Summary
Sir James Chettam visits the Cadwalladers to discuss his concerns about Mr. Brooke's political ambitions and newspaper venture. The group worries that Brooke's campaign will expose his poor management as a landlord, particularly his neglect of tenant properties while preaching reform. They're also troubled by Will Ladislaw's role as newspaper editor, viewing him as a dangerous influence with questionable background. When Brooke arrives unexpectedly, the Rector reads aloud a scathing newspaper attack that perfectly captures the contradiction: Brooke advocates for social reform while letting his own tenants suffer from broken gates and deteriorating buildings. The criticism stings because it's accurate. Brooke tries to deflect with humor and political rhetoric, but his defensiveness shows the attack has hit home. The chapter reveals how political ambition can expose personal hypocrisies, and how communities police behavior through both private gossip and public criticism. It also demonstrates the complex social dynamics where people care about family reputation, worry about associating with the 'wrong sort,' and struggle between loyalty and honest assessment of someone's character flaws.
Coming Up in Chapter 39
As Brooke's political campaign continues despite the criticism, the consequences of his public exposure begin to unfold, affecting not just his own reputation but those connected to him.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
C“’est beaucoup que le jugement des hommes sur les actions humaines; tôt ou tard il devient efficace.”—GUIZOT. Sir James Chettam could not look with any satisfaction on Mr. Brooke’s new courses; but it was easier to object than to hinder. Sir James accounted for his having come in alone one day to lunch with the Cadwalladers by saying— “I can’t talk to you as I want, before Celia: it might hurt her. Indeed, it would not be right.” “I know what you mean—the ‘Pioneer’ at the Grange!” darted in Mrs. Cadwallader, almost before the last word was off her friend’s tongue. “It is frightful—this taking to buying whistles and blowing them in everybody’s hearing. Lying in bed all day and playing at dominoes, like poor Lord Plessy, would be more private and bearable.” “I see they are beginning to attack our friend Brooke in the ‘Trumpet,’” said the Rector, lounging back and smiling easily, as he would have done if he had been attacked himself. “There are tremendous sarcasms against a landlord not a hundred miles from Middlemarch, who receives his own rents, and makes no returns.” “I do wish Brooke would leave that off,” said Sir James, with his little frown of annoyance. “Is he really going to be put in nomination, though?” said Mr. Cadwallader. “I saw Farebrother yesterday—he’s Whiggish himself, hoists Brougham and Useful Knowledge; that’s the worst I know of him;—and he says that Brooke is getting up a pretty strong party. Bulstrode, the banker, is his foremost man. But he thinks Brooke would come off badly at a nomination.” “Exactly,” said Sir James, with earnestness. “I have been inquiring into the thing, for I’ve never known anything about Middlemarch politics before—the county being my business. What Brooke trusts to, is that they are going to turn out Oliver because he is a Peelite. But Hawley tells me that if they send up a Whig at all it is sure to be Bagster, one of those candidates who come from heaven knows where, but dead against Ministers, and an experienced Parliamentary man. Hawley’s rather rough: he forgot that he was speaking to me. He said if Brooke wanted a pelting, he could get it cheaper than by going to the hustings.” “I warned you all of it,” said Mrs. Cadwallader, waving her hands outward. “I said to Humphrey long ago, Mr. Brooke is going to make a splash in the mud. And now he has done it.” “Well, he might have taken it into his head to marry,” said the Rector. “That would have been a graver mess than a little flirtation with politics.” “He may do that afterwards,” said Mrs. Cadwallader—“when he has come out on the other side of the mud with an ague.” “What I care for most is his own dignity,” said Sir James. “Of course I care the more because of the family. But he’s getting on in life now, and I don’t like to think of his exposing himself. They...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Exposed Hypocrisy - When Your Actions Contradict Your Words
People who publicly advocate for principles they don't practice privately will face scrutiny that exposes the contradiction and damages their credibility.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to spot when someone's stated values don't match their actual behavior patterns.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone gives advice they don't follow themselves—then decide how much weight to give their words versus their actions.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Whiggish
A political philosophy favoring liberal reforms and gradual social progress. Whigs supported things like expanded voting rights, religious tolerance, and economic modernization. They were seen as the progressive party of their time.
Modern Usage:
Today we'd call someone 'progressive' or 'liberal' - someone who believes in using government to improve society and expand opportunities.
Landlord-tenant system
The economic arrangement where wealthy landowners rented property to tenant farmers who worked the land. Landlords were expected to maintain buildings and infrastructure, while tenants paid rent and farmed. This system dominated rural England for centuries.
Modern Usage:
Similar to today's rental market, where landlords are responsible for property maintenance while collecting rent from tenants.
Political nomination
The formal process of being selected as a candidate to run for elected office. In Eliot's time, this often involved wealthy men putting themselves forward for Parliament, sometimes without much political experience.
Modern Usage:
Like when someone decides to run for city council or Congress - they need party support and community backing to be a serious candidate.
Social hypocrisy
The gap between what someone publicly advocates and how they actually behave in private. Politicians and reformers were especially vulnerable to charges of saying one thing while doing another.
Modern Usage:
We see this constantly today - politicians who preach family values but cheat, or celebrities who advocate environmentalism while flying private jets.
Community gossip networks
The informal system by which news, opinions, and judgments spread through social circles. In small communities, everyone knew everyone's business, and reputations could be made or destroyed through whispered conversations.
Modern Usage:
Today's equivalent is social media, workplace gossip, and neighborhood Facebook groups - the ways communities still police behavior and spread information.
Press attacks
Newspaper criticism designed to damage someone's reputation or political prospects. Victorian newspapers were often partisan and could be quite vicious in their personal attacks on public figures.
Modern Usage:
Like today's political attack ads, negative news coverage, or viral social media campaigns designed to expose someone's contradictions or failures.
Characters in This Chapter
Sir James Chettam
Concerned family friend
He's worried about Mr. Brooke's political ambitions damaging the family reputation. His protective instincts toward Celia show his genuine care, but also his conservative desire to maintain social respectability.
Modern Equivalent:
The family member who worries about your choices affecting everyone's reputation
Mrs. Cadwallader
Sharp-tongued social commentator
She immediately grasps the political situation and delivers cutting observations about Brooke's foolishness. Her wit masks genuine concern about social disruption and inappropriate behavior.
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who always has the brutal truth about your bad decisions
Mr. Brooke
Naive political aspirant
His defensive reactions to criticism reveal his awareness that his political stance contradicts his personal behavior. He tries to deflect with humor but can't escape the fundamental hypocrisy.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who talks big about change but can't manage their own responsibilities
Mr. Cadwallader
Diplomatic observer
As the Rector, he reads the newspaper attack aloud, serving as the voice of public opinion. His calm demeanor contrasts with everyone else's agitation, showing clerical detachment.
Modern Equivalent:
The neutral friend who delivers bad news without taking sides
Key Quotes & Analysis
"It is frightful—this taking to buying whistles and blowing them in everybody's hearing."
Context: She's criticizing Brooke's decision to buy a newspaper and use it for political purposes
This metaphor captures how Brooke's newspaper venture is seen as attention-seeking and disruptive. Mrs. Cadwallader views it as unseemly self-promotion that disturbs the social peace.
In Today's Words:
It's awful how he's basically bought himself a megaphone to announce his opinions to everyone.
"There are tremendous sarcasms against a landlord not a hundred miles from Middlemarch, who receives his own rents, and makes no returns."
Context: He's reading from a newspaper attack on Brooke's hypocrisy as a landlord-reformer
The phrase 'not a hundred miles from Middlemarch' is a transparent way of referring to Brooke without naming him directly. It shows how his contradictions are becoming public knowledge.
In Today's Words:
The papers are roasting this local landlord who collects rent but doesn't fix anything for his tenants.
"The fact is, I have been a little too much absorbed in my own concerns."
Context: His weak attempt to excuse his neglect of tenant properties while pursuing political reform
This admission reveals Brooke's fundamental self-centeredness. He frames his neglect of responsibilities as mere distraction rather than acknowledging the real harm to his tenants.
In Today's Words:
Look, I've just been really busy with my own stuff lately.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Upper-class characters judge Ladislaw as 'wrong sort' while ignoring Brooke's actual failures as a landlord
Development
Continues pattern of class prejudice overriding merit-based judgment
In Your Life:
You might dismiss someone's valid criticism because of their background while giving passes to people with the 'right' credentials.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Community uses both private gossip and public newspaper attacks to police Brooke's behavior
Development
Shows how social pressure operates through multiple channels simultaneously
In Your Life:
Your reputation gets shaped by both what people say privately and what appears publicly about your actions.
Identity
In This Chapter
Brooke's political identity as reformer conflicts with his actual identity as negligent landlord
Development
Explores how public and private identities can become dangerously misaligned
In Your Life:
You might find yourself trapped between who you claim to be and who you actually are in daily life.
Power
In This Chapter
Brooke's position as landlord gives him power over tenants, but his political ambitions expose how he's used that power
Development
Demonstrates how seeking more power can reveal abuse of existing power
In Your Life:
When you want a promotion or more responsibility, people will examine how you've handled your current authority.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific contradictions do Brooke's neighbors point out between his political rhetoric and his actual behavior as a landlord?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Brooke's decision to run for office make his personal failings suddenly vulnerable to public attack?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this pattern today—people advocating for principles they don't practice in their own lives?
application • medium - 4
How would you handle discovering that someone you support publicly has been hypocritical in their private actions?
application • deep - 5
What does Brooke's defensive reaction reveal about how people respond when their contradictions are exposed?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Audit Your Own Consistency
Think of three values or principles you've expressed publicly (at work, on social media, or in conversations). For each one, honestly assess whether your private actions align with your stated position. Write down one specific example where you might be vulnerable to the same criticism Brooke faces.
Consider:
- •Focus on areas where there's a gap between what you say and what you do
- •Consider how others might perceive these contradictions if you were in the spotlight
- •Think about which inconsistencies matter most to your credibility and relationships
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you realized your actions didn't match your stated values. How did you handle that discovery, and what did you learn about maintaining integrity?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 39: When Social Causes Meet Personal Feelings
Moving forward, we'll examine passionate advocacy can both inspire and intimidate others, and understand good intentions don't automatically translate to effective action. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.