Blog Post
How does Eliot develop multiple characters at the same time within the limited narrative structure of the novel? Using Fred Vincy as an example.
The narrative structure of the novel is limited: within each chapter only so many plot events can be told and a handful of characters developed. Within the few chapters that make up this week’s reading, Eliot manages to flesh out multiple characters like Fred, Dorothea, Lydgate, Rosamond etc. How does she manage to do this, when she generally focuses on one to two main characters per chapter?