Scandalously and unconventionally for the era, she lived with the married George Henry Lewes as his conjugal partner, from 1854 to 1878, and called him her husband. He remained married to his wife, Agnes Jervis, and supported their children, even after Jervis left him to live with another man and have children with him. In May 1880, 18 months after Lewes's death, Eliot married her longtime friend John Cross, a man much younger than she, and changed her name to Mary Ann Cross.
Key Facts
- Born: November 22, 1819 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England
- Died: 1880
- Field: Literature
Legacy and Impact
The influence of George Eliot extends far beyond her own lifetime. She fundamentally shaped literature and the written word, and her written works and literary innovations remain foundational to this day.
Though she passed away in 1880, her ideas continue to be studied, debated, and built upon by scholars and practitioners worldwide.
George Eliot remains one of the most celebrated minds to emerge from England, a testament to the rich intellectual heritage of the region.
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