George Eliot's Middlemarch: "Pain must enter into its glorified life of memory before it can turn into compassion..."

The narrative intricately explores the life of Dorothea Brooke, showcasing her strengths and flaws, particularly through her misguided marriage. It weaves together multiple stories of thwarted ambitions and ideals, ultimately revealing how these individual struggles reflect broader societal issues amid the upheaval of industrialization and social change. As the characters' lives intertwine, their fates converge, illustrating the complex web of relationships and the impact of societal transformation on personal lives.