The Evolution of the Madonna in Romola

In George Eliot’s novel Romola her titular character transforms from a beautiful young noblewoman to a personification of the Christian Madonna. This essay traces Romola’s extraordinary evolution into a Madonna figure by examining the key moments in her life which push her to transition from a dependent young woman content to live under the control of her father and her husband to a strong matriarchal figure. As the novel unfolds, the situations faced by Romola, which range from her husband Tito’s many betrayals to encountering a plague stricken village, push her towards her transformation into her Madonna persona which in turn gives her not just autonomy, but authority over her own household