Middlemarch · Chapter
XLII explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Casaubon, consumed by jealousy and suspicion regarding Will Ladislaw's intentions toward Dorothea, contemplates his own mortality and the possibility of a secret codicil to his will to prevent their marriage. He summons Lydgate to discuss his health, while his inner turmoil and bitterness overshadow his intellectual ambitions.
Themes in this chapter
Marriage and Illusion
Casaubon's marriage to Dorothea is revealed as a source of torment; his idealized view of her devotion shatters into suspicion and resentment.
Selfishness and Moral Compromise
Casaubon's jealousy and vindictiveness lead him to consider a codicil that would harm Dorothea's future, prioritizing his own bitterness over her well-being.
Ambition and Frustration
Casaubon's intellectual ambition is overshadowed by his morbid self-consciousness and failure to achieve recognition, fueling his bitterness.
Characters to notice
- Edward Casaubon
Broods over jealousy of Will Ladislaw and Dorothea's perceived judgment; decides to consult Lydgate about his health.
- Dorothea Brooke
Silently judged by Casaubon; her wifely devotion is seen as penitential, and her silence is interpreted as suppressed rebellion.
- Will Ladislaw
Object of Casaubon's suspicion and jealousy; believed to be waiting for Casaubon's death to marry Dorothea.
- Tertius Lydgate
Called to Lowick Manor by Casaubon to give a medical opinion on his health; observes Casaubon's premature aging.
Key passages
“I know no speck so troublesome as self.”
The narrator observes that self-centeredness is the most irritating and distorting influence on one's perception.
Reflects Casaubon's obsessive self-focus and its corrosive effect on his relationships.
“If the truth should be that some undermining disease was at work within him, there might be large opportunity for some people to be the happier when he was gone; and if one of those people should be Will Ladislaw, Mr. Casaubon objected so strongly that it seemed as if the annoyance would make part of his disembodied existence.”
Casaubon fears that if he dies, Will Ladislaw will benefit and be happy, a prospect so intolerable that it haunts him even beyond death.
Highlights Casaubon's vindictive jealousy and his preoccupation with thwarting Will's potential marriage to Dorothea.