How did George Eliot transform the Victorian novel into a vehicle for philosophical inquiry and aesthetic education? Rosemary Ashton, a scholar of Victorian literature, examines Eliot's intellectual development, her rejection of contemporary literary tropes, and her commitment to a secular, humanistic worldview that challenged the dogmatic constraints of her era.

Scholars and students of Victorian literature frequently cite this volume as a concise, high-quality introduction to Eliot's intellectual framework. It is widely regarded as a reliable resource for understanding the philosophical underpinnings of her major novels.