Comparing George Eliot’s Adam Bede and Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Mark

Comparing George Eliot’s Adam Bede and Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market George Eliot’s Adam Bede offers a realistic and highly detailed look into the everyday life of ordinary people in rural Treddleston. Although the characters are fictional, several of them are based upon people Eliot knew or knew of, which adds to the realism. As she delightedly observes and describes the intricacies of the natural, ordinary world, Eliot pays attention to human nature, applying keen psychological insight to characters’ thoughts, choices, and actions. Eliot seems to understand that certain people are a certain way, and she encourages her reader to gently evaluate, rather than hastily judge, both her characters and people in general. Within the novel, Hetty’s infatuation with Arthur, and the personal shame, social ostracism, and legal punishment she experiences as a result, require an extra dose of empathy and understanding. Eliot demonstrates the characteristics that render Hetty liable to a fall and shows, using Dinah as a contrasting example , how the stereotypical perception of the â€Å"fallen woman† needs to be adjusted in order to allow for human weaknesses and mistakes. Christina Rossetti also provides an insightful look into the problem of the â€Å"fallen woman,† and of the perception of this kind of woman, in Goblin Market. Unlike Eliot, who uses realistic characterization and carefully detailed prose, Rossetti relates her views through fantastical characters and highly energized poetry. Although they work within different genres, however, Eliot and Rossetti both challenge the stereotypical understanding of what it means for a woman to be â€Å"innocent† or â€Å"experienced.† Through the contrasting natures of sisters Laura and Lizzie,... ...eaders to challenge their own notions of what is and is not acceptable, and to have compassion on those who, for reasons not always easy to control, have made poor choices. Eliot and Rossetti both seem to realize a paradox of femininity: women must be kept innocent and protected from certain types of knowledge, but if they are not made aware of this knowledge, they may be prone to making foolish choices that cannot be undone. Eliot’s telling of Hetty’s story is like Laura passing on her story to her daughters: they aim to educate women so that they might learn from others’ mistakes. Works Cited Eliot, George. Adam Bede. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Rossetti, Christina. â€Å"Goblin Market.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Victorian Age. Ed. M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000. Comparing George Eliot’s Adam Bede and Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Mark Comparing George Eliot’s Adam Bede and Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market George Eliot’s Adam Bede offers a realistic and highly detailed look into the everyday life of ordinary people in rural Treddleston. Although the characters are fictional, several of them are based upon people Eliot knew or knew of, which adds to the realism. As she delightedly observes and describes the intricacies of the natural, ordinary world, Eliot pays attention to human nature, applying keen psychological insight to characters’ thoughts, choices, and actions. Eliot seems to understand that certain people are a certain way, and she encourages her reader to gently evaluate, rather than hastily judge, both her characters and people in general. Within the novel, Hetty’s infatuation with Arthur, and the personal shame, social ostracism, and legal punishment she experiences as a result, require an extra dose of empathy and understanding. Eliot demonstrates the characteristics that render Hetty liable to a fall and shows, using Dinah as a contrasting example , how the stereotypical perception of the â€Å"fallen woman† needs to be adjusted in order to allow for human weaknesses and mistakes. Christina Rossetti also provides an insightful look into the problem of the â€Å"fallen woman,† and of the perception of this kind of woman, in Goblin Market. Unlike Eliot, who uses realistic characterization and carefully detailed prose, Rossetti relates her views through fantastical characters and highly energized poetry. Although they work within different genres, however, Eliot and Rossetti both challenge the stereotypical understanding of what it means for a woman to be â€Å"innocent† or â€Å"experienced.† Through the contrasting natures of sisters Laura and Lizzie,... ...eaders to challenge their own notions of what is and is not acceptable, and to have compassion on those who, for reasons not always easy to control, have made poor choices. Eliot and Rossetti both seem to realize a paradox of femininity: women must be kept innocent and protected from certain types of knowledge, but if they are not made aware of this knowledge, they may be prone to making foolish choices that cannot be undone. Eliot’s telling of Hetty’s story is like Laura passing on her story to her daughters: they aim to educate women so that they might learn from others’ mistakes. Works Cited Eliot, George. Adam Bede. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Rossetti, Christina. â€Å"Goblin Market.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Victorian Age. Ed. M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000.