Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (English Novelist)

Mary Anne Evans (1819–80,) known by her pseudonym George Eliot, was an English novelist. Her novels of provincial life, most famously Middlemarch (1871–72,) are celebrated for their realistic exploration of moral problems, and the social and psychological analysis portrayed in the modern novel.

Born in Warwickshire in the English Midlands, Eliot was the youngest of the five children. While attending boarding school, she was deeply influenced by a priest’s encouragement of personal salvation through faith and religious self-sacrifice. When her mother died in 1836, Eliot left school to help run her father’s household. After her father’s death, Eliot settled in London. She met philosopher and literary critic George Henry Lewes, with whom she lived until his death in 1878. Lewes was married, couldn’t get divorced legally and marry Eliot; so, their relationship caused an outrage. Family and friends shunned Eliot.

Eliot’s first novel, Adam Bede (1859,) brought her fame and success. She used a male nom de plume to make sure that her works were taken seriously in an age when female authors were regularly associated with romantic novels.

Eliot’s other notable works include The Mill on the Floss (1860,) Silas Marner (1861,) Romola (1863,) her masterpiece Middlemarch, and Daniel Deronda (1874–76.)

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)

A tradition without intelligence is not worth having.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Tradition

It is generally a feminine eye that first detects the moral deficiencies hidden under the “dear deceit” of beauty.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Beauty

Solomon’s Proverbs, I think, have omitted to say, that as the sore palate findeth grit, so an uneasy consciousness heareth innuendos.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)

One’s self-satisfaction is an untaxed kind of property, which it is very unpleasant to find depreciated.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Self-Discovery, Conceit

It is possible to have a strong self-love without any self-satisfaction, rather with a self-discontent which is the more intense because one’s own little core of egoistic sensibility is a supreme care.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Conceit, Vanity

Great feelings will often take the aspect of error, and great faith the aspect of illusion.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Illusion, Appearance

Death is the king of this world: ‘Tis his park where he breeds life to feed him. Cries of pain are music for his banquet
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Death, Dying

The presence of a noble nature, generous in its wishes, ardent in its charity, changes the lights for us: we begin to see things again in their larger, quieter masses, and to believe that we too can be seen and judged in the wholeness of our character.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Example

To act with doubleness towards a man whose own conduct was double, was so near an approach to virtue that it deserved to be called by no meaner name than diplomacy.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Diplomacy

We perhaps never detect how much of our social demeanor is made up of artificial airs, until we see a person who is at once beautiful and simple; without the beauty, we are apt to call simplicity awkwardness.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Manners

Young love-making, that gossamer web! Even the points it clings to—the things whence its subtle interlacings are swung—are scarcely perceptible: momentary touches of fingertips, meetings of rays from blue and dark orbs, unfinished phrases, lightest changes of cheek and lip, faintest tremors. The web itself is made of spontaneous beliefs and indefinable joys, yearnings of one life toward another, visions of completeness, indefinite trust.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Love

I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Fear

Renunciation remains sorrow, though a sorrow borne willingly.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)

There is a sort of subjection which is the peculiar heritage of largeness and of love; and strength is often only another name for willing bondage to irremediable weakness.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Slavery

An election is coming. Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)

Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Jealousy, Anger

Any coward can fight a battle when he’s sure of winning.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Cowardice, Courage, Uncertainty, Doubt

Abstinence is whereby a man refraineth from anything which he may lawfully claim.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)

A supreme love, a motive that gives a sublime rhythm to a woman’s life, and exalts habit into partnership with the soul’s highest needs, is not to be had where and how she wills: to know that high initiation, she must often tread where it is hard to tread, and feel the chill air and watch through darkness.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Love

Would not love see returning penitence afar off, and fall on its neck and kiss it?
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Forgiveness

Ignorance is not so damnable as humbug, but when it prescribes pills it may happen to do more harm.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Ignorance

In spite of his practical ability, some of his experience had petrified into maxims and quotations.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Proverbial Wisdom

A toddling little girl is a center of common feeling which makes the most dissimilar people understand each other.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Children, Girls

It is in these acts called trivialities that the seeds of joy are forever wasted, until men and women look round with haggard faces at the devastation their own waste has made, and say, the earth bears no harvest of sweetness—calling their denial knowledge.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Trifles, Things, Little Things

What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Hatred, Service, Friendship, Compassion, Helpfulness, Difficulty, Life, Kindness

Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right; decide on what you think is right and stick to it.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Character, Truth, Integrity, Decisions

I have the conviction that excessive literary production is a social offence.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Authors & Writing, Writers

All meanings, we know, depend on the key of interpretation.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Understanding, Meaning

I like not only to be loved, but also to be told that I am loved. I am not sure that you are of the same kind. But the realm of silence is large enough beyond the grave. This is the world of literature and speech and I shall take leave to tell you that you are very dear.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Feelings, Love

In high vengeance there is noble scorn.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans)
Topics: Vengeance, One liners

Wondering Whom to Read Next?

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *