“Then tell me what better I can do,” said Gwendolen, insistently. “Many things. Look on other lives besides your own. See what their troubles are, and how they are borne. Try to care about something in this vast world besides the gratification of small selfish desires. Try to care for what is best in thought and action—something that is good apart from the accidents of your own lot.” For an instant or two Gwendolen was mute. Then, again moving her brow from the glass, she said, “You mean that I am selfish and ignorant.” He met her fixed look in silence before he answered firmly—“You will not go on being selfish and ignorant!” She did not turn away her glance or let her eyelids fall, but a change came over her face—that subtle change in nerve and muscle which will sometimes give a childlike expression even to the elderly: it is the subsidence of self-assertion.”
Quote by George Eliot
Work
Daniel Deronda is a complex narrative that intertwines the lives of its characters with the broader social and political context of the time. The story follows Daniel, a young man raised by a Jewish family, as he navigates his identity and relationships amidst the backdrop of the British Empire's expansion and the rise of Zionism. more
Author
George Eliot, born Mary Ann Evans, was a renowned 19th-century British novelist. Her works are known for their profound psychological insights and critical exploration of social issues. With her unique narrative techniques and rich emotional expression, she has had a profound impact on literature. more
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