Favortism in Middlemarch

George Eliot does not pretend to write about her characters equally. As we have read and established, there are major and minor characters and also characters Eliot writes much more sympathetically than others. The difference in which Eliot writes about the Garths and Vincys allows Eliot to make an interesting comment on social class.
George Eliot likes the Garths. The very ending of the novel in which, “Fred surprised his neighbors in various ways. He became rather distinguished in his side of the country as a theoretic and practical farmer” (pg. 511) represents Fred’s success as a professional middle class man. Moreover, Eliot establishes a happy ending for the Garths, “All who have cared for Fred Vincy and Mary Garth will like to know that these two made no such failure, but achieved a mutual happiness” (pg. 511). This happy ending is a usual outcome for a marriage in Middlemarch, but only comes after Eliot has shown the Garths to be sincere, hard-working and honest about their place in society.
The Vincy’s are continuously trying to move up in society. They are already wealthy, but attempt to live even beyond their means. Mr. Vincy even drives his family into debt- a similar choice Lydgate will make later on. The Vincy children epitomize a stereotype of wealthy children who are not taught values of responsibility. Rosamond and Fred do not work hard and continue to spend frivolously even when they do not have the means to. Rosamond especially, cannot accept the debt Lydgate encounters, and fail to act proactively in that situation.
Rosamond, as opposed to Fred, had a more suitable marriage in the eyes of the Vincy family. Lydgate is a professional and comes from a very wealthy family. Fred, on the other hand, marries a family below his social ranking. The situation looks to the Vincys as a step-down. Readers know, however, that the Garths have gone out of their way to help Fred grow up and become a respectable man. Caleb, in particular, gave Fred opportunities to prove himself after almost everyone else had given up on him.
As a reader, I appreciated the sympathy Eliot had towards the Garths that she did not have towards the Vincys. The different attitudes towards her characters created a sort of situational irony in which readers perceived Fred’s success as a farmer to be very different than Mr. Vincy's view of Fred’s life. The irony of the situation allows reader to be more all-knowing than the characters themselves and also enables readers to understand the critique of society Eliot makes.
The critique on society can be seen throughout the novel. A dependence on societal approval is introduced early in the novel through Casaboun. Although he is academic and constantly he writing, Casaboun is too scared to publish his work because of fear that the book will induce much criticism. Later on, Rosamond sabotages her husband’s attempt to sell their house because it would be too embarrassing. The Garth’s, on the other hand, are honest about their class and work hard to provide their children an education. By favoring the Garths throughout the novel, Eliot makes it explicit that the Garth’s values lead to a more successful and satisfying life.