Middlemarch · Chapter
LII explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Farebrother receives the Lowick living, bringing joy to his family. He later consults Mary Garth about Fred Vincy's desire to enter the Church, revealing that Mary refuses to marry Fred if he becomes a clergyman.
Themes in this chapter
Ambition and Frustration
Fred Vincy's struggle to find a suitable career and his reluctance to enter the Church illustrate the tension between ambition and practical constraints.
Social Class and Provincial Life
The discussion of Fred's future and the Farebrother family's joy over the living reflect the importance of social position and provincial expectations.
Gender Roles and Women's Agency
Mary Garth asserts her own standards for marriage, rejecting Fred's clerical path despite social pressure.
Characters to notice
- Camden Farebrother
Rejoices with his family over the Lowick living, then acts as an intermediary for Fred Vincy, consulting Mary Garth about Fred's future.
- Mrs. Farebrother
Expresses pride in her son Camden's new living and discusses his potential marriage.
- Henrietta Noble
Shows quiet joy at her nephew's preferment, adding extra sugar to her basket.
- Fred Vincy
Returns from college with a degree and seeks Mr. Farebrother's advice about entering the Church, revealing his love for Mary Garth.
- Mary Garth
Tells Mr. Farebrother she will never marry Fred if he becomes a clergyman, finding the idea ridiculous.
- Dorothea Brooke
Discusses with Mr. Farebrother the responsibility of her patronage and the use of power.
Key passages
“The greatest comfort, Camden, is that you have deserved it.”
Mrs. Farebrother tells her son that his new living is a reward for his merit.
Reflects the moral value placed on deserving one's success.
“I could not love a man who is ridiculous.”
Mary Garth explains that she cannot marry Fred if he becomes a clergyman because she would find him absurd in that role.
Highlights Mary's independent judgment and her refusal to accept a marriage based on social convenience.