George Eliot

My research paper was influenced by the author George Eliot, sounds like a pretty cool guy right? Well shes a female, her real name is Mary Ann Evans. She was born in England and one of the most respected writers of the Victorian age. As I started to read about her I asked myself "why did she use a males name and not her real name?"

Since she was a woman in the Victorian age, Eliot had to break harder barriers to achieve what she did. In the Victorian age, women were kept away from the public atmosphere, and their only job was to be married and have children. Victorian women were suppose to be fragile, weak, and restricted  to an opinion. This influenced her to use a males pen name, but also because she wanted respect as a writer and did not want to be compared to other women who were mocked for focusing on romance.

She used the last name Eliot because it was a good and easy word to pronounce. She chose her name George because of George Henry Lewes, a married man  whom she had a relationship with. Though he was separated from his wife, he was unable to get a divorce Mary Ann’s and George Lewes relationship was a scandal. What people thought or said about their relationship did not affect Mary Ann because she was a free thinker and did not feel the need to fall into social pressure. In her opinion, George and her were married.

If there was one thing that stood out to me was the fact that she defined who she was. she did not let society set her morals or standards. She went against what society said women had to do and what they could not do. Most importantly she had a lot of determination, which helped her achieve so much throughout her life.

Works cited

"George Eliot Biography - Life, Childhood, Children, Name, Story, Death, History, Wife, School, Young." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 11 Mar. 2011.

Thomas, Pauline W. "A Woman's Place in Victorian Society - Social and Fashion   History." Fashion History Costume Trends and Eras, Trends Victorians - Haute Couture. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.