In any close relationship, disagreements are sure to pop up over the course of time. Married couples, for example, can quarrel over anything— from petty topics like where to eat for dinner, to life-changing decisions such as moving for one’s career. Newlyweds Rosamond and Tertius Lydgate are no strangers to arguments as shown in George Eliot’s novel Middlemarch. The previously happy couple has encountered financial difficulties and cannot seem to come to an agreement on how to handle them. Though their conversation appears to be clearly about money on the surface, it unmasks the pride of both characters and how that contributes to their stubbornness. By using subtle yet important details and third person omniscient point of view, Eliot characterizes the young couple as prideful and portrays their relationship’s game-like complexities.
From the beginning of the passage, the author reveals through detail that Rosamond is ashamed of her husband’s unwillingness to ask for financial help and believes she should have the upper hand. In the first line, she “colour[s] deeply” with embarrassment and anger and says, “Have you not asked Papa for money?” Lydgate, wanting to keep his dignity as the breadwinner, believes he can get the extra money without any assistance. When Rosamond realizes her suspicions were, in fact, correct, she declares: “Then I must ask him!” and lets go of Lydgate’s hands. Rosamond is clearly attempting to take control of the situation when she physically distances herself from her husband by standing up and withholding her touch in defiance. By trying to abandon the situation before it escalates, she believes she has secured her position as the dominant member of the relationship.
The third person omniscient point of view later reveals that she subconsciously undermined Lydgate’s argument, as shown when the narrator notes her stepping back “made everything harder to say” for him. After Rosamond rises and moves, Lydgate “decisively”, yet calmly, reminds her that they cannot stop the buyers from taking inventory, and that the situation is “a temporary affair”. The point of view also describes how Rosamond, upon hearing this, thought her husband was being “unkind” and “unpardonable”, allowing the reader to better understand why she then begins to cry. Her pride would normally prevent her from expressing such emotion, as she perceives it as a display of weakness. Lydgate’s decision to sell some of their belongings, however, pushed her over the edge as her privileged upbringing taught her to value material objects. If Eliot merely presented Lydgate’s stream of consciousness, readers would not know how his words made a usually reserved woman break down, nor would they comprehend Rosamond’s reasoning.
Contrarily, Lydgate himself does not understand the exact reasons for Rosamond’s outburst but still pities and comforts her. The omniscience of the point of view reveals that he is aware of his “own proud resistance” and cannot “imagine fully what this sudden trial was” to Rosamond, who “had known nothing but indulgence”. While Lydgate sees the need to sell some of their possessions as rational and insignificant, perhaps due to a more common lifestyle, his materialistic wife is mortified due to her lavish past. Their different backgrounds are occasionally in conflict, as shown throughout the passage, but they usually overlook their differences out of their mutual love and respect, like anyone in a stable marriage should do. Eliot presents Lydgate as firm in his beliefs, yet sympathetic to his wife when “he did wish to spare her as much as he could” while convincing her that selling their jewelry and plates was necessary. He then apologizes for not seeing that “[he] could not afford to live in this way”, assures Rosamond that they will get back on their feet, and tells her that she is “so clever” she will one day outsmart him. These words of encouragement show his more tender side and demonstrate his unconditional love, even when he does not fully understand her. His asking for forgiveness gives Rosamond “some hope that he would attend to her opinion”, a move that perhaps backfired on him as he may have expected she would be satisfied with his explanation. Rosamond’s pride shows again when she continues to attempt to convince her husband to “send the men away tomorrow when they come”. She is too proud to give up her side of the argument to flattery, and will continue to badger Lydgate until she gets her way.
As soon as Lydgate realizes that his wife will not back down, his compassion gives way to “peremptoriness rising again”. Eliot’s use of perspective presents his inner monologue, in which he becomes slightly exasperated, wondering if it was “any use to explain” to his seemingly irrational wife. His thoughts show that although he complimented Rosamond on her cleverness just moments earlier, he returns to believing he is superior the moment she disagrees. He seems to only be able to praise his wife’s intellect when they share the same opinion; again, this reveals his pride by showing his unwillingness to see another perspective. Rosamond, on the other hand, is set on leaving their home of Middlemarch for the more luxurious London; and even goes so far as to slyly manipulate Lydgate by saying “[his] friends would not wish [him] to be without money”. Her continued efforts to convince him that they can have a more elegant lifestyle while still saving money exemplify her tendencies to be confident in her viewpoints, whether she completely understands the issue or not. Her faux-intellect, however, only upsets Lydgate more when he “angrily” tells her that she “must learn to take [his] judgement on questions [she] doesn’t understand”. Through this statement, Eliot shows Lydgate’s need for superiority over his wife by implementing sexist undertones, much to Rosamond’s dismay. She begins to think that she “never would have married him” if she knew he would act in this way. She then behaves passive-aggressively by sitting “perfectly still”, and not gracing his words with a comment, argument, or apology. Eliot shows through her actions that this argument is much more petty than hostile, the focus more on the person that comes out on top rather than the decision.
Although the couple seems to be raising a fuss over major financial difficulties, they are really only slightly distressed. Their entire spat, tears and all, was far less about the actual money than dominance in their relationship. While trying to calm his wife down, Lydgate tells her that one of the buyers will “take a good deal of the plate back again, and any of the jewellery we like.” Eliot’s use of this detail shows that they not only are able to keep most of their silverware, but also have enough jewelry to decide what to sell. A couple actually in despair would not be in a position to keep any of their valuables, much less to choose which ones. This allows the reader to comprehend the characters’ values and beliefs instead of sympathizing with the stress of being poor.
Overall, Eliot employs detail and perspective to characterize Rosamond and Tertius Lydgate as individuals from different backgrounds sharing one key value: pride. Tertius, firm in his beliefs yet striving to be gentle, takes pride in being the family’s provider. Rosamond, caring yet unintentionally manipulative, takes pride in having wealth and living a life of elegance. The argument masks fears of submission with “unnecessary words”, as Lydgate put it. The couple may have their differences, but love and compassion are still present in their relationship. One squabble will not end a relationship, as long as they each come to terms with their differences and accept them, as well as being transparent with each other from the start. There is certainly hope for this young couple to have a romance that will last a lifetime.