You are on page 1of 1

Character Sketch of Adam Bede Introduction:- It is said that Adam Bede is a close pen portrait of George Eliot's own

father, o!ert E"ans# At least, there are close resem!lances !etween the two# Adam is a carpenter !$ profession# %e li"es in his hum!le house with his parents--- &is!eth and 'hias Bede--- and his !rother Seth Bede# %e is not an ordinar$ indi"idual# %e is uni(ue in man$ respects# %e is surel$ a towering personalit$# %is e)traordinar$ strength is stressed !$ the author in the "er$ !eginning# %e is a muscular man nearl$ si) feet high# In his tall stalwartness, Adam was a Sa)on# %is face was large and roughl$ hewn# %is ph$sical strength is com!ined with a rare skill as a workman# %e is a highl$ skilled craftsman# %e is still honest and sincere, intelligent and hardworking# %e has a deep sense of work and dut$# %e relishes working hard and earning his li"elihood !$ hard la!our# %e en*o$s life happil$ !ecause he has a clear conscience# %e en*o$s respect and honour !ecause of his sincerit$, honest$ and craftsmanship# Arthur makes him the manager of the woods and +onathan Burgess is keen to make him a partner in his !usiness# %e is considered a suita!le match for %ett$ !$ 'he ,o$sers# #'# +ones o!ser"es,- he represents a positi"e, and acti"e innocence#- Adam will not knowingl$ hurt an$!od$ e)cept a scoundrel# %e thrashes Arthur to the ground easil$ !ecause of his ph$sical strength# Adam has also taken great pains to ac(uire a !it of knowledge# %e had read his Bi!le and se"eral !ooks like 'he ,ilgrim's ,rogress# %e has a keen desire to learn more !ut he has got no spare time# %e is tolerant and God-fearing# %e stands for conformit$, remaining within the folds of the esta!lished church# %e is himself fair in his dealings and e)pects others to !e e(uall$ fair# 'he onl$ ma*or weakness in Adam is his lo"e for %ett$# &o"e has !linded him and he o"erlooks her faults time and again# %e shrank from witnessing her agon$, !ut forced himself to stand !$ her# %e ultimatel$ transfers his lo"e to .inah# %is lo"e for %ett$ was deep and tender !ut his lo"e for .inah was !etter, precious and mature# It made him a stronger and wiser man# Adam's sense of his own righteousness makes him a !it hard and uns$mpathetic# %e is impatient of an$ failing in others# %enr$ +ames o!ser"es, - /$ chief complaint with Adam Bede himself is that he is too good# %e lacks spontaneit$, he is too stiff-!acked# %e lacks that supreme (ualit$ without which a man can ne"er !e interesting to man0the capacit$ to !e tempted#- Some critics e"en call him a -prig- and a "er$ - monster of goodness-# %is ha!it of morali1ing !ecomes a !asic flaw in his character# %e has attained this ha!it from his self-righteousness# %e is somewhat "ain that he has clarit$ of "ision onl$ and the others lack this "ision# %owe"er, his gradual purgation, inner illumination and attainment of selfknowledge takes place with the passage of time# +oan Bennett sa$s, - It is e"ident that the author intended self-righteousness to !e the flaw in his character which is partiall$, if not wholl$, purged !$ the suffering he undergoes in the course of the stor$# 'his kind of morali1ing is a part of George Eliot's conception of Adam's character# Adam finall$ disco"ers as a result of his suffering that his selfrighteousness has marred his relation to his father and mother, Arthur and %ett$ too# %is acute suffering alone in his dull upper room outside the prison is a kind of mortification# 2or the first time, he recogni1es his own failings# 'he second scene with Arthur in the woods in which the reconciliation takes place is crucial to his self disco"er$ and purgation# 2inall$ his education and regeneration reaches the final touch with his disco"er$ of his lo"e for .inah and marriage in the end# Adam is the ideal, the norm, !$ reference to which other characters are to !e *udged# %is strength, and his capacit$ for slow !ut effecti"e change, make Adam an ideal# %e is seen throughout the no"el as a full$ imagined indi"idual# 'he no"el shows "er$ clearl$ that Adam undergoes a positi"e change, a transformation, graduall$ !ut surel$# %e ac(uires the "irtue of humilit$ and !ecomes conscious of his own short comings# Conclusion:- /an$ critics sa$ that Adam is too good to !e true# %e has !een painted as a perfect human !eing# 'he fact is that he is "ain, hard and self-righteous in the !eginning# Graduall$ he attains a full$ integrated personalit$# %e graduall$ sheds his faults----of his education, enlightenment and maturit$, through a process of suffering and lo"e--- and !ecomes ultimatel$ a complete man, a full$ grown and mature personalit$# George # Creeger points out that Adam ma$ !e intelligent, diligent, trustworth$ and lo$al, !ut he is not $et a mature man# %e is wrathful, stern, stiff and masterful, un$ielding, harsh, hot and hast$, intolerant and essentiall$ humourless# 'here is an im!alance of head and heart# %owe"er, it is "er$ interesting to note that the process of his regeneration takes place through lo"e again# &o"e had !een the cause of his suffering and lo"e now !ecomes a source of enlightenment# %is earl$ emotional lo"e was tender !ut unripe and he had to suffer a lot for that# %is lo"e for .inah has pro"ided him a strength to come out of his sufferings as well as his short-comings#

You might also like