A Comparative Analysis of Heroines' Choices: The Death of Soul

This essay provides a comparative analysis of the female characters Dorothea Brooks from George Eliot's Middlemarch and Isabel Archer from Henry James's Portrait of a Lady, focusing on the concept of the 'Death of Soul.' The essay explores the societal constraints faced by women in the Victorian era and how their choices, particularly in marriage, led to the suppression of their aspirations and independence. It examines the similarities in the characters' desires for intellectual and personal growth, their initial choices of husbands, and the subsequent betrayals and disappointments they experience. The analysis highlights the injustice women faced, the societal norms that limited their opportunities, and the consequences of their decisions within a male-dominated society. The essay concludes by discussing the concept of spiritual death as a result of these experiences and the characters' ultimate acceptance of their fates, providing valuable insights into the complexities of gender roles and societal expectations in the 19th century.

The Death of Soul
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ABSTRACT
Violeta Risteska-Aleksoska
The Death of Soul
A Comparative Analysis Between the Similarities of the Heroine Character in George Eliot’s
Middlemarch and Henry James’s Portrait of a Lady
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It has been always witnessed that women rights and society view point always differentiate with
each other. In case of the 19th century, the women were passionate about their dreams as well as
wanted to live a free life. In this essay, Dorothea Brooks and Isabel Archer are the main
characters in the novels Middlemarch (1871-71), George Eliot and Portrait of a Lady (1880-81),
Henry James. The authors describe them as strong-minded, independent and interested in what
life brings to them, taking on challenges and not hesitating in the experiencing life. The main
aim of the research is to witness the wrong choices which both the ladies made in their lives.
These choices gave their life a U-turn as due to this their aspirations as well as need came to an
end. Further, another aim of the report is to show injustice done by the society with Dorothea
Brooks and Isabel Archer. The objective of the study is to examine the thinking of society
towards the women.
The results show that Dorothea and Isabel are strong and independent women, but in order to
keep those qualities and maintain a position in the male dominated society they need to marry
men of importance. To sustain within the realm of society and make a difference or to achieve
anything more, they needed to be men. By giving up their independence and choosing to enter
marriage leads them to what eventually becomes their spiritual death.
Sökord: The Death of Soul, Middlemarch, Portrait of a Lady, similarities, choices, Victorian Era
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................5
Choices of the women and the social perspectives of society towards women......................7
Similar characteristics of Dorothea Brooks and Isabel...........................................................7
SOCIETY’S VIEW OF WOMEN............................................................................................10
Perception of society towards women in 19th century..........................................................11
Difference between society thinking and characteristics of women.....................................13
Injustice done by men towards women.................................................................................14
Women live life according to society norms........................................................................14
THE FEMALE CHARACTERS..............................................................................................15
Characteristics of Dorothea’s................................................................................................16
Similarities between both of them........................................................................................19
CHOICES.................................................................................................................................19
BETRAYAL.............................................................................................................................24
Evidence from the sources....................................................................................................25
CONSEQUENCES A wrong choice changed her life..............................................................27
ACCEPTANCE........................................................................................................................30
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................33
WORKS CITED.......................................................................................................................34

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INTRODUCTION
In the present era, it has been witnessed that the women are characterized as an angel or as
demon. Further, it has been realized that in most of the novels the suffering is caused by the
males to the women but still the lady are projected as the culprit.
There are a few similarities between the female characters in George Eliot’s, Middlemarch,
Dorothea Brooks, and Henry James’s, Portrait of a Lady, Isabel Archer. Both Dorothea and
Isabel are portrayed by the authors as strong-minded, independent and interested in what life
brings to them, taking on challenges and not hesitating in experiencing life. Having a passion
to learn more and develop, these two women do not conform to the usual stereotype of
women living in the eighteenth century. For one of the characters, the main goal is to be part
of something greater than what life has to offer; for the other, the aim is to get married and
live with a person who is part of a different society. Despite living in two different worlds,
they make the same mistake falling back and relying on a husband that only wants them to
behave as all other conventional women do. Their husband’s betrayal is of great importance,
as it manifests a clear understanding of what happens to the two characters: betrayal they are
exposed to by the people they least expect. The aim of the report is to understand the
character of the women in both novels and the society’s point of view towards them. Besides
this, through the characters of the novel, the report will predict that women are give choices
but they do not have the right to take it. On the other hand, it will be depicted that in the end
the suffering was caused to the women because they made the wrong choices in their life.
According to both the novels, both the women wanted something from their life
but the life gave challenges in face of men. Further, both ladies got the choice to choose their
mates but because of their wrong choice they suffered a lot. This report will help to portray
that Dorothea Brooks and Isabel were ambitious but because of the society norms and the
responsibility they were not able to fulfill their goals in their lives. On the other hand, the

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main aim of the report is that the men did not respect the goals and philosophies of the
women. They always make them feel that they are superior to the lady. In case of Dorothea
Brooks, Casaubon did not involve in her work because he knew that he was much more
talented than her. On the other hand, in case of the Isabel, his husband behavior was not good
towards her. But despite of this reason, the Isabel builds a good bond between her daughter
and saves her from the bad intention of her husband to marry its ex- lover. This character
shows the selfless love for her husband’s daughter. Even her real father did not lover her as
much as her step mother. This report will aim to show the sacrificing nature of the women
towards their family etc.

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Choices of the women and the social perspectives of society towards women
The focus of this essay is to show that how a choice Dorothea Brooks and Isabel
becomes fatal to their spiritual life. The aim of the report is to identify social views of the
society towards Dorothea Brooks and Isabel.
Similar characteristics of Dorothea Brooks and Isabel
Upon reading Middlemarch and Portrait of a Lady, I could not help noticing the
similarities both characters had, Dorothea Brooks marrying a man of importance to be part of
the social hierarchy, even though coming from two very different worlds. Besides this, Isabel
marries a man who has some history behind it. If she knows, she would not have married him.
Social feminism can be defined as oppression of the women which can be
further categorized as racism and economic injustice. Barry argues that English and
American literature differ in terms of feminist criticism in subjects such as, social and cultural
orientation where the English literature focuses on ‘social feminism’. Barry relates with the
study because injustice has been carried out in both the characters Dorothea Brooks and
Isabel. As the former one was not respected equally by her husband in their work and in case
of Isabel her husband was egoistic and did not provided love and affection. But Barry feels
that there are certain differences in novels written by women writers, such as, Eliot and
James, containing different norms and approaches to society (129).

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This essay will present condition of both the women who had to deal with the
situation arising in the Victorian. In order to make a difference, Dorothea and Isabel needed to
marry powerful men with high status to take part in a ‘male’ world where women did not
belong. This will constitute an important part of this essay since it is connected to the choices
Dorothea and Isabel make. In this, the similarities between the choices of both women will be
highlighted. The similarity which can be witnessed is that both the women chose rich man and
the scenario which happened with them was same. After marriage both their husband did not
gave love to them. This can give light on the reality of society
I will present the outcome of both the female characters Dorothea and Isabel,
fate and their decisions. I will not mention and exemplify the suitors at all, as it is not
necessary to put focus on them, but what this essay will focus on is why they chose husbands
like Casaubon and Osmond. This is important to be focused because both their husband
betrayed them. This is important because the life of both the women revolved around their
husband. Even though Dorothea and Isabel are two strong independent women, they live in a
society where it is not possible for a woman to be prosperous on her own. Their belief is that
marriage is a new possibility of a life of prosperity and independence which will enable them
to accomplish things they could never do before. This leads both characters to a choice of
decisive importance that changes their lives and eventually leads to the death of their soul.

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I intend to give an insight of how the women were considered in society in
the19th century. In the cases, the dreams and aspirations of women was not focused by their
family members. In case of Isabel, he was sacrificing her life because of her husband
daughter. It portrays that the women in the 19th century are made to develop sacrificing
nature. Both in Britain and in America by using critical thinkers such as Gilbert &Gubar,
Brannon, Hochenauer, and BarryI will show how the two characters are managing to cope
with a life in the New World versus the Old World. The authors will depict the situation of
the women by their story. They will portray the society point of view with their story. I will
also show how the characters’ personalities do not correspond to society’s norms and social
view of that time, and how they make similar choices. The reason was both the women were
ambitious, in case of Dorothea she was eager to help her husband in her work. Further, in case
of Isabel she wanted to live free and due to this reason she did not marry Casper. This is
opposite to the thinking of the 19th century when the women did not get freedom to live their
own life. In conclusion, I will focus on answering what Dorothea and Isabel will do, entering
a marriage and having to come to a point in their lives where they have to make a crucial
decision: either to stay and commit to their husbands and the marriage, or leave this life
altogether and go back to fulfilling their own dreams and aspirations. As both the women
married to their choices because they wanted to live their life on their own conditions. But
this thing was mistaken because both their husband were opposite what they thought. In the
present situation, it can be said that if the leave them they could live their life according to
them.

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SOCIETY’S VIEW OF WOMEN

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Perception of society towards women in 19th century
The ideal woman in the Victorian society was not only to be a mother and a married woman,
she was also obliged to be in the domestic environment where she usually was supposed to be
decorative, supportive and a comfort to her husband while at the same time being a moral role
model and the mainstay for her children (Pugh, 66). In the society, according to the author of
both the books, women in the 19th century were not allowed to follow their dreams (Crawford
and Unger, 49). In both Middlemarch (1871) and Portrait of a Lady (29th October, 1881),
however, it is easy to see that both female characters represent the typical stereotype of a
modern thinking woman. In this, the stereotype is basically the sacrificing lady if she had
some needs and aspirations, she would sacrifice for her family. This was the case with both
the women. They both fit the same category of, social roles, behaviors, and physical
characteristics, which leads to a normative set of values regarding how women ought to be.
The reason is because these values as well as norms are made by the society and due to this
reason; the women are idolized in this way. As per the present situation, now the women are
set free and their demands are respected by the society. But in case of the 19th century, it was
not this case because it was the male dominating society and the thought process of the
women were controlled by men. According to Brannon, “true” womanhood was something
the women of those days were aware of. They were judged by others and by themselves for
not being the typical woman of the 18th century. The women in the Victorian era were
depending on their purity and piety because without that quality the women would be lost in a
male dominated society and pursue a life without value or hope (161). Brannon further states
that women were expected to be weak, dependant, and timid. Due to this reason, the women
of the 19th century would then search for strong men to marry who would have unquestionable
superiority and the women would not consider questioning their authority. Further, in case of
Dorothea and Isabel, both of them married those man who can support them financially as

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well as mentally in their dreams. Because of this social injustice women were forced to make
a choice in order to make a difference and have powerful positions. To achieve this they had
to marry men of importance (161).