What are the major themes and concerns that run through ‘Middlemarch’?

Middlemarch’s subtitle is “A Study of Provincial Life” and
the novel explored the characteristics of ordinary people and their choices in life, and
through their voices and opinions we are made aware that there are positive and negative
characteristics in everyone. Eliot manages to draw the reader into her composition, and
to view the variety of people in the world with compassion and
laughter.

One major theme explored is the difficulties and
imperfections within marriage

Middlemarch offers an
unflinching critique of the usual portrayal of marriage as romantic and unproblematic.
Most characters in Middlemarch marry for love , yet marriage still appears negative and
unromantic. In Middlemarch unlike in many novels of the time, marriage is not considered
the ultimate source of happiness. Two examples are the failed marriages of Dorothea and
Lydgate. In the character of Dorothea Brooke, the reader is introduced to an
intelligent, wealthy young woman who aspires to do great work in her life. Dorothea is
an excessively religious girl who withdraws from the activities she likes most, and
convinces herself to marry a man, Mr. Casaubon, who cannot satisfy her. Her marriage
fails because of her youth and of her disillusions about marrying a much older man,
while Lydgate’s marriage fails because of irreconcilable personalities. The Bulstrodes
also face a marital crisis due to his inability to tell her about the past, and Fred
Vincy and Mary Garth also suffer hardship.

Social
Expectations

The ways in which people conduct themselves
and how the community judges them are closely linked in Middlemarch. When the
expectations of the social community are not met, individuals often are criticised.This
is evident when the community judges Ladislaw harshly because of his mixed pedigree.
Fred Vincy is nearly disowned because he chooses to go against his family’s wishes and
not join the clergy. It is only when Vincy goes against the wishes of the community that
he finds true love and happiness. Rosamond’s need for gentility and the desire to live
up to social standards becomes her downfall. In contrast, Dorothea’s decision to act
against the rules of society allows her to emerge as the most respectable characterat
the conclusion.

You could also look at the theme of
Self-Determination vs. Chance