CLIFFORD
J.
MARKS
457
alludes to refers to the emotional aspect of becoming spiritual. Here a
connection has been forged between an ethical action in the world and
the establishment of a community through charitable relationship.
Daniel's decision to save Mirah recognizes the ultimate importance of
life and how community intervention can improve society through
beneficence. Yet these acts cannot stop at an ethics of behavior, because
ethics have or do not have a political component. "Doing the right
thing" does not always translate into political advantage for the doer of
the good deed.
In
faer, Daniel's conscious abandonment of his Christian
upbringing politically disempowers him. Critics like Raymond Williams
and Terry Eagleton have argued that Eliot concentrates on ethics at the
expense of politics. But I contend that by emphasizing the spiritual ele–
ment, Eliot attempts to unite politics and ethics. Jewish spirituality can
be achieved by performing righteous acts for others in this world. Fur–
thermore, the establishment of Israel is at the heart of much of the Jew–
ish discussion in the novel. This nation, ostensibly, would attempt to
link politics to spiritual practice and ethics. As for Daniel, his spiritual
transformation begins not with grand philosophical or religious ges–
tures, but with a courageous act of helping another person.
In
Daniel's mind an equal exchange may have occurred between
Mirah and him, but a tremendous relocation, on Daniel's part, ignites
the relationship between these two. Who is
to
say that he was not the
tenth person who passed Mirah that day? And what would the ramifi–
cations be, in the novel's world, if he did not save her? After all, Daniel
could simply continue with his life without tending
to
a person obvi–
ously from a lower social class. Furthermore, while Daniel has the
power to abandon her, she has the power to bring him down, to impov–
erish him morally. Mirah's gaze, while spiritually empowering Daniel, as
seen in the above quotation, would easily abandon him if he abandons
her. Daniel's spiritual insight depends on his action. After Daniel decides
to help, a certain kind of spiritual responsibility takes hold that, if not
met, could become a larger burden. Daniel commits himself
to
a kind of
behavior that brings good into the world. These good acts theoretically
energize the Jewish community where Daniel will turn his support.
Although Daniel wavers between the Jewish and gentile English worlds,
he unites the two by embracing the good and recognizing the spiritual
dimension of earthly existence. Earthly spirituality does not have to
remain in the sole possession of the Jewish people.
Daniel's curiosity about Judaism and his concern for Mirah lead him
to the Jewish part of town and his discussions with Mordecai. A deeply
spiritual Jewish man, Mordecai provides Daniel with alternatives to
