A study of characterisation in the novels of George Eliot

\'he crusty,
;t:"ic painter, nero di Cosima, and inevit;.ply her fatht>x and god.fat~,el" ..
Her foolish cousin, Monna Brigida$ contr':;.butes the f'c11owing descr',ption
Romola's striking appearance when the two of the;i1 ,u:"e going, di;,;;guised!J
;;0 San »area for an interview with the c.7ing Dino .. 'lIq~et Romola muE'fle
herself as she will, t II she declares, Itt everyone wants to see what there
ts under her yeil~
for she nas that way of
When Romola rescues Tessa f'rom the importun~,-te
ine youths, -.:e
read that "smidenly a gentle hand was on her arI~!, and a 30ft l' wonderful
voice, as if' the Holy j.ladonna were r ~Do not be 8.fraid;
no one shall harm you. • II
Even if we make a1lov;ance for Tessa;
·:'.:::duli ty and
the tone of tais description differs ve.x'y little
adopted towards Romola by her creator. We a.o not ::h;;:
:In
flashes of temper, as Dorothea does ove:: "'.. obsel JatioTo
of her enjoyment of their mother's jewe:",s ..
to pique, inventing an instant opinion (-' ..::1,1
it, as happer.l.s when Dorothe:a. in:forms SL:
going to ride again. IT;; sb.:>rt, we do nc nu"'~ 2;;,::/
the treatm&nt of Romola.
The idealisation 0'£ Rom.ola blinds ,:'
loss of trust in Tito is i;(litially a rna te".~
::)i'
er than a jmlgement based ')n evidence", '':lOSUS';; MOVl tn." ~H~
has betrayed his father an.a have accord
itude towards him ll
we ignflX'e the fact ',at; 2(';t s him on n-
sufficient grounds .. We !me''! he is guilt)' a:c:J so "e 'that he ::tn·
tuitions are right and we d.o not quest::
failure of trust. We learr, of her grOVe: .. g
self, 'c'hteous tone eX' her
,;ent in her
and watch her attempts to makeallowanc)s f'or the d::.';'ferenc9s of;empel'-