The Jewish elements of George Eliot's "Daniel Deronda" - A study of George Eliot's interest in and knowledge of Judaism

Abstract

This thesis is an examination of George Eliot's interest in Judaism and the use to which she puts her knowledge of Jews and Judaism in her work, and especially in her last novel Daniel Deronda. The Introduction outlines the subject of this study and Chapter 1 traces George Eliot's early Jewish knowledge. Chapter 2 is concerned with the development and extension of that knowledge in London and Germany through George Eliot's acquaintance with the work of Heine and Spinoza. Chapter 3 examines her philosophical interests and periodical reviewing, consideration of which leads in Chapter 4 to an analysis of her use of Jewish material in her early work, The Lifted Veil, Romola, The Spanish Gypsy. Chapter 5 deals with Europe at her time, her knowledge of Anti-Semitism and her reading of work dealing with the Jews and Chapter 6 looks at George Eliot's knowledge and use of Jewish Historians and the work of Jehuda Halevi in Daniel Deronda. Chapter 7 consists of a discussion of the Jewish characters of Daniel Deronda. This is followed by a Conclusion in which "The Modern Hep! Hep! Hep!" is considered, George Eliot's intentions summarised and the particular qualities of Daniel Deronda's greatness enumerated.