142 The Strand?

Before I began researching George Eliot's life, this was the closest I was to her:

George Henry Lewes is somewhere next door.

However, I'm kicking myself for not being aware of the 142 Strand address that was so important in her development as a writer, influential critic, and cosmopolitan person. My classes abroad were on the Strand, and I walked the length of this street nearly every day. I've read that its view looked out over the Thames and Somerset House. Sounds like my campus building. 

Had King's College London torn down this historic address to build the 1970s windowless monstrosity in which I attended class (left)? [ok, I say windowless because my classes were in three levels of basement space]

Apparently not. The building is no longer there, but according to googlemaps streetview, the space would've been between what is now Gregg's (a breakfast/lunch place whose food I avoided based on appearance) and an office building. 

Secondary-source overload

Is there a recommended limit on secondary sources for the biography paper? At times, I feel like I'm reading the same story about Eliot's "Holy Wars." At other times, I'm finding new information, but it's overwhelming in its scope: Eliot read "everything," now let's find the parallels between "everything" and the novel. 

Where/how do we draw the line?

A lot for a little

I am continuously surprised by the shorter word limit of this biography paper (6-7 pages). I'm wondering if the reason has more to do with the number of threads upon threads that I keep discovering through the sheer amount of material available on George Eliot's life, or if it's because I'm having a hard time setting information aside for my other papers. Although there's a "reception paper," the reception of Eliot's other books has some bearing on her choices in Deronda, I think. Likewise with historical contexts.

For example, the "Jewish Question" makes up a lot of the discussion around Deronda. Many Jewish characters in Deronda bear a resemblance in name and/or purpose to historical Jewish figures or scholars that Eliot was familiar with. How important is it that I read their work to understand what Eliot was reading? How much historical context should I understand in order to sufficiently apply these biographical facts to the paper? This is where the line is getting fuzzy to me and I begin to wonder if I am spending too much time reading about this one facet of the novel for this specific paper.

A question for the Eliot readers: do you think Eliot has a grudge about blondes? This is something my Eliot seminar abroad discussed. Look for her comments about Gwendolen Harleth, Rosamund Vincy, Lucy Deane (as opposed to Maggie's dark hair), and their shared hair color.

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