• JAYANTA MUKHERJEE

The focus of this paper is to closely examine moral evolution of the protagonists in George Eliot’s first creative work Scenes of Clerical Life, which is a collection of three short stories from egoism to altruism. She began Amos Barton, the first story of the Scenes of Clerical Life, on 23 September 1856. These stories are The Sad Fortunes of the Reverend Amos Barton, Mr. Gilfil’s Love-Story and Janet’s Repentance. Scenes of Clerical Life was serialised in eleven instalments in Blackwood’s Magazine. This apprentice novel was published in two volumes on 6 January 1858. The topography given in the three stories narrated in Scenes of Clerical Life speaks very much of the places known to George Eliot. She was born on south Arbury Farm which stands within Arbury Park. All the places that have been made famous through her Scenes of Clerical Life lie within a day’s walk from the farmhouse. Less than a mile across the grassy park one can see the Arbury Hall, and the Cleveral Manor of Mr. Gilfil’s Love-Story. To the left, standing on hill, is Astley Church, the Knebley Church of the story. A mile to the easi from Griff House is Stockyard, the Paddiford of Janet’s Repentance. The fictitious names of many other towns can easily be identified with their originals. A mile south of Nuneaton, the visitors can see the Shepperton Church, which is a small stone .church. The story of Amos Bartonb vith a description of this church and, in all essentials, the description still applies to it. It was in this church that Mary Ann Evans was baptised and it was this church she attended with her parents during their stay at Griff. It is no wonder she looks back at it so fondly. Nearby is the little vicarage and it was there that Milly fought her losing battle with poverty and sickness. The little vicarage is an old-fashioned house with a pretty garden. It is in this known setting, George Elliot has portrayed how the people around her have evolved from individual self to a social being through the vicissitudes of their life.

Humors, Sorrows, Moral, Pity, Sympathy, Troubles.

"From Egoism to Altruism : A study with reference to George Eliot’s Scenes of Clerical Life.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no.203-210, June-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907S98.pdf

"From Egoism to Altruism : A study with reference to George Eliot’s Scenes of Clerical Life.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no. pp203-210, June-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907S98.pdf