A Half-Breed by George Eliot (1890)
A Half-Breed is a novel by George Eliot that tells the story of a young woman named Maggie Tulliver who struggles to find her place in society due to her mixed race heritage. The book explores themes of identity, social class, and gender roles in Victorian England.
By George Eliot · First published 1890 · Genre: Psychological Fiction, Social Commentary, Realist Fiction · 2,714 words
First lines
An early deep-seated love to which we become faithless has its unfailing Nemesis, if only in that division of soul which narrows all newer joys by the intrusion of regret and the established presentiment of change. I refer not merely to the love of a person, but to the love of ideas, practical beliefs, and social habits. And faithlessness here means not a gradual conversion dependent on enlarged knowledge, but a yielding to seductive circumstance; not a conviction that the original choice was a mistake, but a subjection to incidents that flatter a growing desire. In this sort of love it is the forsaker who has the melancholy lot; for an abandoned belief may be more effectively vengeful than Dido. The child of a wandering tribe caught young and trained to polite life, if he feels an hereditary yearning can run away to the old wilds and get his nature into tune.
What this Textopian page supports
A Half-Breed is listed on Textopian as a novel by George Eliot, dated 1890 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: George Eliot
- Date: 1890 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Psychological Fiction, Social Commentary, Realist Fiction, Philosophical Fiction, Domestic Fiction
- Length: 2,714 words
- Structure: 1 section, 22 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Psychological Fiction — Explores the internal conflict and identity crisis of the protagonist, Mixtus, as he navigates between his past ideals and present reality.
- Social Commentary — Critiques societal norms and the impact of wealth and social status on personal values and relationships.
- Realist Fiction — Depicts realistic characters and settings, focusing on the everyday life and moral dilemmas faced by the protagonist.
- Philosophical Fiction — Engages with themes of belief, faithlessness, and the philosophical implications of personal and societal change.
Tags
identity · race · cultural conflict · prejudice · society · class · belonging · alienation · gender · family · heritage · discrimination