Daniel Deroda

Daniel Deroda Synopsis

The novel Daniel Deronda was written by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), published in 1876 in eight parts. She opposed freely, against Jews discrimination, as a religious or racial group. The story of the novel moves around three main characters young idealistic Daniel Deronda, pretty haughty and self-centred Gwendolen Harleth and poor humble Mirah.

In a fictional town Leubronn Daniel meets Gwendolen, her beauty attracts him. She desires for money and power and owing to her family circumstances she marries Grandcourt a wealthy man and tries to make him her slave. Daniel came to know his life mystery that his mother is a Jewish Opera singer who has given him to Sir Hugo to hide his Jewish identity.

Thus he decides to marry Jewish girl Mirah whom he rescued earlier. Daniel and Mirah moves on to work for Jewish people national identity and restore the Promise land. It's a emblematic novel, through these characters Eliot represents distinct social, individual and political outlook.

Gwendolen symbolises colonial ambition enslaving the others, Grandcourt is the face of haughty English aristocrat while Daniel Deronda and Mirah represent Jews Community.