SYMPATHIZING LOVE WITH REFERENCE TO ADAM BEDE (Pages 61 -75) by Ms. B. Neeraja in THE ENGLISH RESEARCH EXPRESS / ISSN:2321-1164 (Online); 2347-2642 (Print)

The Novel Adam Bede has shown the quality of George Eliot as a writer. Though the novel is named after a male character, the center of attention is a woman named Hetty Sorrel who is condemned by the Victorian Society for the murder of her baby. She desires to have a husband who would shower her with all the wealth. She abhors working on the farm and dreams to live a life of wealth. At times she is regarded as innocent and childlike and at times as a vain person. She uses her beauty to gain anything she desires. She is often compared to Dinah Morris, her cousin who is a complete contrast to her character. Though her act of infanticide is considered to be a crime but she is also regarded as victimized by many critics. Critics believe that Hetty was treated as a mere plaything for Arthur Donnithorne who could not resist her beauty and was attracted to her at his first sight. Hetty is eventually punished for crime.he Novel Adam Bede has shown the quality of George Eliot as a writer. Though the novel is named after a male character, the center of attention is a woman named Hetty Sorrel who is condemned by the Victorian Society for the murder of her baby. She desires to have a husband who would shower her with all the wealth. She abhors working on the farm and dreams to live a life of wealth. At times she is regarded as innocent and childlike and at times as a vain person. She uses her beauty to gain anything she desires. She is often compared to Dinah Morris, her cousin who is a complete contrast to her character. Though her act of infanticide is considered to be a crime but she is also regarded as victimized by many critics. Critics believe that Hetty was treated as a mere plaything for Arthur Donnithorne who could not resist her beauty and was attracted to her at his first sight. Hetty is eventually punished for crime.Keywords: Victorian Society, social consequences, female protagonists, contemporary society, sexual pursuit, religious rhetoric, ethical system etc.