The alpine survey: George Meredith as social critic

Abstract

There have been many differing opinions concerning the assumptions and attitudes which underlie the works of George Meredith, Victorian writer. This thesis attempts to determine just where he stood in his views on men and women in the society of his day. Evidence is taken primarily from the works themselves, from Meredith’s letters, and from the recollections of those who know him. Other researchers have been referred to provided that their conclusions did not conflict with the preponderance of evidence from the other sources. Social historians have been consulted to place Meredith’s ideas in the context of his time. Meredith was in no way a supporter of the aristocracy, and he sharply criticized a society which through its unthinking worship and support of this class, encouraged what he called "egoism" to flourish. He was opposed to the misuse of power in any form; he attacked the clergy of his day; and he questioned the rigidity of the contemporary marriage and divorce laws. His concern for the position of women in his day grew out of his personal experiences, but more so from his conviction that the inferior position of women fed the egoism of men, and that a balanced relationship between the sexes would create a more favourable environment for human growth and development. Meredith had a sociological consciousness, that is, he was aware of the interdependence of social institutions and social classes. Moreover he saw very clearly the influence society can exert on the individual; morality and ‘virtue’ are generally related to social circumstance. He believed that only those who were aware of the strength of social pressures could hope to rise above them. He was sceptical of personal solutions, and placed his major hopes for the future in education.