# Mary Garth — Middlemarch character guide > Mary Garth in Middlemarch by George Eliot. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Mary, Garth, Mary Garth, Miss Garth **First appearance:** 0012-ix ## Snapshot Plain, sensible, and quietly sharp-tongued, she nurses the Vincys, loves the feckless Fred, and refuses to marry a man who won't earn his keep. ## Who they are Mary Garth is the eldest daughter of the Garth family, employed as a governess and nurse in the Vincy household, where her level head and dry wit make her indispensable and unassuming. She loves Fred Vincy but will not accept him until he proves he can work honestly, a refusal that quietly tests both his character and her own resolve. Her plainness and integrity stand as a moral counterweight to the novel's more glamorous and self-deceiving figures. ## Relationships ### [Fred Vincy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/fred_vincy) _romantic_ Fred and Mary are childhood sweethearts who eventually marry after Fred proves his worth and responsibility. ### [Will Ladislaw](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/will_ladislaw) _friendship_ Mary and Will share a warm, intellectual friendship, with Mary appreciating Will's artistic and rebellious nature. ### [Dorothea Brooke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/dorothea_brooke) _friendship_ Dorothea respects Mary's integrity and practicality, and they become allies in supporting Fred and the Garth family. ### [Fred Vincy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/fred_vincy) _romantic_ Fred and Mary are childhood sweethearts who eventually marry after Fred proves his worth and responsibility. ### [Fred Vincy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/fred_vincy) _romantic_ Fred and Mary are childhood sweethearts who eventually marry after Fred proves his worth and responsibility. ### [Dorothea Brooke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/dorothea_brooke) _friendship_ Dorothea respects Mary's integrity and practicality, and they become allies in supporting Fred and the Garth family. ### [Will Ladislaw](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/will_ladislaw) _friendship_ Mary and Will share a warm, intellectual friendship, with Mary appreciating Will's artistic and rebellious nature. ### [Will Ladislaw](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/will_ladislaw) _friendship_ Mary and Will share a warm, intellectual friendship, with Mary appreciating Will's artistic and rebellious nature. ### [Dorothea Brooke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/dorothea_brooke) _friendship_ Dorothea respects Mary's integrity and practicality, and they become allies in supporting Fred and the Garth family. ## In the story ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xii) Mary is honest and satirical, dismissive of Rosamond's interest in Lydgate, and speaks with a streak of satiric bitterness; she also expresses concern about Fred being called 'unsteady'. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xiv) Serves as Featherstone's nurse, enduring his bad temper; has a pointed conversation with Fred about the burdens of being assumed to be in love. ### [Book III: Waiting for Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/book-iii-waiting-for-death) Attends to Featherstone in his final days, demonstrating integrity and patience amidst the family's avarice. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxiii) Mary is the object of Fred's affection; his desire to keep her good opinion motivates his efforts to repay his debt honorably. ### [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxiv) Mary is the object of Fred's love and the moral compass that drives him to act honestly. Fred hopes her good opinion will help him reform. ### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxv) Angry and hurt by Fred's irresponsibility, but shows maternal pity and later gives her savings to her father. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxxii) As household manager, she carries messages between Featherstone and his family, and consults Mrs. Vincy about hospitality. ### [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxxiii) Keeps watch over Featherstone, resists his attempts to involve her in his schemes, and maintains her moral integrity. ### [Book IV: Three Love Problems](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/book-iv-three-love-problems) Remains steadfast in her principles, offering conditional affection to Fred. ### [XXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xxxv) Bids Fred goodbye with affectionate sadness; plans to take another situation to support herself. ### [XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/xl) Decides to take a teaching position at a school in York; sews a handkerchief for Rosamond Vincy's wedding. ### [LII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/lii) Tells Mr. Farebrother she will never marry Fred if he becomes a clergyman, finding the idea ridiculous. ### [LVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/lvii) Mary is not present in the chapter but is the subject of Fred's thoughts and Mrs. Garth's remarks. She is determined to remain constant to Fred. ### [LIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/lix) Mary is present at Lowick Parsonage during the discussion of the codicil and makes a humorous comment about spiders. ### [LXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/lxiii) Bright and effective at the party, telling stories to the children. She is admired by Mr. Farebrother, causing Fred's jealousy. ### [LXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/lxvi) Mary is the subject of Mr. Farebrother's unspoken romantic feelings, which he sacrifices for Fred's sake. ### [LXXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/lxxxvi) Mary is in the garden with Letty, then walks with her father Caleb and learns of the Stone Court plan. She reaffirms her love for Fred and her willingness to wait for him. ### [Finale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/chapters/finale) Marries Fred Vincy, writes a book called 'Stories of Great Men, Taken from Plutarch' for her boys, and secretly rejoices that her youngest son resembles her father Caleb Garth. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters/mary_garth - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/middlemarch_se/characters