Daniel Deronda, Chapter 4 summary
Chapter 4 of 71 · 8 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 4, Gwendolen’s uncle hopes to secure her a fine marriage, while she values admiration and control more than the prospect of becoming a wife. The narrator examines her limited education, her household’s constant indulgence, and the mixture of charm and selfish determination that sustains her authority.
What happens
- Mr. Gascoigne wants Gwendolen to appear favorably in local society and make an advantageous marriage.
- Gwendolen enjoys the power of attracting suitors but regards marriage as a restriction on her freedom.
- Her confidence in her accomplishments and judgment makes her feel capable of directing her own destiny.
- Her family and servants arrange their behavior around her comfort and approval.
- The narrator questions whether beauty explains her authority, suggesting that determined selfishness also makes others submit.
- The narrator closes by distinguishing contradictory feelings, which can coexist, from opposite actions, which cannot.

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In this chapter
Quick check
Why does Gwendolen find the prospect of becoming a wife unattractive?

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