(Some of) The Men of Middlemarch

Today when we discussed the similarities between Bulstrode and Casaubon, it occurred to me that the goal they had in common-- trying throughout their entire lives to create something lasting-- is one that many of the other men in Middlemarch share. We were originally introduced to the futile striving for a legacy with Casaubon, whose Key to All Mythologies ended up as nothing more than a waste of a lifetime of effort. And as we discussed earlier, Bulstrode spent his entire life trying to cover up his lie to his first wife; he tried to craft a persona to convince himself, as well as those around him, that he was living a virtuous and honest life. Like Casaubon, though, Bulstrode fell short of his one goal in life, and all of his work was for naught.

Those two aren't the only characters who are concerned with their legacies, however; it seems like most of the men are focused on creating lasting impressions that will survive after their deaths. Peter Featherstone, for example, lives his life with the desire to manipulate others after his death; all of his interactions with the people closest to him take place with his will in mind.

Lydgate loves his work because he wants to improve science and change medicine, and his inability to do so leaves him feeling worthless. He tells Dorothea in Chapter 76, "I had some ambition. I meant everything to be different with me. I thought I had more strength and mastery. But the most terrible obstacles are such as nobody can see except oneself." He tells Rosamond earlier in the work that he wants to be an innovator, and the rest of the town sees him as a reformer upon his first arrival. But by the end of the novel, the reader learns that Lydgate "was what is called a successful man," but because he is unable to meet his goal of effecting real change, he considers himself a failure.

Caleb Garth, meanwhile, loves his work because he sees the impact that it will have on the generations that follow him. I can't find the passage I'm thinking of (I'll add it as a comment if I can find it later), but he talks about how proud he is to do work every day that will be visible for years to come. He doesn't see payment as the reward for his work; he takes pride in doing lasting good. Taking Fred under his wing and training him so that Fred can provide for Mary is a measure of Caleb's success, because he is both passing along his skills and ensuring that Fred and Mary's family will be able to sustain itself in the years to come.

Interestingly, the one woman who seems to show the same interest in preserving a legacy is Dorothea. But Dorothea differs from the men in one important way: she doesn't care about attaching her name to the work she does. Dorothea wants to improve the world, and she is always looking for ways to use her influence in a way that it will make Middlemarch a better place. She doesn't require recognition, and her happiness is not dependent on how her actions or her reputation are received by others. Instead, Dorothea is fulfilled by the prospect of others' happiness.