Literature Network » D.H. Lawrence

George Eliot's problem with action.(Critical Essay)

Content courtesy of

From: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900
Date: 20010922
Author:Markovits, Stefanie

D. H. Lawrence remarked that "it was [George Eliot] who started putting all the action inside." (1) So, for example, in Felix Holt, she shifts the focus from the political revolution implied by the title of the novel to Esther Lyon's "inward revolution." (2) When George Eliot "puts things inside"--exploiting narrative's potential to describe the invisible--willing, judging, desiring, and feeling gain the same ontological status as acting. And yet, properly speaking, action is set apart by its externality. Moreover, it is only by doing that we become just or unjust, as ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on D.H. Lawrence

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.