Daniel Deronda · Chapter
Chapter XX explained
Deronda prepares to leave for Leubronn with Sir Hugo and Lady Mallinger, having arranged for Mirah's care with Mrs.
What happens
Deronda prepares to leave for Leubronn with Sir Hugo and Lady Mallinger, having arranged for Mirah's care with Mrs. Meyrick. He reflects on his motives for helping Mirah and his reverence for her. Mirah recounts her childhood, her father's theatrical life, and her longing for her mother.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Self-Discovery
Mirah's narrative reveals her struggle to maintain her own identity and moral compass amidst the chaotic theatrical life imposed by her father.
Art and Performance
Mirah's childhood as a performer highlights the tension between authentic self-expression and the artificial demands of the stage.
Sympathy and Moral Growth
Deronda's reverent treatment of Mirah and his careful consideration of her feelings exemplify his moral growth and capacity for sympathy.
Characters to notice
- Daniel Deronda
Deronda arranges for Mirah's care, departs for Leubronn, and reflects on his motives for helping her.
- Mirah Lapidoth
Mirah shares her childhood story, her father's theatrical life, and her longing for her mother.
- Mrs. Meyrick
Mrs. Meyrick agrees to care for Mirah and promises to write to Deronda while he is abroad.
- Sir Hugo Mallinger
Sir Hugo accompanies Deronda to Leubronn and advises against searching for Mirah's family.
- Lady Mallinger
Lady Mallinger expresses interest in Mirah and suggests conversion to Christianity.
Key passages
“And whatever reverence could be shown to woman, he was bent on showing to this girl. Why? He gave himself several good reasons; but whatever one does with a strong unhesitating outflow of will has a store of motive that it would be hard to put into words.”
Deronda was determined to treat Mirah with the utmost respect, though he struggled to articulate all his reasons for doing so.
This passage illustrates Deronda's deep, instinctive reverence for Mirah, which transcends rational explanation.
“I made a life in my own thoughts quite different from everything about me: I chose what seemed to me beautiful out of the plays and everything, and made my world out of it; and it was like a sharp knife always grazing me that we had two sorts of life which jarred so with each other.”
Mirah created an inner world of beauty from the plays she knew, but was painfully aware of the contrast with her harsh reality.
Mirah's description reveals her inner resilience and the psychological toll of living between two conflicting worlds.