George Meredith’s 1876 novel, Beauchamp’s Career, appeared serially in The Fortnightly Review between August 1874 and December 1875, becoming notable for its keen insight into the politics of England at the century’s end. It features the life of a politician, Nevil Beauchamp, tracing the development of his interests from the Crimean War (1853–56). The narrator describes him as a youth “born with so extreme and passionate love for his country, that he thought all things else of mean importance.”

Meredith’s trademark ironic humor appears in the first few paragraphs, as Beauchamp attempts to translate English idioms into French, in order that English naval forces might communicate with their allies against Russia: “How to be English and think French! The business was as laborious as if he had started on the rough sea of the Channel to get at them in an open boat.”

Beauchamp is popular with men and a favorite with women, a perfect English specimen. He develops concerns for England’s political and social health, saddened that England showed “signs of decay. And signs how ignoble!” When the war ends, Beauchamp spends time in Italy, then returns to England, where patriotism inspires him to stand for Parliament.

In a romantic subplot, Beauchamp falls in love with a Frenchwoman named Renée de Croisnel. The sister of a “brother-at-arms” whose life Beauchamp once saved, the 17-year-old Renée enthralls Beauchamp when they first meet in Venice: “The air flashed like heaven descending for Nevil alone with Renée.” However, Renée’s father has engaged her to a wealthy marquis, whom she must marry. Beauchamp returns to England, thinking constantly of the French girl, but becomes caught up in politics and falls in love with Cecilia, daughter of Colonel Halkett. One of Beauchamp’s friends explains that while “foreign women” are “capital to flirt with,” English women are better for marriage. He describes Cecilia as a “Goddess,” a “queen,” a “charmer,” and an “angel,” and adds that a “man attached to a woman like that can never let himself look small.”

Beauchamp’s marriage to Cecilia seems certain until he hears from Renée and is tempted to renew their romance. Although Renée later leaves her husband, Beauchamp’s sense of honor prevents his joining her, but in the process of making his decision, he also loses Cecilia’s affections to his cousin. In the meantime, Beauchamp again finds himself caught between two additional opposing forces. One is represented by his aristocratic uncle Everard Romfrey, who holds the traditional materialistic, paternalistic views of England’s landed class, and his long-time radical friend, Dr. Shrapnel, who envisions a more fair society with equally distributed wealth. The symbolically named Shrapnel foreshadows a future injury for Beauchamp.

In a reversal from the normal gender role, Beauchamp falls severely ill, with the suggestion that his illness results from scorned romance. Seemingly on his deathbed, he resembles a corpse, and his circle of friends grieves his impending death. He does serve to bring his uncle and Shrapnel together under terms of a mutually agreed upon truce. While Cecilia visits Beauchamp in his illness, Jenny Denham, Shrapnel’s ward, nurses him back to health. He becomes engaged to Jenny, an act that symbolizes Beauchamp’s commitment to those individuals included in the radical vision of a changing England.

Long-lasting happiness threatens to elude Beauchamp, however, as Jenny does not return his love, but devotes herself to him out of a sense of duty. However, when they board a ship to leave England, she suddenly realizes her passion for Beauchamp, and they marry soon after, living together happily and enjoying the birth of a child. Meredith ends his novel tragically, drowning Beauchamp as he rescues an eight-year-old child from the ocean. He suggests the trade of a noble life for that of an ordinary worker’s child to be deemed unfair through the thoughts of Beauchamp’s friends, who wait for his body to be found while staring at the child, “an insignificant bit of mudbank life.” Meredith implies that the results of heroic actions are seldom logical. A true hero will act intuitively, not considering personal cost.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Harris, Margaret. Introduction. Beauchamp’s Career by George Meredith. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Categories: British Literature, Literature, Novel Analysis

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