Daniel Deronda and motherhood

[kev67]

I had a profound thought while reading Daniel Deronda, which I am sure I have not read anywhere: if Silas Marner is largely about fatherhood then Daniel Deronda is largely about motherhood. There are mothers of grown up children, e.g. Mrs Davilow, who spends much time comforting her willful daughter, Gwendolin Harleth. There are mothers of small children, such as Lydia Glasher, whom Grandcourt was honour bound to marry. There are Daniel Deronda's and Mirah Lapidoth's missing mothers. Then there is a substitute mother, Mrs Meyrick. I am less than half way through the book, so more mothers may appear.

[Jackson Richardson]

You are probably on to something here, kev. Good on you. I read DD some 18 months ago and have to confess I found it hard work.

Come to think of it, mothers are noticeably absent from George Eliot. I can't remember Mrs Tulliver as a character at all, and Mrs Poyser in Adam
Bede is only a surrogate mother to Hetty and not a very successful one. Adam's own mother is an exception.