AbstractsPhilosophy & Theology

This thesis has attempted to establish a tentative definition of literary realism in its relations to the primary sources of George Eliot's thoughts and art: philosophy, romanticism, and humanism. Causes for realistic trends in her thinking have been traced in the background of her age, in her immediate environment, in the psychology of her personality, and in the forces of circumstance which brought association with other minds. Manifestations of realistic theories in her fundamental philosophy, in her humanistic religion, and in her use of the novel form, have been specified and critically evaluated. An appreciation of her distinctive contributions to the history of realism has been presented.