Daniel Deronda (post 2) by George Eliot (post 5): Deronda’s mother has “double consciousness” (multiple personality), which Eliot had ascribed to herself.

“The varied transitions of tone with which this speech was delivered were as perfect as the most accomplished actress could have made them…but in the Princess [Deronda’s mother] the acting had a rare perfection…It would not be true to say that she felt less because of this double consciousness…” (1. p. 629).

Search “double consciousness” in this blog to see the post in which I quote Eliot as saying that she had it, and to read other posts about “double consciousness,” a nineteenth century term for multiple personality. Added July 12, 2020: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/283f/af8d6260742990695f6c0177117fd383e802.pdf

Also, note that the Princess gives the impression of acting, because “the varied transitions of tone”—when a person switches among various alternate personalities—can be dramatically different from each other, and if you don’t know you are seeing multiple personality, it looks like acting.

Deronda asks why his mother had given him away when he was about two years old. He says that he can empathize with the wish she had had to be free to pursue the life of an artist.

“No,” said the Princess…“You are not a woman. You may try—but you can never imagine what it is like to have a man’s force of genius in you, and yet to suffer the slavery of being a girl…(1, p. 631).

His mother is dying, and Deronda, not wishing to make her talk longer than her energy will allow, asks if she wishes to continue her story the next day.

“ ‘No,’ she said, decisively. ‘I will confess it all, now that I have come up to it. Often when I am at ease it all fades away; my whole self comes quite back; but I know it will sink away again, and the other will come—the poor solitary, forsaken remains of self, that can resist nothing’… It was as if her mind were breaking into several, one jarring the other into impulsive action” (1, p. 636).

That is, it is the weakness and pain of her illness that has enabled her to tell him her story after all these years. When she is feeling well (“at ease’”), her “whole self”—including the personality who thought that her giving him up, and his not knowing his family history, would be better for both of them—would interfere with her telling her story. But when she is weaker, “It was as if her mind were breaking into several,” including some personalities who would impulsively tell her story.

Why did she eventually give up her very successful singing career, marry a Russian noble, and have more children?

“ ‘You wonder why I married…I meant never to marry again. I meant to be free, and to live for my art…For nine years I was a queen. I enjoyed the life I had longed for. But something befell me. It was like a fit of forgetfulness. I began to sing out of tune…That singing out of tune was only like a fit of illness; it went away…but it was too late’ “ (1, p. 639).

One feature of multiple personality is that different personalities may have different skills. One personality may sing extremely well, but another personality can’t carry a tune. Switching from the former to the latter would be like suddenly forgetting how to carry a tune. And switching back to the former personality would restore the ability.

In short, Deronda’s mother, an alter ego for George Eliot, has multiple personality.

And why did Eliot persist in using a male pseudonym long after everyone knew who she was? Why was her artistic personality male?

“No,” said the Princess…“You are not a woman. You may try—but you can never imagine what it is like to have a man’s force of genius in you, and yet to suffer the slavery of being a girl…(1, p. 631).

1. George Eliot. Daniel Deronda. London, Penguin Books, 1876/2003.