Chapter Detailed Summary and Commentary of Middlemarch - Study Guide by George Eliot

his family and he declares his intention to stay in Middlemarch against Mr Casaubon's wishes. In bed that night with Casaubon Dorothea impetuously conceives of a plan to give her half of his inheritance to Will, who was disinherited because his grandmother married "a Polish refugee who gave lessons for his bread" (chapter 37). Giving up money she does not need seems to Dorothea to be a way of righting a past wrong but Mr Casaubon is angry and left bitterly suspicious of Will's intentions.

And Mr Brooke has decided to run for parliament on the side of political reform, which disturbs his fellow gentry immensely, especially as Mr Brooke's estate management leaves much to be desired (chapter 38). Sir James persuades Dorothea to visit Brooke and encourage him to make some much-needed reforms on his own land (chapter 39). She accompanies him on a visit to one of his farms, ironically named Freeman's End. George Eliot uses this opportunity to satirise our susceptibility to picturesque poverty. Mr Dagley the tenant is not as complacent as Mr Brooke and having learnt about "Rinform" in the marketplace, has decided it is something that will get rid of Mr Brooke and chases him off his land.

This event has a knock-on effect as Mr Brooke hastily asks Caleb Garth to manage his land, which makes a great improvement in his financial situation (chapter 40). Fred, humiliated, has returned to university, as Mr Farebrother tells Mary when he comes to visit her. And Mr Farebrother is also obviously attracted to Mary. Rigg is visited by his half-brother Raffles at Stone Court (chapter 41). Raffles asks for money and is refused but leaves with a scrap piece of paper he has picked up bearing the name Nicholas Bulstrode. The book ends with Mr Casaubon's growing fear of death and Dorothea's growing misery at being continually rebuffed by her husband (chapter 42). Her natural affection has no outlet.

Book V: The Dead Hand. Chapters 43-53

Dorothea calls in at the Lydgates' house to ask about her husband's health and finds Rosamund playing the piano to Will - Rosamund mistakenly believes she has made a conquest of him (chapter 43). Lydgate meets Dorothea and tells her about the problems he has encountered with the New Hospital; there is a great deal of prejudice against Bulstrode in the town (chapter 44). Lydgate's career in Middlemarch has not been as smooth as he had hoped (chapter 45). Although his practise has had some success, he has antagonised the other surgeons in the town and they have banded together to entirely ignore the New Hospital. Rosamund does not think it a "nice profession". And the tradesmen are sending more bills.

Meanwhile Will is relatively happy in the definite pursuit of one thing: helping Mr Brooke in his pursuit of reform (chapter 46). He goes to Lowick church to catch a glimpse of Dorothea (chapter 47) who looks agitated because she can see that Mr Casaubon is determined to ignore Will (chapter 48). Her marriage has become a slow- growing imprisonment. Mr Casaubon asks her to complete his "Key to all Mythologies" book after his death, work she has come to see as pointless yet she feels such pity for him that she is inclined to agree. To do so would trap her in an endless task. Conveniently, when she goes to Mr Casaubon to give him her answer she finds him dead in the garden.

Mr Casaubon's Will includes a clause that requires Dorothea to give up all his money if she ever marries Will Ladislaw (chapter 49). Dorothea continues living in Lowick Hall on her own (chapter 50). She has to find a new clergyman for Lowick and Lydgate, anxious to make reparations for the past, recommends Farebrother.

Ladislaw himself, meanwhile, watches Mr Brooke stand for reform on election day - and be mocked, imitated and pelted by the crowd (chapter 51). Vague rambling Mr Brooke's parliamentary career is over. He releases Ladislaw from the Pioneer.

Farebrother's small family delight over the fact that Dorothea has given him Lowick and his mother urges him to marry (chapter 52). Yet Fred has come to consult Mr Farebrother about Mary; the only woman Farebrother cares for.