Eliot the satirist?

One of the questions I have been continually debating throughout the book is why do Eliot's characters have such extreme, unhappy endings? On the one hand, I feel that Eliot is attempting to look at British society through a realistic point of view, as she points out flaws and addresses the need for change. On the other hand, I think that there are times in the text where Eliot's commentary takes on an ironic, almost humorous tone of voice. So I must ask the following question: is Middlemarch an attempt by Eliot to satirize society? One of the best pieces of contextual evidence to support the idea of Middlemarch as a satiric novel is when the characters examine Dorothea's options after Casaubon's death. Eliot first provides the reader with the "correct" or "acceptable" course of action by suggesting that Dorothea should re-marry. For example, Mrs. Cadwallader notes that a second husband would provide Dorothea with a sense of order and and duty: "It will be well for her to marry again as soon as it is proper . . . I clearly see a husband is the best thing to keep her in order" (570). Mrs. Cadwallader's proposal mirrors Celia's point of view and is continually emphasized throughout the scene. The reader knows, however, that the attempts are fruitless, as Dorothea has a mind of her own and abhors the idea of a second husband. James also shares an opinion with Dorothea and presents the counterargument that marriage is not a plausible solution to this case. So why do the female characters so feverishly advocate the idea of marriage? I think the answer lies in the fact that marriage clearly does not work for Dorothea and Eliot knows that the reader has formed the same conclusion at this point in the book; thus, Eliot is utilizing a mix of humor and critique to comment on marriage in English society--the quintessential definition of satire.