Caleb Garth is a kind, honest, hardworking, and generous man. He is passionate about “business,” the word he uses to describe working in construction and the development of land. However, he has a problem with charging too little for his work or even working for free, and as a result his family is very poor. Caleb is one of the most morally upstanding characters in the novel. He helps many people, particularly Fred, even though he is exasperated by Fred’s behavior. His kindness to Fred arguably emerges from his extremely close relationship with his daughter Mary, who has loved Fred since childhood. Mr. Brooke eventually makes him the manager of both Freshitt and Tipton, which greatly improves his family’s financial circumstances.
Mr. Caleb Garth Quotes in Middlemarch
The Middlemarch quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Caleb Garth or refer to Mr. Caleb Garth. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Book 4, Chapter 40
Quotes
In watching effects, if only of an electric battery, it is often necessary to change our place and examine a particular mixture or group at some distance from the point where the movement we are interested in was set up. The group I am moving towards is at Caleb Garth’s breakfast-table in the large parlour where the maps and desk were: father, mother, and five of the children.
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Mr. Caleb Garth Character Timeline in Middlemarch
The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Caleb Garth appears in Middlemarch. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 2, Chapter 14
...have something to do with the fact that he borrowed the money from Mary’s father, Caleb Garth.
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Book 3, Chapter 23
...owes him £160, and three months ago he renewed the debt with the signature of Caleb Garth. Fred has thus far felt completely confident that he will be able to pay...
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The Garths have always felt great affection for Fred and Rosamond. Before marrying Mrs. Vincy’s sister, Mr....
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Book 3, Chapter 24
...confess everything to Mary, and worries that this means he should probably confess to Mrs. Garth, too. Mrs. Garth tends to be judgmental of other women, and “disproportionately indulgent towards the...
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Fred feels worried and guilty. At that moment Mr. Garth arrives, and Fred immediately confesses that he only has £50 toward his debt of £160....
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For the first time Fred feels genuine sorrow. He had only been worried about the Garths thinking badly of him, and had not even considered that his actions might put them...
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Mr. Garth apologizes to his wife again, but she responds kindly, saying it was silly of him...
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Book 3, Chapter 25
...she says that’s not the point. Her forgiveness will not fix the fact that Mrs. Garth has lost her savings and Alfred will no longer be able to do his apprenticeship....
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Later Mr. Garth comes to Stone Court. Alone with Mary, Mr. Garth says he has bad news, but...
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Book 4, Chapter 35
...he made the will. Standish and Trumbull insist that his mind was perfectly healthy. Mr. Garth suggests that the will is actually not that surprising, adding: “I wish there was no...
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Book 4, Chapter 38
...his estate, saying that he doesn’t take good enough care of his tenants. He thinks Caleb Garth should take over managing it, as he did until 12 years ago when Brooke...
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Sir James mentions Garth’s farming innovations and Brooke says he doesn’t have the money for that; Mrs. Cadwallader then...
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Book 4, Chapter 40
...is sewing a handkerchief for Rosamond on the occasion of her wedding. She tells Mrs. Garth that she has decided to go and teach at a school in York, though she...
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That evening, Mr. Farebrother comes to the Garths’ house, announcing that he is there to deliver a message from Fred Vincy, who has...
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Farebrother congratulates Mr. Garth. They discuss Fred and whether he should indeed enter the clergy, or whether, as Mary...
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With Mary gone, Mr. Garth tells the story of how Featherstone asked her to burn one of the wills right...
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...walks to Lowick, speculating that Fred and Mary have feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Mr. Garth tells his wife that he is considering asking Fred to work under him as a...
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Book 5, Chapter 52
...else he can do. He also confesses that he has been in love with Mary Garth since childhood, who in the past has been opposed to his entering the church. He...
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Book 5, Chapter 53
...and will thus soon leave Middlemarch. One evening, Bulstrode goes to Stone Court to meet Caleb Garth, who is advising him about his improvements to the property. Raffles suddenly appears and...
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...it. He is now seeking Bulstrode’s address, pulling out a crumpled letter from his pocket. Caleb politely says goodbye to Bulstrode and leaves. Bulstrode has gone completely white. Trying to remain...
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Book 6, Chapter 55
...Dorothea dreams of being friends with them all. She has been discussing the plan with Caleb Garth.
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Book 6, Chapter 56
Caleb Garth is impressed by Dorothea’s grasp of “business.” Caleb has been very busy, and is...
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...London. Solomon encourages Hiram’s suspicion, saying the men should take their railways elsewhere. Soon after, Caleb comes to survey an area of land in Lowick with his assistant, Tom.
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...horse and tells him to ride it to the nearby stable. Fred offers to help Caleb, who laments that the group of men who chased him has been told lies about...
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...declare that they were only having fun, and that they won’t interfere again. Fred helps Caleb with his work, feeling joyful. He admits that he wishes he had started working with...
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Later, Caleb tells Mrs. Garth that Mary and Fred like each other and that he intends to...
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The next day Caleb assigns Fred office work. He is disappointed with Fred’s penmanship, saying he is shocked that...
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Book 6, Chapter 59
...highly disapproving of his decision not to enter the church and instead work for Mr. Garth. Lydgate, meanwhile, believes that there is something between Dorothea and Will, and that if true,...
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Book 7, Chapter 68
Bulstrode asks Caleb Garth to help him find a tenant for Stone Court, and Caleb suggests Fred Vincy,...
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Book 7, Chapter 69
Caleb Garth comes to see Bulstrode at the bank and tells him that there is a...
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...finds Raffles more or less all right. Raffles claims that he only revealed all to Caleb in the midst of a hallucination. Bulstrode then calls Lydgate to attend to Raffles’s health,...
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Book 7, Chapter 71
Bambridge’s story “spread through Middlemarch like the smell of fire.” Caleb is forced to admit that he heard the story too, and the gossip morphs to...
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Book 8, Chapter 85
...installing Fred in Stone Court. He tells Mrs. Bulstrode that she must propose it to Caleb Garth herself and assure him that he won’t need to make any arrangements with Mr....
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Book 8, Chapter 86
At the Garths’, Caleb goes outside to see Mary, who is playing with Letty. He asks Mary to...
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Mary embraces Caleb, saying he is “the best man in the world.” Fred arrives at the house, and...
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