Middlemarch clearly defines the expectations and functions of middle and upper class women in nineteenth century England. It becomes immediately obvious that the woman is inferior in every way to the man and that the function of the wife is that described in the words of the marriage ceremony; "to love, honour and obey", with emphasis on obedience. "A woman dictates before marriage in order that she might have an appetite for submission afterwards". The woman's role was to serve her husband, to entertain him, to adorn his house much like a bunch of flowers or a painting. Lydgate sought in his wife "that distinctive womanhood which must be classed with flowers and music". Sir James insisted that his wife become a perfect horsewoman, not for the skill or pleasure that it might give her but so "that she may accompany her husband". Should the husband fall ill, it was her duty to nurse him. As Mr Trumbull remarks, "a man whose life is of any value should think of his wife as a nurse". Mr Causabon married so as to secure "the solace of female tendance for his declining years". As with his work, causabon is disillusioned about his marriage. He had married Dorothea hoping for a qui

It is in the Lydgate and Rosamond relationship that we are able to see most clearly the "fallacy of male superiority" exposed. It can be argued that Lydgate's pride was a flaw in his nature that that led to his downfall, so too was his ignorance of the true nature of women. Despite his intelligence and willingness to adapt to new methods in medicine. He displays the classic male attitude towards the woman. His rejection of Dorothea is because she "did not look at things from a proper feminine angle", and he found it troublesome to talk to her because she was a woman "always wanting reasons yet too ignorant to understand the merits of any question". Rosamond was a much more suitable partner because she "had just the kind of intelligence one would desire in a woman- polished, refined, docile". He believed in the superiority of the male to the female and "the innate submissiveness of the goose...to the strength of the gander".

An important theme George Eliot discusses in Middlemarch is the dilemma of one possessed "of a certain spiritual grandeur ill-matched with the meanness of opportunity" These words refer to Dorothea. Dorothea stands out from the rest of the women in her society, she is the cygnet "reared uneasily among the ducklings in the brown pond". She refuses to bow to fashion whether it is in hairstyle or manner of dress. She possesses a social conscience and longs to be free from the "gentlewoman's" oppressive liberty. Dorothea asks the question, "what shall I do?" she longs to be active but because of her sex, is unable to pursue her quest; the constraints of society demand that it remains an inward vision.

In Middlemarch Dorothea and Celia lived with Mr Brooke as their parents had died. A woman who did not marry could only look forward to living with her relations as a 'dependant', thus marriage was the only way of getting out from the parental roof. Dorothea believes that she has gained her liberty through marriage with Causabon, however the marriage is a device by which she is further oppressed.

The theme of illusion in Middlemarch is most clearly expressed in the marriages of Causabon and Dorothea, and Rosamond and Lydgate. All four marry not for love but for selfish reasons, each believing the partner to be other than he or she is. All four come to regret their decisions and end up suffering under the force of marriage. Yet in contrast Fred's love for Mary is genuine and Mary's honesty and generosity is contrasted sharply with Rosamond's hypocrisy and selfishness. In Pride and Prejudice Wickham's blind sighted marriage to Lydia is an example of the theme of illusion. Their marriage is farcical in the sense that Lydia marries to gain a handsome husband, as well as to slight her elder sisters, by marrying first. Wickham too had married selfishly, for the insubstantial wealth that the marriage brought to him, as well as to raise his own social status. Wickham's marriage to Lydia

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lydgate Rosamond, Darcy Elizabeth, Pride Prejudice, George Eliot, , Sir James, Charlotte Lucas, Dorothea Dorothea, Prejudice Wickham's, Jane Austen's, pride prejudice, social position, similarly pride prejudice, jane austen's, own social, dorothea elizabeth, theme illusion, jane austen, social status, example charlotte, charlotte lucas,
Approximate Word count = 1971
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)