Summary
George Meredith's The Egoist, published as three volumes in 1879,
during England's Victorian era, exemplified the era characterized by
Neoclassicism—that is, a social philosophy that centered on the revival of
particular and/or universal Greco-Roman ideals. Meredith's novel can be
realized thus as a classic and comedic novel; just as well, it can be realized
as "comedic" in the classical, Aristotelian sense. According to Aristotle and
others, comedy served as an amusement of, or for, human life. Aristotle writes
in his Nicomachean Ethics (chapter 8) that “Life includes
rest as well as activity, and in this is included leisure and amusement" (5,
par. 3). In agreement with the medieval theologian and philosopher St. Thomas
Aquinas, and others, we can appreciate Aristotle's understanding of comedy as
that which serves the purpose of amusement. If we take Meredith's
story into account per the element of amusement in it, then what may be tragic
and/or romantic about The Egoist is softened appropriately.
All the same, a summary of Meredith's novel is in order. George Meredith's
The Egoist has been styled as not merely comedic, but as comedy with
elements of romantic tragedy. As the title of the novel would suggest to us,
Meredith's novel tells the story of a man, Sir Willoughby Patterne, as he seeks
a spouse who fits his own considerably egoistic ideas about himself. Meredith
details, with the "wit, brilliant dialogue, and aphoristic quality of language"
that so often comprised his novels, lectures, and writings, how Patterne seeks
his spouse by describing Patterne's progression from one woman to another. As
we follow Meredith's protagonist (i.e., Patterne), readers are simultaneously
amused and heartbroken at the subtle experiences two people undergo in a
romantic relationship. For example, after experiencing heartbreak at the
unfaithfulness of Constantia Durham, his then fiancée, Patterne goes on to
pursue another woman, Clara Middleton, who eventually realizes that Sir
Willoughby Patterne is, in fair opinion, anything but faithful to her. Readers
are therefore simultaneously amused and heartbroken at the hypocrisy of
Patterne, who is both angry at Constantia's unfaithfulness and unfaithful
himself! Meanwhile, Patterne develops his affection for Laetitia Dale through
encouraging her with tender feelings. Soon thereafter, Patterne and Clara
separate, and Patterne, humbled by the clarity in which he now sees his true
love, Laetitia, pursues her and asks her to marry him.
In summary, George Meredith's The Egoist is an amusing tale of the journey we as humans take from one romantic relationship to another. It is a journey filled with the sometimes amusing nature of paradoxical feelings, hypocrisy, humility, and pride, and, after all, it is a journey with a relatively positive ending; it is a novel-journey that serves to remind humans not to take life too seriously, especially when we start looking for a spouse!
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