Literature:
is without doubt the hundred or more pages George
Structure, sound and Sense: «Ploi is the sequence
Eliot had written of'Middlemarch'. For exampJe, the
o.fincidents o.fwhich a slory iscomposed"'. Edwin
present Chapter 15 is likely to have been the original
introduction. What George Eliot did was to rewrite
Muir writes in The Siructure ofthe Novel.about the
plot: (dt designales ... the chain ofevents in the sIVry
these pages to fit them into the new Middlemarch.
and the principle which icnits it together «5 . In
There is no evidence that any of the chapters after
Aspects ofthe Novel,
Chapter 16 were written as part of'Middlemarch' or
E.M. Forster gives a definition
ofthe plot:
'Miss Brooke' while, from Chapter 18 on, the two
A plot is also a narrative of events, /he
worlds and two stories become more and more
emphasisfa//ing one causa/ity. 'The king died and
interrelated.
then the queen' is a story. «The king died, and then
the queen died ofgrief» is a plot. (,
Il. STRUCTURE AND PLOT
ln Middlemarch, George Eliot creates a plot
The difficulty to define the word structure
centred around four stories. First. we have the stol)' of
appears in the definition that Marlies K. Danziger and
Dorothea brooke and ber wedding with Mr Casaubon.
W. Stacy Johnson propose in An Introduction to
Then, we have the plot ofher union with Will Ladislaw
Literary Criticism:
who is Mr Casaubon's cousin. Thirdly, there is the stol)'
The term doe not refer only to the formaI aspects
ofthe ambitious Doctor Tertius Lydgate and his union
the paral/els or contrasts ofscenes, the c/imoctic
with the beautifuJ and materialistic Rosamond Vincy.
His marriage with the young lady almost leads him to
bankruptcy. Finally, we have the story ofFrèd Vincy
(foolnoIU)
and Mary Garth who get married at the end of the
1 Our quolalions are laken t'rom the edilion ot' 1999. Cl Rosemary
Ashlon.
nove!. The writer makes Dorothea go from one story
to another. She consequently assures the unity ofthe
, Haipl Gordon, O.o,g. Ellor: A 8Iog'ap/ry. London: Blackwell.
1904, p. 432.
nove!. The main characters belp eacb other and prevent
, Ibidem. p. 433.
each other from falling into tragedy. So, Dorothea saves
• Ibidem. p. 434.
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Sciences sociales et humaines
Lydgate. She also saves Ladislaw in inviting him in
the main responsible for the story. We are conditioned
Middlemarch.
by what he says or infers. The narrator contirms his
It is a nove! which is composed ofone Prelude,
status as the chiefof the narration when he declares in
eight books, eighty-six chapters and a Finale. The first
chapter 15 conceming Lydgate: «At present 1have to
book goes from chapter 1 to chapter 12 (pages 7 to
make the new settler Lydgate better known to any
120). The second one begins in chapter 13 and ends
one interested in him than he couldpossibly be even
in chapter 22 (pages 123 to 225). Book III starts in
to those who had seen the most of him since his
chapter 23 and ends in chapter 33 (pages 229 to 319).
arrivai in Middlemarch.» (pp. 141 -142) In other
Book IV goes from chapter 34 to chapter 42 (pages
words, he takes the responsibility ofpresenting Lydgate
323 to 427). Book V extends from chapter 43 to
and telling us his stol)'. We can concJude at this stage
chapter 53 (pages 431 to 531). Book VI begins in
that Middlemarch is the stol)' of Dorothea Brooke,
chapter 54 and ends in chapter 62 (pages 535 to 636).
explained and conunented by the orrmiscient narrator.
The last but one book goes from chapter 63 to
We also have the proof that the narrator manages
chapter71 (pages 639 to 730). The last book starts in
narration when he says: «... and as 1began to say a
chapter 72 and finishes in chapter 86 (pages 733 to
/iule while ago ... }} (p. 281). Another certitude that he
831). The «Finale» goes from pages 832 to 838. George
manages narration is when he affirms: «Mr Bulstrode
Eliot has the concem of making the books ofher nove!
paused a /iule he.fore he answered... }} (p. 13U).
balance. That is why she makes the books have an
Furtherrnore, he says in chapter 15: «1 repeat there
average often chapters, except book IV which has
was a general impression that Lydgate was
only eight chapters. For example, book II contains ten
something rather more uncommon than any general
chapters, book III comprises eleven chapters, book
practitioner in Middlemarch.» (p. 1.:12) The narrator
V has eleven chapters. Furthermore, the woman
is omniscient. Many other examples prove that. On
novelist makes the effort of building books composed
page 177, the narrative instance makes us see his
of about one hundred pages each. We come to the
authority on the narration ofthe stol)' when he affirrns:
conclusion that Middlemarch,is a weil balanced work
«Some weeks passed alier this conversation ... }} On
offiction.
page 194, we read: «... in some general words as 1
have already used... » And on page 229, the instance
III. NARRATION AND
tells us: «Fred VinLY. we have seen had a debt on hi.\\'
FOCALISATION
mind... »
Ille narrator of Middlemarch is heterodiegetic,
A. NARRATION
that is to say, he was not a witness ofthat story. In
other words, he was not a character of that narrati ve.
An omniscient Narrator
In addition, he is extradiegetic, that is, he does not
belong to the same universe than the stol)' he is telling
Middlemarch is, generally speaking, told by a
us. In other words, he is out of the diegesis.
narrator who is omniscient, heterodiegetic and
extradiegetic at the same time. That narrator is
omniscient because he knows ail the characters ofthe
stol)'. He knows everything about them. In the text,
there are many passages which show that the narrator
has the mastery of narration. For instance when the
narrator says on page 399 of the novel: «The s;roup 1
(Foolnoles)
am moving towards ... », he shows us that he directs
1 Marlies K.
Danziger and W. Stacy Johnson. An !llfroduction 10
the narration. We follow the narrative or the stol)'
Lilerary Cri/icisfIf, Boston, D,C. heath and Company, 1Q61, P.14
2 Raymond Baudon, .. 1 quoi serI la nollon de «s/ruclllre'J ',',
Paris,
according to what he wants to show us. We are in
Gallimard. 1%8, p.13
front ofa narrator-guide. In addition, when the narrator
1 J.A.
Cuddon, ADlc/ionary of Lllerary Tl!rms, Harrnondswor1h.
Middlesex, Penguin Books. 1976. p 277
appears through the persona! pronoun «1» that he USeS
~ Laurence Pernne. Litera/ure. Slruc/ure, Sound and Sense, 2d edillon.
on pages 84(twice),85, 141 (twice), 142, 166, 192,
New York. Chicaco. San Francisco, Atlanta, Harcnurl Br,lcc
Jovanovich inc. 1974. p. 43.
194 (three times), 241,242,278,280,281,299,301,
~ Edwin Muir. The Strm.:lure of Ihe Novel. London. the Hog.arth Pres:'>.
331,334,350,363,399,409,412,413,418 and
1957, p. 16.
(, E.M. Forster. Aspec..'I.\\' oflhe Novel. Harmondsworth. Middlc:icx.
581, we have the certainty that it is the narrator who is
Penguin Books. Oliver SlallybJass edilor, 1974 . P 87
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B. FOCALISATION
raging under the pain olstings ... » On the same page,
the focalising instance affinns: IlLydgate thoughl of
A narrative led in zero focalisation
himseIf as the su/lèrer and others as agents who
had injured his lot. He had meant everything to turn
Middlemarch is a narrative with zero
out differently ... » Athird exarnple is found on chapter
focalisation in which the focaliser sees everything. The
76, the moment when the focaliser says: IlDorothea
focaliser ofthis story is a focaliser subject not delegated,
on her .l'ide ha" immediately formed a plan of
that is to say, a focalising instance who assumes the
relieving Lydgatefrom his obligation 10 Bulstrode.
quasi totality ofthe focalisation and who does not, in
which she felt .l'ure was a part ... of the galling
principle, delegate focalisation to characters.
pressure he had 10 bear.» (p. 769) The verbs «to feel»
Middlemarch being a nove! with a focalisation subject
and «to think» are found again on pages 770, 772, 795,
not de!egated, the subject focaliser ofthis narrative bas
804 and 818. The tirst function of those verbs is to
the possibîlity ofmaking us imagine the Wliverse ofthe
make us know what characters think or fee!. The
storywîthits characters, ils space, ete...thanksto bis
second function is to make the reader realise the power
use ofzero focalisation, internaI focalisation and extemal
the focaliser has in seeing and reading in the
focalisation. In that nove!, we come across many
consciousness of characters.
passages in zero focalisation. We can say that it is a
IV.SPACE
novelled, genera1ly speaking, in zero focalisation. The
fust passage is met on page 8, when the focaliser avers:
Middlemarch_essentially takes places in the
IIIt was hardiy a year since they had come to live at
town ofMiddlemarch. But in that town, there are sorne
Tipton Grange with their uncle, a man nearly sixty.
distrcts and localities such as Tipton Grange where
ofacquiescent temper, miscellaneous opinions, and
Dorothea lives with her uncle Mr Brooke. That place
uncertain vote.» On page 9, the zero focalisation
is quoted on pages 8, 59, 61, 63 and 97. A second
appears again through the following quotation: «And
place is Stone Court which is cited on pages 104, 105.
how should Dorothea not marry? - a girl .1'0
252,256,304,535 and 697. Another important district
handsome and with such prospects? Nothing could
ofMiddlemarch is Lowick where Mr casaubon lives.
hinder if but her love ofextremes. and her insistence
The reader encounters that locality on pages 104, 105,
on regulating life according to notions which might
273,278,409,483,484,485,486,493,571,760
catlSe a wary man to hesifate before he made her
and 773. Furthermore, the names ofsorne countries
an ofJér.)) The third focalisation intervenes on page 27
and towns are present in the diegesis. Most ofthe time.
in which we read: «It was three 0 'clock in the beautiful
they recall the places where characters passed byor
breezy autumn day when Mr Casaubon drove olfto
lived. For instance. we have the narnes ofFrench towns
his Rectory at Lowick. onlyfive miles from Tipton;
or localities such as Porte St Martin (p.152), Lyons
and Dorothea, who had on her bonnet and shawl.
(p.152), Avignon (p.152), Paris (p.153), Chambers
hurried along the shrubbery and across the park
(p.153). Rome, the capital of Italy is seen on pages
that .l'he might wander through the bordering
192, 204, 215, 276 and 282. Ali those places
wood... ) Those passages in zero focalisation are, in
symbolise open spaces. Other open spaces are
total, found eightyfourtimes in the diegesis (pp 8,9,
represented by nature and gardens (pp.513. 730).
10,27,28,29,33,34,48,60,61,62,63,85,117,
Middlemarch.abounds in enc10sed spaces. The most
123,142,143,163, 164, 165, 178, 179, 190,192,
important ones are rooms that we come across on
200,209,211,267,268,275,278,299,300,301,
pages 97,123,192,260,267,273,290,314.624,
314,315,341,360,371,375,417,418,419,420,
650, 654, 726, 727, 749, 755, 771, 777 and 788.
421,427,432,478,479,497,498,547,586,587,
Then, we have drawing or sitting rooms that the reader
614,615,635,647,655,677,678,679,697,698,
meets on pages 48, 132, 284. 296, 346. 350. 362.
737, 738, 739, 740, 745, 757, 769, 770, 771, 772,
432,435,541.542.543.579.644.735.746.781
773, 795, 804, 818, 833, 834, 835, 836, 838) So,
and 791. We also have libraries or studies cited on
passages in zero focalisation are fOUnd in one tenth of
pages 38, 53, 274, 275, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284,
the noveL Most of the time, the reader feels their
287,387,426,455,475,480,483,484,485.486
presence through verbs such as «to feel» and <do thînIo>.
and 761. Sometimes, the novelist gives us an image of
On page 737, for example, the focaliser says: «Hefelt
these spaces through descriptions. Open spaces are
himseIf becoming violent and unreasonable as if
portrayed on pages 73, 74, 104, 168. 323 and 513.
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On page 73, for instance, the narrator presents the
Manor house, saying: «It had a small park, with a
Dorothea is so disappointed that, once back at
fine old oak here and there, and an avenue oflimes
her bedroom, the narrator tells us: «... she lost energy
towards the south-west front, with a sunk fence
at last even for her loud-whispered cries and
between park andpleasure graund... » On page 104,
moa~s: she subsided into helpless sobs, and on the
he speaks ofthe midland landscape when he says: «... a
coldfloor she sohbed herselfto sleep.») (p. 787)
pretty bit ofmidland landscape, almast al! meadaws
In the following sub part, we intend to deal with
andpastures, with hedgerows still allowed ta graw
time and see how it is treated by the novelist.
in bushy beauty and ta spread aut coral fruit for
the birds ... » Finally, on page 323, we have the
V. TIME
description ofan open space located in Middlemarch.
The narrator says: « '" a chill wind was blawing the
At the begüming ofthe novel, George Eliot tries
blossoms from the surrounding gardens on to the
to make us follow the chronology of the story. So, we
green mounds of Lowick churchyard.» Enclosed
have indications ofmonths. On page Il, for instance,
spaces are described on pages 74, 75 and 541. On
the reader knows that it is September because Celia,
page 74, forexample, it is about the description ofMr
one of the characters, says: l<It is the last day ol
Casaubon's house: « ... the dark boak-shelves in the
September». On page 27, the story is taking place in
long library, the carpets and curtains with colours
October. Indeed, the narrative instance states: liThe
subdued by time, the curiaus old maps and bird's
inclination which he had deliberately stated on the
eye views on the walls afthe corridor ... » On page
2d olOctober he would think it enough to re/er to
541, we have a description of the drawing room: «The
by the mention ofthat date.)) Forty-six pages down,
drawing-room was the most neutral room in the
the story is situated on November. The story-teller says:
house to her (Dorothea) ... the damask matched the
liOn a grey but dry November morning Dorothea
wood-work, which was al! white and gold; there
drove to Lowick in company with her uncle and
were two tall mirrors and tables ... )) As far as the
Celia ) (p. 73) In chapter 28, the story reaches the
functions of spaces are concemed, open spaces are
month of January of the following year (p.273). In
sometimes seen as tragic places. The illustration is given
chapter 34, we are in May (p.323). In chapter 63, it is
on page 482 in which Mr Casaubon is found dead by
January of the third year of the story. The narrator
her wife. The narrator reports: «... she thought that
alludes to that month when he states: «Thatwas the
he must be fast asleep. She laid her hand on his
state o{things with Lydgate and Rosamond on (he
shoulder ... Still he was motionless, and with a
New year 's Day .. ») (p. 661). In chapter 67, the plot is
. sudden confusedfear; she leaned down to him, took
situated in March (p.678). We can conclude, at that
of/his velvet cap. and leaned her cheek close to his
level, that George Eliot makes the effort of giving the
head, crying in a distressed tone ... )) As for enclosed
reader sorne landmarks allowing the latter to find
spaces, they are sometimes seen as places where
himself
characters ask for forgiveness. It is the case on page
Middlemarch contains pauses. These are
701 in which Lydgate asks his wife Rosamond to forgive
moments when the story stops to give way to the
him because he is bankrupt, and because he has
commentaries, descriptions and even the digressions
brought her to misery. The novel reads: «He (Lydgate)
ofthe narrator. At the end ofchapter 6 for instance, the
sat down by the bed and leaning over her said with
narratordiscloses his personal retlections He says'
almost a cry ofprayer - 'Forgive me/or this misery,
We morta/s, men and women, devour many
mypoor Rosamond! Let us only love one another. '))
a disappointment between breakfast and dinner-
Sometimes, enclosed spaces are viewed as places
time, keep back Ihe lears and loak a IiI/le pale aboul
where characters discover secret things. It is the case
the lips, and in al1.lwer to inquiries say, 'Oh, nolhing!'
on page 775 in which Dorothea surprises Rosamond
Pride helps us, andpride is nol a bad thing when it
and LadisIaw that she loves, holding hands. Dorothea
only urges us la hide our own hurls - not 10 hurl
sees them in the following passage:
others. (p. 62)
... she saw Will Ladislaw: close by him and turned
towards him with aflushed tearfulness which gave
Here, we do not have any direct link with the
a new brillancy to herface sat Rosamond... whilc
story. That passage is rather a digression. That novel is
Willleaning towards her clasped both her upraised
built on scenes. Let us just recaIl that it is in scenes that
hands in his and spoke with low-tonedfervour.))
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the duration ofthe narration equals that of the story.
96, she is presentcd under the forms ofa flower: «She
These scelles occur during dialogues. Here, we would
was admitted tu be the flower of Mrs Lemon :S'
like to underline that Middlemarch is a dramatic novel,
school... » The bringing togetherwith music is perccived
we mean, a novel which contains many actions, many
five Iines down when the narrative instance says: «her
dialogues or scenes. We find them in aIl the eighty-six
musical execution was quite exceptional.» (p. 96)
chapters of the novel. Summaries are not absent. We
In chapter 12, Ml' Featherstone asks Rosamond to
find nine ofthem (pages 50, 83, 94, 117,278,535,
sing for him (p.116) On page 159, Lydgate tells
679,760 and 824). There are ten ellipses (pages 83,
Rosamond that he regrets that he could not come to
117, 278, 290, 300, 431, 535, 679, 760, 824)
hear her sing. On page 160, we are told that
Middlemarch is an analeptic novel since the narrator
«Rosamond played admirably». On page 161, we
tells us a story which had already taken place.
are informed that she could also sing 'Black-eyed
Nonetheless, George Eliot inserts two small analepses
Susan '. And on page 166, the instance speaks of
within the diegesis (pages 97 and 443). She chooses
Rosamond and her music.
notto include prolepses in that novel.
CONCLUSION
VI. CHARACTERISATION
The object ofthis article was to deal with George
Middlemarch.contains one hundred and fifty
Eliot's techniques of the novel in MiddlemarchJler
characters. There are seven main characters: Dorothea,
masterpiece. We can retain that the narrator ofthat
Mr Casaubon, Tertius Lydgate, Will Ladislaw,
story is omniscient. The story is led in zero focalisation.
Rosamond Vincy, Mary Garth and Mr Bulstrode.
The story is weIl organised. '1'0 expand the plot, George
Dorothea is not the hero as such. She is rather the
Eliot has been obliged to create new characters and
emerging character because she appears in the four
invent new stories. Open and enclosed spaces have
main plots. What is noteworthy is that George Eliot
specific functions. The author uses the technique orthe
uses the technique of the emblem to make us see what
emblem in characterisation. All in all, Middlemarch
characterises sorne characters. Then, Dorothea wears
deserves its place as one of the best English novels
a bonnet and a shawl most ofthe time she is seen in the
ever written in the XIX'!> century.
diegesis. On page 27, the narrator says concerning her:
«... and. Dorothea, who had on her bonnet and
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFRENCES
shawl, hurried along the shrubbery ... » On page 38,
her IX)Jmet is highlighted when the narrator affirrns: «S'he
Novel studied
threw olf her mantle and bonnet and sat down
opposite to him ... »).On page 52, the bonnet and shawl
1. Eliot, George, 1994._Middlemarch;_London:
reappear the moment the instance states: (dn spite of
Penguin Books.
her shabby bonnet and very old lndian shaw!, if
was plain that the lodge-keeper regarded her as an
Critical Books
important personage ... ».In chapter 47, Dorothea's
is perceived through her bonnet: «Dorothea did al
1. Genette, Gérard, 1972. Figures 1lI. Paris: Editions
least appear ... in her white beaver bonnet and grey
du SeuÎ/.
cloak.» (p. 472))n chapter 62, the story te lier alludes
to her bonnet the moment he asserts: « ... and
2. Genette. Gérard, 1983. Le Nouveau Discours du
Dorothea ... took ofTher gloves and bonnet, white
Récit. Paris: Editions du Seuil.
she was leaning against a statue in the entrance-
hall
» (p.630) Finally, on page 635, the instance tells
3. Haight Gordon, 1968. GeorJZe Eliot.· A Biogrophl'.
us: «
her eyes were bright and her cheeks blooming
Harrisonburg: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company.
under Ihe dismal bonnet.» The novelist uses the same
device ta eharacterise Rosamond Vincy. That character
4. Hardy, Barbara, 1970. Critical Essays on George
is seen through musical and floral allusions. On page
Eliot. London: Rout1edge & Kegan Paul.
94, she is described under musical allusions: «Thal is
what a woman ought to be: she ought ta produce
5. Lerner, Laurence, and IIolmstrom John, 1966.
the elfect ofexquisile music. .. Rut Rosamond Vincy
George Eliol and her Readers. London: The Bodley
seemed 10 have Ihe Irue melodic charm ... » On page
Head.
270
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Sciences sociales et humaines
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Essays and an Unpublished Fragment. London:
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Ltd.
12. Thale, Jerome, 1959. The Novels o(George Eliot.
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New York and London: Columbia university Press.
Art. Pittsburgh: University
ofPittsburgh Press.
13. Van Ghent, Dorothy, 1953. The English Novel-
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Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press, Ud.
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