A different kind of beauty

I want to express grief over a pleasure lost. Daniel Deronda tells the story of two beautiful people both with dramatic characters but in nature very different. It is perhaps a flaw in us that such elements are necessary for a novel to be interesting? Or maybe it is because with out conflict we are left with a short story and have nothing to draw it out into a novel? Our attention seems less likely to be held and committed to a story that from the outset is about a lady (or gentelman) who is unattractive. Or if so they must quickly be redeemed by some characteristic for which we are sympathetic. A passionate nature perhaps? An excellent character may hardly be sufficient for what sort of adventures are they likely to get up to? From the first introduction we are given every reason to be instantly fond of Catherine Arrowpoint, who happens to be plain in appearance, but in every other aspect superior. My grief is the absence of one of the most beautiful scenes in the book from the movie. Worse, to get instead a base minimized representation of her engagement to Heir Klezmer. George Eliot gives us a flawless account of their love affair with words that made me cry and in the movie we hear Klezmir announce it for the first time to Gwendolen in such a way that we assume that Klezmir does not love her but finds the marriage advantageous. This undermines his character and hers as they truly exist in the story. To miss hearing her say "I am afraid of nothing but that we should miss the passing of our lives together."

It amuses me to think that somewhere in the 40's or so the anti-hero was created with the idea being, I suppose, that people are on average mediocre and it is more realistic for the main character to be so as well. But what is Gwendolen, if not flawed, or every one of Conrad's characters but delusional men who sacraficed the lives of those around them to their illusions? The difference is in mediocrity, the main character of Catch-22 is thouroughly unimpressive, but funny. His distiguishing characteristic is cynicism. Gwendolen is not mediocre. I don't think I'm really in this. Passing on...