A Middlemarch Short Summary

Middlemarch is a novel authored by George Eliot. This work predominantly focuses on studying each societal class within the town of Middlemarch. Dorothea Brooks is a religious young woman living with her uncle and junior sister at Tipton Grange. Dorothea is disillusioned with her marriage to Casaubon. While on honeymoon, Ladislaw pays them a visit and Casaubon becomes jealous. This prompts him to write a will stating that Dorothea should relinquish all her inheritance in case she gets married again.

After Casaubon’s death, Rosamond Vince becomes engaged to Lydgate. However, Lydgate still wants to pursue his ambitions in medicine. Eventually, Rosamond manages to marry him and sinks them into debts. However, instead of supporting her husband, Rosamond now wants to abandon him.

One day Dorothea finds Rosamond in seclusion with Ladislaw. She urges Rosamond to cooperate with Lydgate and solve their problems. However, Rosamond secretly fancies Ladislaw as her utility, and Ladislaw is in love with Dorothea. However, Dorothea thinks that it is Ladislaw who is pursuing Rosamond.

Fred Vincy resolved that it is better to fail his tests than forcefully become a clergyman after his graduation. Mary does not want to marry him if he unhappily serves as a clergyman. What’s more, Mary cannot stand an irresponsible gambler. Fred returns to school and discovers his passion for managing estates thus begins working with Caleb.

Ladislaw is in Middlemarch to be close to Dorothea. Casaubon had banned him from their matrimonial home. However, Dorothea’s uncle, Brooke, hired him to support the family. However, Ladislaw was beginning to like her. After discovering the will, Ladislaw decides to leave her alone. However, they get married later on.

Bulstrode had once been married to a lady from the family of Ladislaw’s mother- a questionable family. Bulstrode heads the board of the fever hospital. Before his marriage, he had appointed Raffles to look for Ladislaw’s mother, who had run away. Ladislaw’s grandmother had made this request so that her daughter could inherit her deceased father’s business before they married.

Now when Raffles is making his way to court to claim his stepson’s inheritance, Raffles dissuades him. Later, Raffles is taken ill and is transferred to Bulstrode’s house under Lydgate’s care.

Lydgate gives Bulstrode medical instructions to help Raffles, but he ignores them. This leads to Raffles’ death. Suspicion is rife, but Dorothea offers clarification. Raffles received Dorothea’s loan to settle all debts and stop taking to Bulstrode. From then, Caleb also stopped all his associations with Bulstrode.