Assignment Paper 6 Victorian Literature

Name – Karan D. Pandya

  Batch – 2018-20

  Roll No – 18

  Paper No 6 – Victorian Literature

  Topic –Plot and Major Female Characters of Middlemarch

   Enrollment No -2069108420190029

  Email ID – pandyakaran32@gmail.com

  Submitted – Smt. S. B. Gardi 

  Department of English Bhavnagar  

  University

Plot and Major Female Characters of Middlemarch

      Dorothea and Celia are two Middlemarch sister of age marriage. Dorothea choose Casaubon, an old scholar, as her husband, much to everyone's dismay. Celia, more sensible, chooses Sir James Chettam, a local noble man who wanted to marryh Dorothea, before she turned him down. Celia and Mr. Brooke, Dorothea's uncle, try to counsel her against marrying pCasaubon, though she will not listen. Dorothea likes him because he is educated, and she wants to learn, though the marriage is a total disaster.

Dorothea and Casaubon got married, Casaubonr hopes for someone to comfort and serve him, and Dorothea wants to be of use in his work. They go on honeymoon in Rome, and there they meet Will Ladislaw, Casaubon's young cousin, whom Casaubon dislikes. Dorothea and Will became friends immediately; they love to talk to each other, and seems to have a real connection, which Casaubon is very jealous of. The honeymoon turns out to be a disaster; Dorothea feels alone and unwanted there, as her husband devotes his full time to his studies, and none to her.

Fred Vincy is an irresponsible young person who is used to people providing all the money he needs. He was unable to finish college, and He has a gambling debt against him, which he cannot pay because he has no job. He has Caleb Garth, an honest man, co-sign for the debt. Fred receives money from his uncle Featherstone with which to pay the debt. However, he wastes his money, and the Garths, who have little money, end up having to pay it. Fred is very sad, since he believes that this will vanish his hopes for Mary, their oldest daughter.

A young doctor named Lydgate moves to the town; he has new methods in medicine, that  made some of the older, more established doctors his enemies. Rosamond, the Vincys' vain daughter, takes to him immediately, because he has good connections, and is new to Middlemarch. He likes her, but doesn't plan for marriage; she believes he is all hers, and will propose very shortly. Lydgate takes the controversial step of charging patients for his service. Some people don't like this new way of doing things, but Lydgate is also able to cure some difficult cases.

Lydgate is drawn towards Bulstrode, who is very influential though not too well-liked in the town. Lydgate is also compelled to vote with Bulstrode on some issues, like who to serve as hospital chaplain; he does this to please Bulstrode, though he does not please his conscience.

Featherstone, an old cranky man who is a relative of the Garths and the Vincys, is dying; his relatives all come to visit, hoping that he will put them in his will, since he has tons of money and property. Fred has special hopes that he will get money, being as close to the old man as most people can be. Featherstone's relatives turn up in droves when he is sick, all hoping to be put into his will and get some money. He ignores all of them, and has Mary Garth, who is his housekeeper, either entertain them, or have them go away. He dies, and leaves everything to his illegitimate son, Mr. Rigg, leaving Fred very disappointed.

Dorothea's marriage continues to be a very unpleasant thing; the dynamic of their marriage does not change, though Casaubon grown more irritable. He expects her to devote all her time to making him feel better, soothing his insecurities, etc.; however, he doesn't tell her what he wants her to do, leaving her completely confused about everything. He doesn't expect that Dorothea should be a human being, with her own opinions and ideas; Dorothea becomes less and less content in the marriage.

Will Ladislaw moves to Middlemarch, much to Casaubon's displeasure. Mr. Brooke, Dorothea's uncle, has bought a newspaper, The Pioneer, and hires Will to work on it. Will and Mr. Brooke are politically progressive, which means that they are not well-liked in the neighborhood. Mr. Brooke decides to try and run for office; but he is mocked a great deal and gives up. Will is very politically adept, though, and should go into politics himself someday.

Lydgate, though he has no intent of marrying so soon, proposes to Rosamond; she accepts, and they are to be married. The couple are warned that they are not suited to each other; Rosamond has no sense of money, and likes things that are too expensive. However, the two are married, as Rosamond soon begins spending more than Lydgate actually has saved.

Casaubon is in a bad condition; Lydgate says that it is a heart ailment, and can kill him suddenly. Casaubon asks Dorothea to promise to follow his wishes after he dies; she does not promise immediately. But, before she can give him her answer, he is dead, and she is widowed.

There is a clause in Casaubon's will about Dorothea not marrying Will, or else she forfeits her property. This clause is a shock, and does not speak well of Will's character. Dorothea goes to visit her sister and Sir James, and their new baby, Arthur. However, she soon finds out about the clause, and is deeply troubled by it.

Fred is told to get a job by his father; instead, all that he can do is go back and finish school, which makes Mary a little happier. The Garths come upon a great deal of good fortune; Caleb Garth gets some new properties to manage, which means that the family has some money at last. Farebrother and his family also start doing well; Dorothea gives them her large parish, and the extra income will allow Farebrother to marry, and will ensure that they have enough money to live a little better.

Meanwhile, Lydgate is deeply in debt; he cannot pay back his loans, and his business is failing quickly. Rosamond applies to her father and his uncle for loans, but nothing seems to work. He is in a nervous, desperate state, and the marriage is not looking too good either. Rosamond begins to hate him because he tries to deny her all the nice, expensive things that she likes. She treasures her precious things more than she does her husband, who is too stressed to pay attention to her. She begins keeping company with Will Ladislaw, and fancies that he loves her. He does not, but it keeps Rosamond content for some time.

Will finds out about the clause in Casaubon's will, and becomes determined to leave. He sees Dorothea one last time, and they have a very heated confrontation. He leaves and goes to London, to find another job; she stays and tries not to think of him too often.

Fred does not want to go into the clergy, and he has Farebrother speak to Mary for him. Mary says that she is determined to marry Fred if he will make good on his promise to get a job, but says he should not be a preacher. Fred decides, quite by accident, to become an assistant to Mary's father. His parents are not very pleased by this, but this is all he wants to do, or has any aptitude for.

Bulstrode buys Stone Court from Mr. Rigg, who decides to leave town and go back to the coast. Bulstrode meets Mr. Raffles, a man from his past, very much by accident; Mr. Raffles was in a questionable business of selling stolen goods, and will blackmail Bulstrode if he doesn't get money. Raffles also married Rigg's mother; but Rigg wouldn't give him any money, and told him to leave immediately.

Rigg comes again and again to haunt Bulstrode; Bulstrode pays him to leave, but Raffles comes back, and he is very ill. Raffles tells Mr. Garth about Bulstrode's past; but Mr. Garth is too scrupulous to spread this knowledge around, so Bulstrode thinks that he is safe. Raffles dies at Bulstrode's house, under Lydgate's care; this doesn't look good, but Raffles died of natural causes relating to alcoholism. Bulstrode offers Lydgate a large loan to keep him from going bankrupt; Lydgate takes it, though it looks really bad, like a bribe. Bulstrode also found out that he had married Will Ladislaw's grandmother, and had deprived Will of his rightful inheritance. He tries to repent by offering Will a good deal of money, but Will refuses, which is good.

Will comes back, but Dorothea catches him with Rosamond, in what looks like a bad situation. Dorothea is disappointed, and angry with Will; Will is in turn angry with Rosamond for making things look like he loved her, when he didn't at all. Will debates whether to go and see her or not; Sir James wants him out of the neighborhood again, thinking that he is no good, and he needs to protect his sister-in-law.

Raffles told his story to a few more people than just Caleb Garth; the story gets around to Middlemarch, and things start looking very bad for Bulstrode. Lydgate is also connected with this, as the loan is thought of as some kind of bribe for being quiet about the circumstances regarding Raffles' death. Dorothea, however, believes that Lydgate is innocent. She, Farebrother, and a few others convince him to stay; in time, public opinion is not so much against him, though his practice continues to diminish.

Bulstrode, however, has to leave Middlemarch because the scandal is so bad. His wife is very sorry, because she had no idea that his past was so dirty; she is a very good person, and makes up her mind to stay with him no matter what. He leaves in disgrace, though Lydgate, who is innocent, stays behind.

Fred is doing well in his work for Mr. Garth; Mrs. Bulstrode leaves him the management of Stone Court, and he gets to live there as he takes care of the property. He and Mary become engaged, though Farebrother also wishes to marry her. But their engagement will be long, while Fred continues to prove himself through work, and saves money for marriage.

Dorothea bails out Lydgate with money to pay Bulstrode back. Finally, Will comes to see her; though she cannot marry him or else lose her property, she decides she doesn't want to lose him. Dorothea gives up all of Casaubon's money and property to marry Will; Celia and Sir James are shocked, though she has made the right decision. Sir James continues to think badly of the marriage; but Will and Dorothea go to London, Will is elected to Parliament, and they are very happy.

Dorothea Brooke

There are a lot of major characters in Middlemarch, and even more minor ones, but it's pretty obvious that Dorothea's the heroine. After all, the novel's Prelude and Finale are about Dorothea, and she certainly gets more face time than any of the other major characters. But that's not the only reason we consider her the heroine: Dorothea is also the moral center of the novel.
Sure, Dorothea makes mistakes, and we aren't always 100% behind her decisions; yet we trust her moral sense, even if it occasionally leads her to do stupid things. How can we trust her moral compass if her moral compass leads her to marry a selfish old man who slurps his soup? Dorothea's religious feeling is complicated and certainly needs exploring. But speaking of her spirituality, what about all the characters who call her a "saint," or "angel," or the "Virgin Mary"? Isn't she just a regular woman? Is there a paradox here? Or is Dorothea just too complex a character to wrap our heads around without a little more effort? We're going to have to dig a little deeper…

Celia Brooke

Celia is Dorothea's younger sister, but the two of them couldn't be more different. Celia's not all that complicated of a character, and her primary purpose in the novel is probably to serve as a foil to Dorothea. Dorothea is very spiritual, and is always thinking about the state of her soul or of the poor peoples' cottages. Celia, on the other hand, is very grounded and has a healthy share of common sense. Even her name indicates this difference from her sister: "Celia" means "sky," but, given Celia's earthiness, it seems more likely that George Eliot meant "Celia" to be an allusion to a poem by Jonathan Swift called "The Lady's Dressing Room." The poem is about a woman named Celia, and all the makeup, tweezers, and support-top panty hose that go into making her look perfect when she goes out at night. The poem, which was written in 1732, is meant to satirize the ways that women tried hide their earthy, physical, humanity , to try to disguise themselves as angelic, ethereal images of feminine perfection.

Celia Brooke might not have smelly pits, but she's not afraid to talk about such things. She's down-to-earth and much more interested in discussing the proper way to wash a baby than the spiritual concerns that Dorothea finds so absorbing.

WORK CITED :-

( https://www.gradesaver.com/middlemarch/study-guide/summary )

( https://www.shmoop.com/middlemarch/celia-brooke.html )

( https://www.shmoop.com/middlemarch/dorothea-brooke.html )

Assignment Paper 5 Romantic Literature

  Name – Karan D. Pandya

  Batch – 2018-20

  Roll No – 18

  Paper No 5 – The Romantic Literature

  Topic – Characteristics of Romantic poetry and place of it      

                      in Wordsworth and Coleridge poetry
   Enrollment No -2069108420190029

  Email ID – pandyakaran32@gmail.com

  Submitted – Smt. S. B. Gardi 

  Department of English Bhavnagar  

  University

Characteristics of Romantic poetry and place

of it in Wordsworth and Coleridge poetry

The poetry which was written in Romantic era is usually called Romantic poetry. The time of this poetry is from 1800 to 1850. A intellectual, literary and artistic that originated in Europe. Characteristics of English Romantic poetry.

❖      The Sublime

❖      Imagination

❖      nature poetry

❖      supernaturalism

The sublime

use of language that gives motion to the thoughts and emotions beyond simple experience. the sublime may also refer to the  grandeur, other extraordinary experiences that "takes us beyond ourselves.” literary concept of the sublime is important in the eighteenth century. It is associated with the 1757 treatise by Edmund Burke, though it has earlier roots. The idea of the sublime was taken up by Immanuel Kant and the Romantic poets including especially William Wordsworth.


Imagination.

For romantic poets such as John Keats, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and P.B shelley, unlike the neoclassical poets imagination is a distinctive feature. john Keats said, ‘I am certain of nothing but of the holiness of the Heart's affections and the truth of Imagination- What the imagination seizes as beauty must be truth'.

William Black said that,

To see a world in a grain of sand, And heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour.

Wordsworth and William Blake, as well as victor Hugo for them, the imagination is a spiritual force, is related to morality, and they believed that literature, especially poetry, could improve the world. The secret of great art, Blake claimed, is the capacity to imagine. To define imagination, in his poem 'Auguries of innocence".

Nature of poetry

Nature in poetry, as a source of inspiration and love for nature is important factor in romantic poetry. This poetry involves a relationship with external nature and places, and a belief in pantheism. the romantic poets differed in their views about nature. Wordsworth recognized nature as a living thing, teacher, god and everything. These feelings are fully developed and expressed in his epic poem The prelude. Wordsworth approaches nature philosophically, while Shelley emphasizes the intellect. John Keats is another a lover of nature, but Coleridge differs from other romantic poets of his age, in that he has a realistic perspective on nature. He believes that nature is not the source of joy and pleasure, but rather that people's reactions to it depends on their mood.

Supernaturalism

Most of the romantic poets used supernatural element in their poetry. Samuel Taylor Coleridge is the leading romantic poet. whom used so many supernatural events in his poetry.

Sublime in Wordsworth's poetry.

As Wordsworth describes ‘sublime’ he combines several definitions of the term. Sublimity refers to ‘excellence’ in language and to whatever is related or noble in the human spirit. In A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful - 1757. the influential critic and politician Edmund Burke argues that the sublime is ‘whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain and danger, that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible, or is conversant about terrible objects, or operates in a manner analogous to terror’. For Burke, the sublime is associated with objects and events that, while threatening, are yet a source of ‘delight’. In nature, lofty mountains, raging seas and erupting volcanoes may all, when viewed under the right circumstances , be regarded as sublime. Burke also uses sublime in connection with abstract or obscure ideas, such as infinity, vastness and the divine. He points to a number of examples in literature, including the Bible and Milton's paradise lost to illustrate the point.

Wordsworth and imagination

For him imagination is a supreme gift, and he used imagination as synonym of “intuition”, it is the power to see into reality. All poetry takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility and through the power of memory the emotion is reproduced in poetic form. The process of composition of a poetry is the following: The poet through sensory experience proves emotion with an object and this emotion remain in poet’s memory. Poet ,when he was in tranquility, in a state of pensive mood, remember the emotion, contemplated it by a kindred one produced by the first. Only now he can write the emotion in a poem so that even the reader can feels the same emotion.
So Wordsworth believes that nature is the means through which man could arrive to the perfection of God: men can elevated themselves to the dive contemplating the nature. He has a Pantheistic view of world ( he says that “man and nature are inseparable and man exist not outside the natural world but an active participant in it”).

Coleridge and imagination

Secondary imagination doesn’t belong to everybody but only to poets who use it consciously, was voluntary. “it dissolves, diffuses, dissipates in order to re-create.” The poet with this imagination see the world around him can perceive the world and was able to change and create a new world. In fact “consciously will” and “re-create” are the two keywords for the artists who resolve the reality to create a new world and could create something personal and original (as “rime of ancient mariner” in which poet resolve the reality and create a new world, production of his secondary imagination)
He considers two kind of imagination: the primary imagination : connected with human perception and individual power to produce images, everybody have this imagination but use it unconsciously.


Wordsworth and nature

Wordsworth is a nature poet, a fact known to every reader of Wordsworth. He is a supreme worshipper of Nature. Nature has a pivotal position in his poetry. Wordsworth’s philosophy of nature can be understood within the following three parameters:
1) He conceived Nature as a living personality.
2) Nature as a source of consolation and joy.
3) Nature as a great teacher, guardian and nurse.
 Wordsworth believed that in the living personality of nature a divine spirit, termed as mystical pantheism, is prevailing in all objects of Nature. This belief finds a complete expression in tintern abbey where he says that the spirit rolls through all the objects of Nature


Coleridge and nature

Coleridge, like many other romantic writers of his time such as Wordsworth, demonstrated through his works a great interest in nature. Instead of following the philosophy of the eighteenth century which drew the line between man and nature, Coleridge developed a passionate view of the idea that there is just ''one''. He believed that nature was ""the eternal language which God utters"", therefore connecting men, nature and the spiritual together. In his poetry, Coleridge used his philosophy to explore wider issues through the close observation of images and themes relating to the natural world.



supernaturalism in Wordsworth

of the poet’s spiritual relationship with nature. “The holy time is quiet as Nun Breathless with adoration: the broad sun Is sinking down in its tranquility”.
in nature. In the the poem ‘It is a beauteous evening’, he makes reference to the existence to God as being the sublime power in the universe. He calls on his daughter to ‘listen’ and behold ‘the mighty Being’. The sunset described in the poem is full of religious references which can be taken as a
Wordsworth’s oneness with nature is also seen in ‘To my Sister’ which brings into view the connection he has with nature as he delights in the arrival of Spring. The poem suggests strong connection between people and their surroundings. Wordsworth calls on his sister to live according to the ‘living calendar’ of nature and enjoy herself and be in love with nature.

supernaturalism in Coleridge

There are many different supernatural elements in the poetry of Coleridge. Some reflect Christian beliefs, some reflect folk traditions, and some are fantastic elements grounded in his use of opium, which produced hallucinations.

One of his poems with many dreamlike and supernatural elements is "Kubla Khan," a poem that takes the actual Mongolian historical figure Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, and uses that as a starting point for imagining a vast and supernaturally beautiful and luxurious "pleasure dome." Many of the elements of the poem, such as the phrases "demon lover", "holy dread," "sacred river," and, most importantly, "a miracle of rare device," create a supernatural atmosphere. The poem draws connections among artistic creation, the transcendent, and the supernatural as all distinct from and superior to mundane reality.


Bibliography :-

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_poetryhttps://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/wordsworth-and-the-sublime

https://www.skuola.net/letteratura-inglese-1700/role-imagination.html

https://m.greaterkashmir.com/news/gk-magazine/wordsworth-the-poet-of-nature/24375.html

https://www.123helpme.com/coleridgerelation-of-descriptions-to-nature-in-coleridges-poetry-view.asp?id=168479

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/critical-analyze-supernatural-elements-poetry-s-t-382669

Thinking Activity on T.S.Eliot : Tradition and Individual Talent

Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888-1965) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, of an old New England family. He was educated at Harvard and did graduate work in philosophy at the Sorbonne, Harvard, and Merton College, Oxford. He settled in England, where he was for a time a schoolmaster and a bank clerk, and eventually literary editor for the publishing house Faber & Faber, of which he later became a director. He founded and, during the seventeen years of its publication (1922-1939), edited the exclusive and influential literary journal Criterion. In 1927, Eliot became a British citizen and about the same time entered the Anglican Church.

1.How would you like to explain Eliot's concept of Tradition? Do you agree with it?

Ans :- Yes i agree with Elliot's concept of tradition. He talked about erudition to gain the knowledge. Tradition can't come in Inheritance. one have to do to much hard work and than and than only he can be a part of a tradition via his writing.

2. What do you understand by Historical Sense? 

     Eliot explains the concept of tradition with the use of Historical sense. It involves perception of the presence of the past not only its pastness. It is not only to know about historical fact but mainly its about that in which way people were living in the past and how that past is presented in the contemporary time. Than he invludes that with the help of historical sense a writer can create the work which has timeless and temporal both toghther

3.What is the relationship between “tradition” and “the individual talent,” according to the poet T. S. Eliot?

The New writers are not merely imitating the tradition but by their own individual talent they add something new in already existing history or tradition. They give a new charm and beauty to the tradition.

4. Explain: "Some can absorb knowledge, the more tardy must sweat for it. Shakespeare acquired more essential history from Plutarch than most men could from the whole British Museum".

Ans:- Eliot talks about Shakespeare ans his creativeness. he talks about that shakeShakes is not a learned man but he is still famous and there were many man who were more learned than shakeShakes but no one remers them so the the point is it doesn't matter how much you have learnt but what matters is how much creative you are.

5.Explain: "Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry"

Ans - T.S.Eliot talks about the honest criticism. For the fair judgement critic's main concern should be the work of art not an artist. If the main concern of the critic is related with an artist than he/she can not able to judge the work fairly. At the same time critic have to remain free from all the preconceived ideas of an artist.

6. How would you like to explain Eliot's theory of depersonalization? You can explain with the help of chemical reaction in presence of catalyst agent, Platinum.

Eliot explains the theory of depersonalization with the help of Science. He describes the process of making sulfuric acid. The Sulfuric acid is made from sulfur dioxide and water,but entire process can't take place in the absence of Platinum. In this process Platinum is essential element. In the same way the man who suffers and the man who creates both should different. Poet's emotion is necessary to create poetry but it should not reflect in his work.

7.Explain: " Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality."

This is the idea of depersonalization which was talked by Eliot earlier. Whenever poet creates work of an art at that time he should remain detached from his emotions and feelings.Eliot further says that poetry is not for showing poet's own feelings or emotions but it is about escape from that emotion. 

8.Write two points on which one can write critique on 'T.S. Eliot as a critic'.

Ans :- Theory of Individual talent ans Depersonalization.

Structuralism and Literary Criticism: Gerard Genette

Being a structuralist critic i will look to the linguistics and anthropology. Structuralist criticism aims at forming a poetics or the science of literature from a study of literary works. It also is an approach to analyzing the narrative material by examining the underlying invariant structure.

Being a structuralist critic i will try to find the novelty in the work of art.

Structuralism is the name given to Saussure’s approach to language as a system of relationship. But it is applied also to the study of philosophy, literature and other sciences of humanity.

Concepts of Genette's Narratology with examples.

order :- in this the storyline of the event is focused. how things happen and how it went to the end. 

 we can take the example of movie URI where the story starts from the beginning and then gradually thigs went on.

1. Terrorist attacked on URI Army Camp

2. A Team was built for strick

3. Training and secrecy of the team

4. Strick on the terrorist camp

5. returning to the nation.

Frequency :- The separation between an event and its narration allows several possibilities.

An event can occur once and be narrated once.

In the 

An event can occur n times and be narrated once.

An event can occur once and be narrated n times

In the movie Dhamal the search of 10 Crore Rupees is narrated So many time and at the end they find the Bag of money.

An event can occur n times and be narrated n times 

Duration :-The separation between an event and its narration means that there is discourse time and Narrative time. in many Bollywood movies we see this kind of narrative style.

Voice :- Voice is concerned with who narrates, and from where. This can be split four ways. In the movie Bunty Aur Bubbly from the starting the story in narrated by the police inspector. Some times we see God is narating the story.

Mood :- narrative mood is dependent on the 'distance' and 'perspective' of the narrator, and like music, narrative mood has predominant patterns. It is related to voice.

Distance of the narrator changes with narrated speech, transposed speech and reported speech.

Perspective of the narrator is called focalization. Narratives can be non-focalized, internally focalized or externally focalized.

In the movie Bunty Aur Bubbly from the starting the story in narrated by the police inspector's perspective of catching them.