Bede, Adam

An honourable, independent, and able carpenter, the hero of the novel Adam Bede. "A large-boned muscular man nearly six feet high, with a back so flat, and a head so well poised that when he drew himself up to take a more distant survey of his work, he had the air of a soldier standing at ease. The sleeve rolled up above the elbow showed an arm that was likely to win the prize for feats of strength ; yet the long supple hand, with its broad finger tips, looked ready for works of skill. In his tall stalwartness Adam Bede was a Saxon, and justified his name ; but the jetblack hair, made the more notice able by its contrast with the light paper cap, and the keen glance of the dark eyes that shone from under strongly marked, prominent and mobile eyebrows, indicated a mixture of Celtic blood. The face was large and roughly hewn, and when in repose had no other beauty than such as belongs to an expression of good-humoured honest intelligence." Poverty and his father's bad habits had given him much to contend against, but with a strong will he had overcome obstacles, gained an education in Bartle Massey's night school, and made himself a capable artisan, respected by his neighbours for his ability and upright character. At the beginning of the story he is chief workman in Jonathan Burge'a timber yard, with proapects of a partnership eome day, especially if he is willing to marry gentle Mary Burge. He has ideas about timber, and his friend Arthur Donnithome , the heir of the manor, for whom Adam entertains a strong friendship dating from their boyhood, intends to put Adam in charge of the Donnithome woods whenever the old aquire dies. He ie deeply in love with shallow Hetty Sorrel, the village beauty, who, however, ignores him, aa her head has been turned by attentions from Arthur Donnithome. When Adam finds that Arthur has been making love to Hetty, he fights Arthur, in spite of his strong affection for him, and forces him to break with Hetty, not knowing how far the relations between the two had gone. Later Adam becomes engaged to Hetty, but she runs away just before the date set for the wedding. When he learns that she has been arrested and is to be tried for child-murder Adam is overwhelmed with despair, and with rage against Arthur. He stands by Hetty in court, but is implacable against Arthur for a time, although later, won over by Arthur's genuine remorse, he consents to remain on the estate. Eventually he marries Dinah Morris. It is generally agreed that the character of Adam Bede and some of the incidents of hie career are drawn from Robert Evans, George Eliot's father. There are many points of resemblance in character and circumstances, and George Eliot herself admitted this, although she said that Adam was not a portrait of her father. There was the same kind of friendship between Robert Evans and young Francis Newdigate as between Adam Bede and Arthur Donnithorne.

<em>Adam Bede</em>

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