What is your impression about Celia, Dorothea’s sister ? [British Novel June 2019]

Celia is a character in the novel "Middlemarch" by George Eliot. She is Dorothea's younger sister and is often portrayed as simple and conventional in comparison to Dorothea's intellectual and idealistic nature. Celia is also shown to be more interested in fashion and social events than in serious intellectual pursuits. Despite these differences, Celia is portrayed as a loving and loyal sister to Dorothea.

Celia is described as kind, cheerful, and beautiful, but less intelligent than her sister Dorothea [1]. Celia is seen as conforming to the ideal of womanhood upheld in Middlemarch and is interested in material things [2]. Celia marries Sir James Chettam after Dorothea rejects him and has a baby named Arthur [1]. In the novel "Middlemarch," Celia serves as a foil to Dorothea, who is more spiritual and intellectually curious [6].

[1] "She is kind and cheerful, though less intelligent than her sister, whom she struggles to understand. Celia finds it easy to conform to the ideal of womanhood upheld in Middlemarch, and indeed enjoys living her life in this way. She marries Sir James Chettam after Dorothea rejects him and has a baby named Arthur. Celia Brooke Quotes in Middlemarch"

URL: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/middlemarch/characters/celia-brooke


[2] "Celia is very beautiful, innocent-looking, and excited by material things. She disapproves of Dorotheas intellectual pursuits, confirming, women are expected to have weak opinions (10). Brooke dresses very plainly, but she is unconventionally beautiful and appealing. She is religious and interested in politics and social reform."

URL: https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/engl-152-fall2015/2015/10/24/dorothea-and-celia-brooke-women-and-appearances/


[3] "Celia Brooke. Celia is Dorotheas sister. She marries Sir James Chettam. Nicholas Bulstrode. Nicholas Bulstrode is a wealthy Middlemarch banker. He is married to Walter Vincys sister. Bulstrode professes to be a deeply religious Evangelical Protestant, but he has a dark past: he made his fortune as a pawnbroker selling stolen goods."

URL: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/middlemarch/characters/


[4] "Dorothea immediately took up the necklace and fastened it round her sisters neck, where it fitted almost as closely as a bracelet; but the circle suited the Henrietta-Maria style of Celias head and neck, and she could see that it did, in the pier-glass opposite. There, Celia! you can wear that with your Indian muslin."

URL: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/middlemarch/full-text/chapter-1/


[5] "Dorothea and her sister Celia are well-connected, sensible girls from a good family; they believe in economy of dress and are rather mainstream in their beliefs and behavior. Dorothea is drawn to sacrifice and grand, intellectual things, while Celia has fewer aspirations in the world of academics and religion."

URL: https://www.gradesaver.com/middlemarch/study-guide/summary-chapters-1-11


[6] "Celia is Dorotheas younger sister, but the two of them couldnt be more different. Celias not all that complicated of a character, and her primary purpose in the novel is probably to serve as a foil to Dorothea. Dorothea is very spiritual, and is always thinking about the state of her soul or of the poor peoples cottages."

URL: https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/middlemarch/celia-brooke


[7] "Celias nickname for her sister is Dodo. Dorothea assumes every man who visits the Grange may be interested in Celia, and of the sisters local cottagers prefer the amiable and innocent-looking ..."

URL: https://www.enotes.com/topics/middlemarch/characters


[8] "Celia and Dorothea It seems to me that Dorothea is so caught up in impressing others and fulfilling some sort of religious satisfaction or goal, that she has completely lost her self. She has not provided herself with time or effort in getting to know her true desires and pleasures, other than horseback riding…which she later denounces as ..."

URL: https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/engl-484-fall2019/2019/10/21/celia-and-dorothea/


[9] "Celia urges her to at least accept a necklace with a simple cross, but Dorothea replies that she would never wear a religious symbol as a trinket. (Celia rebelliously if silently objects that I trust the wearing of a necklace will not interfere with my prayers.) Of course, Dorothea doesnt recognize her bossiness and grandiosity."

URL: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2013/08/08/it-can-be-embarrassing-to-love-dorothea/


[10] "1. The name Celia was given to 339 girls born in the US in 2016. More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Celia are female. ― Anonymous User 6/7/2017. 1. Celia de Fréine is a poet, playwright, screenwriter and librettist who writes in Irish and English. Celia de Fréine was born in Newtownards, County Down."

URL: https://www.behindthename.com/name/celia/comments