Differently Effectual Felix

For this blog, I would like to investigate the arguments concerning Felix Holt which our secondary sources for the week have made. It is my hope that this approach will allow me to reach some conclusion about the ineffectual nature of Felix's endeavors. According to Chris Vanden Bossche, Eliot's novel argues that "there is no possibility of meaningful change, no authentic agency, except through revolution" (9). For Vanden Bossche, this revolution is one of personal education; the individual must come to a place of responsibility for his or her own education and development into an informed citizen. Vanden Bossche argues that Eliot sees reform as a class-based movement that is inherently selfish and primarily concerned with the desires of the class supporting the reform; in this model, revolution would be the more valuable goal which could result in true and lasting improvement of the public good. Vanden Bossche asserts that Felix Holt treats "the election and education as opposed forms of agency" (4). If we hold with Vanden Bossche's argument, then we must recognize Felix's failure to make any true progress in educating the working classes as tragic. However, Vanden Bossche argues that Felix does make progress in that he educates Esther into achieving her best life now. Such an argument places importance upon the individual nature of disinterested citizenship. For Vanden Bossche, the small scale of Felix's success does not lessen its value. 

For Carolyn Lesjak, Esther represents the working classes. Lesjak notes:

Torn between Felix and Harold, Esther's ultimate acceptance of Felix mirrors the transformation desired by the text for the working class. They, like Esther, should accept their proper function within the body politic: accommodation to current social conditions in the interests of the health of the nation as a whole. (76)

If we agree with these assertions, then Felix's education of Esther represents a successful education of the lower classes. Of course, Vanden Bossche would argue that educating the lower classes as classes is pointless; Felix's goal is to educate individuals, a desire that jives with Eliot's project. Now, since Matt has already astutely discussed the importance of the Gramsci reading to Felix's ineffectiveness I won't belabor the point. I will, however, point out that Felix does develop the entire spectrum of knowledge-understanding-feeling with Esther as the novel progresses, and this more complete connection to her allows him to be more effective in his educational efforts. I would therefore argue that Felix provides a model for individual education through close connection; therefore, he is not completely ineffectual.