Adam Bede

Adam is a tall, handsome, hard-working carpenter with a strong character and plenty of common sense. But when it comes to Hetty Sorrel, Adam is blinded by love, drunk as it were on his feelings for her to the extent that he can't read his own feelings well. Adam shows patience and devotion toward his aging mother, especially after she is widowed by the drowning of her husband. Because Adam is simple, he sees the world in simple terms and perhaps misses many of the subtler colors and nuances of relationships. Adam's work ethic and his sturdy character serve him well once he realizes that Hetty is involved with Arthur Donnithorne; he is really the one who saves her life when she faces execution for the murder of her illegitimate child. After the disastrous affair, in typical fashion, Adam readjusts himself to life and eventually marries Dinah...