Character Portraits in George Eliot’s Novels
Character Portraits in George Eliot’s Novels

Summary/Abstract: Depending on their perspective upon character, writers conceive it either as a construct structured upon different layers of traits, or as a “creature”, displaying human features. George Eliot’s characters can be portrayed in terms of traits which function as character indicators in the text. Literary portraits are indispensable to her presentation of character as a collection of physical, moral and behavioural traits. If we examine the interaction among various means of characterization, the result is different, according to whether “the indicators repeat the same trait in different ways, complement each other, partially overlap or conflict with each other.” (Ewen, 1971:24, apud Shlomith, R.K, 2002:38). What we intend to prove in this paper is that, in addition to their cognitive function, Eliot’s portraits (in Adam Bede or Daniel Deronda, for example) often have an exemplary function: they depict humanity not only as it is, but also as it should be” (Witemeyer, 1979).

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