Middlemarch · Character

Caleb Garth

An honest land agent and builder who takes pride in work well done, he is offered back the estates he once lost and asks only for fair pay.

supporting

Also known as Caleb Garth, Caleb, Garth

First appearance: ix

As a supporting figure in Middlemarch, Caleb Garth is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Discusses Fred's debts and future with his wife, showing concern for Fred's character and prospects.

In the storyBook III: Waiting for DeathOpen this moment free

See Caleb Garth in Book III: Waiting for Death Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Caleb Garth is a hardworking, plainspoken land agent and father of Mary, respected for his integrity in a world of shifting loyalties and self-interest. Dismissed once from the Tipton agency, he is asked to resume it alongside Freshitt, and his quiet joy at the offer—tempered only by his insistence on fair pay—reveals a man who measures worth in honest labor. His steady presence and moral clarity give the novel one of its few unambiguously good figures.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Caleb Garth sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Caleb Garth in ix

Character Web

34 connections

A slice of how Caleb Garth sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Middlemarch social and professional network
Local gossips and matrons
Minor townspeople, relatives, and servants

+29 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this scene, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when Dorothea, having just endured the humiliation…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

In the story

Caleb Garth appears across 14 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Book III: Waiting for Death
Discusses Fred's debts and future with his wife, showing concern for Fred's character and prospects.
XXIII
Caleb Garth, trusting and indulgent, agrees to help Fred by signing a loan, despite his own straitened circumstances, and offers a friendly admonition.
XXIV
Caleb is a hardworking man who reveres 'business' as a sacred calling. He is disappointed by Fred's actions but accepts the loss of his savings with a philosophical attitude.
XXV
Visits Stone Court to tell Mary about the financial loss and warns her against trusting Fred.
XXXV
Examines the stranger Rigg with intelligent curiosity; expresses a wish that there were no such thing as a will.
XL
Contemplates offering Fred Vincy a role in land management; shares news of his new agency for Freshitt and Tipton estates.
XLI
Mentioned as having been involved in transactions between Bulstrode and Rigg concerning the land attached to Stone Court.
LIII
Meets Bulstrode at Stone Court to advise on stable drainage; observes Raffles' arrival.
LVI
Caleb praises Dorothea's understanding of business and takes on management of Lowick Manor's farms and tenements; he also hires Fred Vincy but is dismayed by Fred's poor handwriting.
LVII
Caleb is not present but is referenced as Mrs. Garth's moral tribunal; she plans to confess her indiscretion to him.
LXVI
Caleb Garth is mentioned as someone whose patience Fred risks wearing out through his gambling habits.
LXVIII
Devises a plan for Fred Vincy to lease Stone Court under his management, and eagerly inspects the property, keeping the scheme secret from Fred and Mary.
LXXXV
Previously considered managing Stone Court; Bulstrode suggests he might accept the proposal if it is for Fred's sake.
LXXXVI
Caleb brings news to Mary that Fred may manage Stone Court, showing his careful, loving concern for his daughter's future and his willingness to take responsibility for the farm.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Caleb Garth unlock in the free preview.

See Caleb Garth in ix

See Caleb Garth in Book III: Waiting for Death