A study of characterisation in the novels of George Eliot

135.
actions and reminiscent of the title of Goethe's novel "\Nahlverwanoischaften.
He insists that "rel D.t:Lol1S abide y{hether we are faithful.
to them or neglect them, tI
10 t
a statement similar to Savonarola s admonishment
to Romola. He also says that what we have to def;'+l with is
"a real order not an imaginary one--not an order which I¢.ght be desirable
but which exists. I ~ certainly a son, I ~ a brother, I ~ a citizen. It
How then does this existing order square with situations such as the
one described by Philip to Maggie The Hill on the Floss where the
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duty demanded of her as a deughter and a sister is totally unreasonable
11
because it is a duty prescribed by her family's narr~/,
obsessional dasire
for vengeance against Philip\sfather, Lawyer Wakem? Philip, desperately
trying to convince Maggie of the truth of his words and trying
as well to instil into her a spark of courageous rebellioI).,' says toller
that I"it is not right to sacrifice everything to other people's unreasonable
feelings. I would give up a great deal for ~ father; but I
would not give up a friendship or--or an attachment of any sort, in obedience
to any wish of his that I didn't recognise as right.tll 12
But Maggie, adopting, as she often does, an extreme position, interprets
this as a suggestion that she should renounce all duty, not just
that she should take a stand in a particular case. To her it would be
creating a dangerous preoedent, 'what she calls th.inking away all her duty.
"'But,'" as she explains to Philip, "'no good had ever come of that--it
was an evil state of mind.ttl 13
George Eliot has here created a rather opaque 3i tuation as U'.1Emie t s
feelings for Philip, compounded as they are of tenderness and pity, are
not passionate enough to create a real conflict. Although she does continue
to meet him, to discuss with him books and art and music" she does
it clandestinely, lacking the courage to stand up to hel' father and her
redoubtable brother. It is not surprising that she feels she is tllosing