Throughout Middlemarch the female characters wished for someone, money, and even a lifestyle. Most of them were sorely mistaken.
Dorothea wanted a husband she could assist and nurture. Rosamond wanted a wealthy, respected and successful husband. Celia wanted to do better in life than Dorothea. Mary wanted Fred and a family. Mrs. Bulstrode wanted a man that the town of Middlemarch respected.
The only female character in Middlemarch to get their happily ever after was Mary. Yes, Celia is married and has a baby; did she really out do Dorothea?
The big question: Did Dorothea really live happily ever after? We are told by the narrator that Dorothea has a son and gets an inheritance but does that pass as happily ever after?
A couple of points/questions: Where in the book do you see Celia only wanting to outdo her sister? I think it's almost the opposite. She wants her sister to have a life just like her own.
ReplyDeleteAnd the narrator also NEVER says that Dorothea lives happily ever after. She is absolutely ambivalent about her ending, using words like "sad" and "suffering" to describe her life.