George Eliot’s Middlemarch shows that control is a relative power and always switching hands. Both of Middlemarch’s characters manipulative Rosamond and prideful Tertius Lydgate, wife and husband, battle to gain control, and in doing so, reveal the nature of their relationship: a continuous endeavor to come out on top. Eliot narrates this story from a third person perspective, giving the audience insight into how the two characters think and feel and allowing the readers to view each character’s disposition. Not only is Rosamond of equal intelligence to her husband, but she is also characterized as manipulative. When Rosamond did not receive the response she desired from her husband, “her lips began to tremble and the tears welled up.” Tertius’ response to this action produced the results Rosamond wanted because “her tears cut him to the heart.” After this, the control of the relationship lies in her hands as he speaks to her “in an imploring tone.” By flaunting her femininity, Rosamond fabricates the outcomes she desires and becomes top dog. …show more content…
When his wife asks about the men coming to take inventory, Tertius discloses that he has “made necessary arrangement, and [that] they must be carried out,” leaving no room in his statement for negotiation. During times like these, the control resides in Tertius’ hands making him the alpha of the