Marriage Bells
- Time for George Eliot to get into Disney mode! Adam Bede is wrapping up with a big marriage extravaganza, just like any number of your favorite animated features. Cue the song and dance and the talking frogs.
- It's "little more than a month" after the events of our last chapter (55.1). Wow, Adam and Dinah didn't waste any time, did they? The happy couple is being married in Hayslope's own church, and almost everybody "specially mentioned in this history" has shown up to see them tie the knot (55.2). What's more, Eliot has taken it upon herself to mention all these folks one last time. Every. Single. One.
- Who gets a shout-out? The whole Irwine family. The whole Poyser family, Totty included. Mr. Craig and Bessy Cranage and Wiry Ben and a bunch of other characters we'd forgotten up until now. Even Bartle Massey has decided to put in an appearance, despite his opinions "against marriage in general and the marriage of a sensible man in particular" (55.6). Oh Bartle, lighten up.
- Soon the ceremony is over. Adam and Dinah are man and wife. The couple leaves the church, followed by the Poysers, the remaining Bedes, Mr. Irwine, and a bunch of singing forks and dinner plates who mistook this for a Disney movie.
- Mr. Irwine is "glad at heart over this good morning's work of joining Adam and Dinah" (55.7).
- As Mr. Irwine and his mother ride off on their magic carpet—ahem, drive away in their carriage, they reflect on the proceedings. "A bit of good news to cheer Arthur," is how Mr. Irwine sums the day up (55.10). Disney mode over.