ABSTRACT
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and George Eliot's Adam Bede end with marriages that critics, from the nineteenth century to the present, have often found unsatisfying. This chapter discusses the Bronte's and Eliot's treatment of problematic styles of masculinity and the proto-New Man and also it explores the role of characters that might be considered alternative masculine models, in particular the sidelined siblings Frederick Lawrence and Seth Bede. The chapter titled 'Reconciliation' details Gilbert's attempts to reconcile with both Helen and Lawrence, relationships that the novel presents as equally important. Like Tenant, Eliot's Adam Bede includes an aristocratic Arthur whose story of decline offsets the main male character's journey of manly development. The chapter focuses on the conventional family unit depicted in the novel's final scene, many critics ignore the fact that Dinah does not wait at home alone, but with uncle Seth.
