Originally appearing in 1982's George Eliot: A Century Tribute, Robert B. Helman's review "Stealthy Convergence," touched on the idea of convergence and parallels in Eliot's infamous novel. The definition of converging being when "(of several people or things) come together from different directions so as eventually to meet" (google). The idea of convergence is extremely prevalent in George Eliot's innovative novel Middlemarch with many characters with different aspirations, goals, and interests forming relationships and ultimately a sense of community. Helman writes "Actionally, of course, the parallel lines alter to convergent lines: as characters fall into unexpected relationships, the plots gradually blend in a massive dramatic movement that includes all participants, major and minor-Dorothea and Ladislaw, Lydgate and Rosamond, Vincys, Bulstrodes, Garths, Featherstone, Raffles. Perhaps no other novel so well symbolises, by its merging streams of narrative, the inevitability of linkages that forge an unanticipated community within, and involving much of, the literal community of Middlemarch" (Heilman 619). Through incorporating convergence Eliot ultimately creates an ingenious and remarkable historical novel about morality, humanity, and community.

In his 1982 review, Heilman introduces an idea that a multitude of prior critics failed to recognize, the idea of convergence in response to George Eliot's Middlemarch. Through exploring and applying this idea to the characters in Eliot's novel one is able to understand Eliot's flawlessness in taking a plethora of different and interesting (albeit at times frustrating) characters and melding them into a historical and beautiful novel about the human condition.

Contemporary Reviews in Response to George Eliot's Middlemarch

Originally appearing in the December 7, 1872 edition's of The Saturday Review, a review amalgamating Middlemarch with a religious text was made known. The review states that "The carefully elaborated character of Bulstrode, no hypocrite of the common type, but one who sincerely hopes to flatter Divine Justice into condoning the wrong done, and permitting ill-gotten gains to prosper on condition of a certain amount of service done, is a leading instance; but the most of the selfish in Middlemarch shelters itself under an assumed appeal from conscience to religion." (The Saturday Review). The review then goes on to articulate the author characters in Eliot's infamous novel as strong religious figures who should be admired and modeled after event the notorious Rosamond. Published in the Galaxy a year later, Henry James' "George Eliot's Middlemarch" articulates that Eliot's character Dorothea, can be seen as a depiction of St. Theresa. Both contemporary reviews regard Eliot's Middlemarch as either a religious novel, or a novel in which religious characters and aspects are incorporated.

Upon reading Middlemarch, I did not connect the characters nor the plot to religion in any aspect. I understand the idea behind Dorothea representing what is considered to be morally good, in regards to religious ideals, however, with Dorothea not being the main character throughout the novel, and the other characters having aspects that religious ideals would look down upon I can't help but disagree. The Saturday Review uses the prominent characters of Bulstrode as  a religious ideals, when Bulstrode commits heinous deeds for the sake of material goods and wealth, albeit having good intentions. Despite good intentions, I fail to see his acts as something that religious advocates would support in any way shape or form. Therefore, the contemporary reviews that articulate the novel as a religious genre is confusing and far fetched when analyzed deeper.