Inner vs. Outer Beauty
Eliot contrasts inner and outer beauty throughout the
novel to express the idea that external and internal realities do
not always correspond. Although Hetty is more physically beautiful
than Dinah, she is cold and ugly inside. Hetty’s outer beauty masks
her inner ugliness, especially to Captain Donnithorne and Adam.
Even when Hetty cries or is angry, she still appears lovely to both
men. Adam is so blinded by Hetty’s appearance that he often misinterprets
her tears and excitement as love for him. Hetty’s outer beauty also
blinds Captain Donnithorne such that he loses control when she cries
and he kisses her. Unlike Hetty, Dinah has an inner beauty because
she helps and cares for those around her. She comforts Lisbeth through
the mourning of her dead husband, and Adam takes notice of this.
Adam does not think Dinah is as physically beautiful as Hetty, but
he is drawn to her love and mission to help those around her. His
feelings for Dinah change after he witnesses Dinah consoling Hetty,
and Adam begins to see Dinah as outwardly beautiful. Eliot’s description
of the natural beauty of the English countryside also shows the
contrast between internal and external beauty. On the day Hetty
wanders off to find Captain Donnithorne, the day is beautiful and
the countryside is magnificent. However, Hetty suffers enormously
under the weight of her plight. Eliot uses this contrast to encourage
the reader to look beyond the surface and explore a deeper meaning.
The Value of Hard Work
One of the chief differences between the good characters
and the evil characters is their commitment to working hard. Most
of the characters in Adam Bede are hard-working
peasants who spend their days laboring on farms, in mills, or in
shops. Those characters are generally characterized by gentle intelligence
and simple habits. They do their best not to harm others, and they
produce goods others can use and value. Examples are Mrs. Poyser,
whose dairy supplies the other villagers and whose cream cheese
is renowned in the area; Adam, whose skills in carpentry are unmatched
and who is a good and fair manager of people and resources; and
Dinah, who works in a mill. By contrast, those few malingerers in
the novel are generally evil as well as lazy. The strongest example
of laziness is Captain Donnithorne, who often complains that he
has nothing to do, and whose boredom may well have contributed significantly
to Hetty’s downfall. If Captain Donnithorne had been busy sowing fields,
he might not have engaged in his illicit and unwise affair. Those
who work hard take pride in their work, and they do not harm others
because they are careful and meticulous and do not have time for
idle self-indulgence.
Love as a Transformative Force
Love has the power to transform characters in the novel.
The characters who love are portrayed as gentle, kind, and accepting.
Dinah, for example, is a preacher but is never preachy. She accepts
Hetty as she is, even when Hetty is peevish and selfish toward her.
Dinah’s love transforms Hetty in jail because she comforts and listens
to Hetty and does not judge her. Before, Hetty was selfish and only thought
about her own happiness. After, she is sincerely sorry for the shame
she caused her family and even apologizes to Adam. Another example
is Mrs. Poyser, and how she can be harsh toward those she loves.
When Hetty’s crime comes to light, Mrs. Poyser is the only one in
her family who does not seem to judge Hetty. Here, Mrs. Poyser transforms
from strict and critical to a loving and accepting woman. The one
character that is not transformed by love is Mrs. Irwine, who is
critical and sharp and never manages to help others. She does not
feel, and so she is neither transformed by love nor capable of transforming
others. For example, at Captain Donnithorne’s coming-of-age party,
one of her presents to a peasant girl is an ugly gown and a piece
of flannel. This gift only aggravates the girl and makes her reject
the present. Mrs. Irwine thinks she is giving the girls only what
they deserve, and therefore she is not transformed by love because
she does not care for anyone. Love only transforms the characters
that want to help people other than themselves.
The Consequences of Bad Behavior
Bad behavior and wrongdoing have consequences that extend beyond
the wrong-doer, and even relatively small transgressions can have
massive collateral effects. The central lesson from Hetty’s experience
with Captain Donnithorne is that doing the right thing is important
because doing the wrong thing might hurt others in ways that cannot
be controlled. Though Captain Donnithorne is not inherently evil,
he provokes bad behavior in Hetty because she cannot go to him for
help when she learns that she is pregnant. Hetty is ashamed and
only thinks of herself when she commits her crime. As she awaits
the trial, Hetty does not think about how her bad behavior affected
anyone else: she does not consider the shame she has caused the
Poysers or the effect her crime has on Adam. Hetty feels no real
remorse for her sins and just wishes to not be reminded of any wrong
she has done. Eventually, she apologizes to Adam and asks God for
forgiveness, but the lesson of the story is that bad behavior, evil,
and wrongdoing cannot be undone.
