Sir James Chettam is a wealthy and charming young man whose land borders Mr. Brooke’s. He initially pursues Dorothea and seems to be deeply in love with her; however, after she rejects him he recovers quickly and marries Celia instead. Sir James and Dorothea remain close friends even though Dorothea’s life choices exasperate him—particularly her decisions to marry Casaubon and later Ladislaw.
Sir James Chettam Quotes in Middlemarch
The Middlemarch quotes below are all either spoken by Sir James Chettam or refer to Sir James Chettam. 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:
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the HarperCollins edition of Middlemarch published in 2015.
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Book 8, Chapter 72
Quotes
“And, of course men know best about everything, except what women know better.”
Dorothea laughed and forgot her tears.
“Well, I mean about babies and those things,” explained Celia. “I should not give up to James when I knew he was wrong, as you used to do to Mr Casaubon.”
Related Characters:
Dorothea Brooke (speaker), Celia Brooke (speaker), Sir James Chettam, Rev. Edward Casaubon
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Finale
Quotes
Many who knew her, thought it a pity that so substantive and rare a creature should have been absorbed into the life of another, and be only known in a certain circle as a wife and mother. But no one stated exactly what else that was in her power she ought rather to have done - not even Sir James Chettam, who went no further than the negative prescription that she ought not to have married Will Ladislaw.
Related Characters:
Dorothea Brooke, Sir James Chettam, Will Ladislaw
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Sir James Chettam Character Timeline in Middlemarch
The timeline below shows where the character Sir James Chettam appears in Middlemarch. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 1, Chapter 1
...her ideal husband would be like a father who could teach her things. Today Sir James Chettam is coming to dinner at Tipton along with Rev. Edward Casaubon, whom Dorothea and...
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Book 1, Chapter 2
At dinner, Mr. Brooke recalls meeting the poet William Wordsworth. Dorothea feels awkward. Sir James explains that he is planning to experiment with technological innovations on his farm, but Mr....
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Sir James says he knows Dorothea likes horse-riding and that he would love to lend her an...
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Celia thinks it’s a shame that Dorothea doesn’t like Sir James, and fears that her sister won’t marry any man unless he shares her own ardent...
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Book 1, Chapter 3
...she is getting ahead of herself. In the middle of her daydream, she sees Sir James riding toward her. He greets her, and Dorothea feels annoyed at how friendly he is...
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Dorothea adds that she thinks Celia would like the puppy, but Sir James only responds by admiring Dorothea’s strong opinions. He goes on to say that he has...
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...own feelings of disappointment. Mr. Brooke then goes to visit Casaubon at Lowick, while Sir James visits Tipton with greater and greater frequency. Dorothea feels irritated with him but nonetheless joins...
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Book 1, Chapter 4
Celia comments that Sir James is eager to do everything Dorothea wants, and Dorothea replies: “He thinks of me as...
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Dorothea insists that she must abandon the cottages and be rude to Sir James from now on. She begins to cry; Celia tries to comfort her but ends up...
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...Casaubon is “a good match in some respects,” but that she should also consider Sir James, whose land borders Brooke’s own. Dorothea says she will never marry him.
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Book 1, Chapter 5
Mr. Brooke checks that Dorothea is certain she doesn’t want to marry Sir James instead. He tells her that he wants her to make her own decision, even though...
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Book 1, Chapter 6
...politics with women, because “your sex are not thinkers.” Mrs. Cadwallader mentions Dorothea and Sir James; Mr. Brooke regretfully replies that the marriage will never take place. Just as Mrs. Cadwallader...
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Mrs. Cadwallader announces that she must immediately tell Sir James the sad news. She says that she set a bad example by marrying a poor...
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Horrified, Sir James exclaims: “He is no better than a mummy!” adding that Casaubon “has one foot in...
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...Celia and chastising Mr. Brooke when necessary. She had been planning Dorothea’s engagement to Sir James ever since the sisters arrived at Tipton. However, she is now happy to switch the...
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Sir James himself does not dwell on his sadness about losing Dorothea for long, and in fact...
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Book 1, Chapter 8
Sir James still enjoys coming to Tipton; he does not feel resentful of Casaubon, but rather worries...
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Sir James stresses that Casaubon is awful. Mr. Cadwallader protests that Sir James, who is handsome, is...
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Sir James and Mrs. Cadwallader discuss how years of isolated study have spoiled Casaubon’s personality. Mr. Cadwallader...
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Book 1, Chapter 9
...dreary. Horrified, Celia thinks about how much nicer it would be to live in Sir James’s home, Freshitt Hall.
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Book 1, Chapter 10
...that Casaubon has been looking very “dry” since the proposal, and that compared to Sir James he resembles “death’s head skinned over for the occasion.” Lady Chettam notes that James still...
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Book 3, Chapter 29
Dorothea helps Casaubon to the couch. Sir James arrives and Dorothea explains that her husband has “had a fit.” Sir James is unsurprised...
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Book 4, Chapter 34
...and power. At Featherstone’s request, Mr. Cadwallader performs the service. Mrs. Cadwallader has persuaded Sir James and Celia to drive her to Lowick. Against Lydgate’s advice, Casaubon has returned to working...
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Book 4, Chapter 37
...of a plan to turn Dorothea against him. He considers contacting Mr. Brooke or Sir James for help. However, he doesn’t feel he can rely on anyone to take his side....
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Book 4, Chapter 38
Sir James comes to lunch at the Cadwalladers’, and the group discuss their disapproval of Mr. Brooke’s...
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Sir James criticizes the way Mr. Brooke runs his estate, saying that he doesn’t take good enough...
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Sir James mentions Garth’s farming innovations and Brooke says he doesn’t have the money for that; Mrs....
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Book 4, Chapter 39
...However, she more or less ignores him, and he feels despondent. Dorothea says that Sir James has told her that Mr. Brooke plans to improve the farm and cottages, which thrills...
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Book 5, Chapter 49
The day after Casaubon’s funeral, Dorothea remains shut up in her room. Sir James tells Mr. Brooke that until Dorothea is feeling better, she is not to know about...
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...prevent malicious rumors and gossip. He also can’t force him to leave the country. Sir James begins desperately scheming ways to get Ladislaw a colonial post. He is filled with hate...
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Book 5, Chapter 50
...him would be taken away if she were to marry Ladislaw. Both Celia and Sir James are convinced there is no chance of Dorothea marrying Will. Dorothea is shocked and feels...
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...wants to, and after Celia confesses that she told her sister about Casaubon’s stipulation, Sir James finally agrees to drive her to Lowick. Dorothea says she would like to continue staying...
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Book 6, Chapter 54
...Arthur. She doesn’t want Dorothea to go back to Lowick, and others such as Sir James’s mother and Mrs. Cadwallader disapprove of Dorothea living alone there.
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Sir James enters; Will says goodbye to Dorothea and leaves. Dorothea acts casual, while Sir James remains...
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Book 6, Chapter 55
...her widow’s cap, which Dorothea does reluctantly. Mrs. Cadwallader starts talking about Dorothea remarrying, and James is once again horrified.
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Book 6, Chapter 62
...years to come with his own fortune so they can finally be together. Meanwhile, Sir James feels that he must talk to Dorothea about Will, even though he usually avoids bringing...
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Book 7, Chapter 67
...Bulstrode agrees, although he adds that at the moment she is in Yorkshire with Sir James and Celia. Lydgate says that his association with the New Hospital has made him unpopular...
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Book 8, Chapter 72
...will insult his pride. Dorothea remains desperate to find proof of Lydgate’s innocence, while Sir James—who is these days her “best friend”—advises her strongly against intervening. Dorothea remains so passionate about...
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Book 8, Chapter 76
...that she has too much money and wants to give it away, especially after Sir James and Mr. Brooke persuaded heƒr that her idea of building a colony was “too risky.”...
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Book 8, Chapter 77
...straight to Freshitt Hall. Gripped by a kind of mania, she intends to tell Sir James and Mr. Brooke all about Lydgate’s marriage difficulties.
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Book 8, Chapter 81
Dorothea tells Rosamond that Mr. Farebrother, Mr. Brooke, and Sir James all know and believe the truth about Lydgate’s involvement in the Bulstrode scandal. She then...
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Book 8, Chapter 84
...after the House of Lords defeats the Reform Bill, Mr. Cadwallader and Mrs. Cadwallader, Sir James, Celia, and Lady Chettam are all sitting outside together discussing politics. Mr. Brooke approaches and...
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...with Dorothea, but there was no use as she doesn’t want her fortune anyway. Sir James insists that Dorothea is committing a wrong, while Mr. Cadwallader says she is just doing...
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...should leave. Mr. Brooke invites everyone to dinner the next day, and Celia asks Sir James if they can go to Lowick. James replies that he cannot bear to see Dorothea.
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...Dorothea alone in her boudoir. She tells Dorothea that she has deeply disappointed everyone, especially James. She laments that Dorothea will be poor and surrounded by “queer people,” and that she...
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Finale
...a dangerous pregnancy, Dorothea has given birth to a son. She is upset that Sir James won’t let her see her sister, but James immediately says he will take her the...
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