Daily Archives: April 24, 2016

17% done with Middlemarch

B2;C17

The story of Lydgate and the actress is fun and also telling. Just as Laure says “… I do not like husbands”, she could very well be talking about Middlemarch which “counted on swallowing Lydgate and assimilating him very comfortably”.

Lydgate stands out as being someone who wants to make something of himself – like Mr. Bulstrode – but does not want to be assimilated. He dreams of fame perhaps.

16% done with Middlemarch

B2;C14

I’d much rather be friends with idle Fred than either Mr. Featherstone or Mr. Bulstrode. They lord over everyone either with money or morality – they’re no different than Rosamond: petty and small. At least Fred has some fun.

Mary complains about feeling obliged to honor any many who falls in love with her – she should be independent too like men. Why should a woman be responsible for a man’s feelings?

13% done with Middlemarch

B2; C13

The one aspect I struggle with in this novel is continually having to get up to speed with a new character every chapter. Not only do we not get much physical description of surroundings, but we jump right into the heart of situations and I feel a little bewildered at first. As a chapter goes on I get the “hang of it”, so I’m looking forward to knowing whom everyone is so I can concentrate on what’s going on

page 322 of 818 of Fortunata and Jacinta: Two Stories of Married Women

What Galdos does in his writing is not over simplify the characters. Here Dona Lupa snuggles in the strawberries so Nicolas can’t have any, but she shares them with Maximiliano and Papitos. These are complicated people and that makes the satire more biting because it’s not unfair or cruel. There is no (cheap strawberries) low hanging fruit here

page 317 of 818 of Fortunata and Jacinta: Two Stories of Married Women

This speaks deeper to the point that we have to be careful with how we treat others. That just because we hold a deep conviction doesn’t mean we do any good forcing it on someone else. And she’s buying into it because she doesn’t know any better, she’s blinded by his authority and his big words she doesn’t understand.