Middlemarch

Casaubon’s Courtship Motivations and Perceptions of Dorothea

Mr. Casaubon deliberately chose courtship despite knowing it would delay his scholarly work. He has resolved that this phase of his life should be adorned with female companionship to illuminate the weariness of his academic labor. He anticipates having a woman tend to him in his later years.

However, he discovers his emotional response to be disappointingly shallow—described as mere “sprinkling” rather than a full immersion. He concludes that poets have exaggerated masculine passion. Despite this lukewarm feeling, he observes with satisfaction that Dorothea Brooke displays an eager, submissive affection that aligns with his expectations of marriage.

He briefly considers whether some flaw in Dorothea explains his measured ardor but cannot identify it. Unable to imagine a woman who would appeal to him more, he decides the poets must simply be guilty of exaggeration.

Dorothea’s Classical Language Study Proposal and Initiation

During courtship, Dorothea proposes to Mr. Casaubon that she could prepare herself to be more useful by learning to read Latin and Greek aloud to him, invoking Milton’s daughters as her model. When Casaubon notes those daughters resented their role, Dorothea argues they were disobedient and should have been honored to serve such a father.

Her desire to study classical languages extends beyond conjugal devotion. She views masculine knowledge as an elevated vantage point from which truth appears more clearly. She doubts her own judgments because she feels her ignorance, wondering how she can confidently assess questions of social duty when classically educated men seem indifferent to practical concerns like the welfare of the poor.

She aspires to wisdom for herself, not merely to rely on a wise husband. Casaubon agrees to teach her for an hour at a time, treating her elementary difficulties with the tenderness a lover might show. Yet Dorothea feels discouraged by her slow progress and suspects the classical languages may contain mysteries beyond a woman’s reasoning capacity.

Brooke’s Gendered Education and Music Views

Mr. Brooke expresses strong views that deep studies like classics and mathematics are too demanding for women. He characterizes the feminine mind as light and superficial, better suited to music and fine arts. A woman, in his view, should be able to sit down and play pleasant English tunes as a genteel accomplishment.

Brooke has heard opera in Vienna—Gluck, Mozart—but considers himself conservative in music, favoring simple traditional melodies over new ideas. When Dorothea mentions that Casaubon dislikes the piano, Brooke admits Celia plays more readily but accepts the arrangement.

Casaubon explains he cannot tolerate music as recreation because repeated tunes cause his thoughts to perform absurd mechanical movements. Dorothea surprises her uncle by declaring she would have enjoyed the grand organ music they heard at Freiberg, which moved her to tears. Brooke dismisses this emotional response as unhealthy, telling Casaubon he must now teach Dorothea to be calmer.

Narrator’s Reflection on Brooke’s Inconsistency

The narrator steps back to examine Mr. Brooke’s contradiction: he will later deliver a Radical speech criticizing bishops’ incomes, yet currently he delights that his niece is marrying a man almost certain to become a bishop and earn a substantial ecclesiastical income. The narrator uses examples of historical figures who could not foresee their own futures—Henry of Navarre becoming a Catholic king, Alfred the Great never imagining future gentlemen with watches—to illustrate that characters cannot predict their own trajectories.

Yet the narrator offers a further, less precedent-backed observation: even if Brooke had foreknown his future speech, it might not have altered his present thinking. The narrator suggests his niece’s husband’s clerical income is one matter, while making a Liberal speech is another—and a limited mind cannot view subjects from multiple perspectives simultaneously.

CHAPTER VIII.

This chapter follows Sir James Chettam as he grapples with Dorothea Brooke’s engagement to Mr. Casaubon. The narrative centers on his visit to the Cadwalladers to seek intervention against the marriage, revealing differing perspectives on Casaubon’s character and suitability. Meanwhile, Sir James maintains his commitment to Dorothea’s cottage-improvement plans while his attention gradually shifts toward her sister Celia.