Daniel Deronda is an English novel written by Mary Ann Evans under the pen name George Eliot and published in 1876. It is the last novel written by George Eliot through which George Eliot continues to analyze the Victorian society in which she lived.
Daniel Deronda is a realistic novel, full of psychological insight in which themes such as marriage, inherence, social status and the condition of women are discussed. The novel has epic proportions and it breaks free from the norm regarding literature written by women, namely that they should only write about romance or other subjects regarded as appropriate for women.
The novel can be analyzed from a feminist point of view and it presents modern ideas regarding marriage and the choices a woman should have but who is constricted by the society she lives in.
Daniel Deronda is also one of the few novels written in that period that talks about Judaism in a positive light and that doesn’t conform to the stereotypes that existed then regarding Jews.
The novel can easily be divided into two parts, following two plots, one that focuses on Daniel Deronda and his inner turmoil regarding his identity and another plot which has Gwendolen in the center, a strong female character that can be seen as a modern woman, forced to act in a certain way because of the society she lives in.
The novel remains today a masterpiece and it has been adapted to both movies and serials.
