"Can't We All Get Along?" Today's Political Discourse Through the Eyes of Adam Bede Characters

In 1799 rural life in Britain was relatively similar across the country. Most people were poor and struggled to provide for their families. The romanticization of a young woman dreaming of living a life of luxury with a with a wealthy squire and the strange notion of a woman preacher would have been common encounters for rural citizens across Europe.

Mary Ann Evans published Adam Bede in 1859. This was a period of time where enlightenment thinking had become part of society long enough for it to start to sink into action. This was also a time of religious tension in England. Enlightenment principles like individual social liberty and tolerance of other individuals were portrayed in characters like Mr. Irwine and Dinah. These characters were accepting and thought that all humans deserved respect:

"These fellow-mortals, every one, must be accepted as they are: you can neither straighten their noses, nore brighten their wit, nor rectify their dispositions; and it is these people--amongst whom your life is passed--that it is needful you should tolerate, pity and love: it is these more or less ugly, stupid, inconsistent people, whose movements of goodness you should be able to admire--" (Narrator, 17:160)

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Dinah set out to prove that caring for the dispossessed is the most important part of religion and Mr. Irwine was respectful of Dinah's title as a preacher despite being a woman.

As I skimmed through the reviews the comments mentioned themes kindness and tolerance. With the polarizing climate of politics and the dangerous rhetoric taking place in media, it seems as though the notion of kindness and tolerance has been lost.

As I have sought to find the truth concerning social issues we face in society I have found that the intentions of those supposedly fighting for the dispossessed are less concerned with helping the afflicted and more concerned about hating and smearing their opposition. Has the enlightenment value of the sovereign individual been lost? Are we being forced to join ideology groups to feel part of the compassionate cause?

I definitely don't have the answers, but a song written by Kenny Chesney in light of today's political discourse comes to mind:

"Get along on down the road
We've got a long, long way to go
Scared to live, scared to die
We ain't perfect, but we try
Get along while we can
Always give love the upper hand
Paint a wall
Learn to dance, call your Mom
Buy a boat, drink a beer
Sing a song, make a friend
Can't we all
Get along."       

While the premise may be simple and commonsensical, I think Mary Ann Evens, Dinah, and Mr. Irwine would all agree with Mr. Chesney.