Kyle Cooper

Mr. Burnett

Advanced Placement Literature

18 September 2019

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Rosamond and Tertius Lydgate are an interesting couple to say the least. In the

novel, MIddlemarch, the author, George Eliot, shows the complications of their

relationship. Rosamond Lydgate is portrayed as a caring, helpful wife. However,

through her internal dialogue, the reader gathers that she is conflicted about the fact

that she married Tertius. Throughout the passage, she continuously questions her

marriage for very valid reasons. Her husband, Tertius, is portrayed as a very controlling

man. He is very opinionated and wants everything his way in his own time. These two

contrasting personalities create a very unique marriage. George Elliot’s complex

description of Rosamond and Tertius Lydgate and their relationship is vividly illustrated

through Middlemarch, but the reader should also note about the conflicting nature of

Rosamond and the controlling nature of Tertius which is made evident by George Eliot’s

specialized use of internal dialogue and selection of detail.

In general, Rosamond Lydgate is portrayed as a relatively simple women. In this

passage, she just wants to be helpful to her husband. However, her husband’s strong,

masculine personality shuts her down. This conflict leads to Rosamond rethinking her

decision to marry Tertius, which becomes very clear when the author includes the detail

that Tertius’ words were said “with a more peremptory emphasis,” meaning that his

words were no longer subject to no further debate or dispute. The selection of details

sets the whole town for the characters’ relationship showing exactly how it works. The
readers see Rosamond trying to help her husband in the only way she knows, and he

bluntly says “No, Rosy.” While Tertius’ statement is very decisive, his use of the intimate

nickname, “Rosy” complicates the relationship. Without the nickname, the readers could

infer that Tertius is a very controlling man who does not care about his wife's opinion.

However, the use of the nickname shows that he does have some affection for

Rosamond. In this case, Tertius’ endearment shows how complex their relationship is

because it shows how Tertius can be harsh but also have affection for his wife. At the

end of the passage, Elliott also uses Rosamond’s internal dialogue to show the

complexity of their relationship. When Tertius is rude to Rosamond, she determines

“that if she had known how Lydgate would behave, she would have never married him.”

These thoughts show that she has doubts about their marriage and relationship. It can

be inferred that the complexity of their relationship results from Rosamond and Tertius’

different personalities. Rosamond has her opinions but keeps them to herself, while

Tertius is very passionate about his desires. However, his passion leads to him being

dominant over Rosamond, leading to her doubts about the relationship.

In contrast to Rosamond, Tertius Lydgate has a very dominant Personality. Yet,

he also has compassion for his wife. This tenderness becomes clear through the details

included. When Rosamond starts to cry, Tertius realizes that “her tears cut him to the

heart.” Obviously, it pains Tertius to see her cry which shows that he does care about

Rosamond. While it is clear that Tertius cares for Rosamond, he also is very rude to her

most of the time. The way that he speaks to her shows that he feels like he should be

the one making the decisions to fix their financial situation. Eliot uses words such as

“decisively,” “peremptory emphasis,” and “angrily” to describe how Tertius speaks to his
wife. These words show that Tertius makes sure his wife knows his opinion is what

matters. In the passage, Rosamond is only trying to help her husband, but Tertius

refuses to take her opinion. While, he does not want Rosamond’s opinion; however, he

does have a lot of affection for her. This complicates their relationship because

Rosamond does not know how to respond to his confusing way of showing he loves

her, which leads to her doubts about their relationship.

In conclusion, Rosamond and Tertius Lydgate have a very complicated and

messy relationship. Rosamond, herself, is an opinionated woman, but overall, has a

submissive personality. In contrast, Tertius has a very dominant personality and sticks

to his opinions. Also, while Rosamond has doubts about their marriage, Tertius is

completely comfortable with it. This complicates their relationship even further. The

reader sees the complexity of this relationship through the selection of details and

internal dialogue of the characters. With so many complications, Rosamond and Tertius

will have to work extremely hard to make the relationship healthy.