reading the part of adam bede where "the story pauses a little" and thinking about portrayals of beauty being thought of as unrealistic. george eliot says that the objection to portraying idealised beauty is not only that it does not reflect the world as it is, but that it cultivates in us intolerance for what is imperfect (but really there.) and distinguished between two kinds of beauty: "all honour and reverence to the divine beauty of form! ...but let us love that other beauty too, which lies in no secret of propotion but in the secret of deep human sympathy." the latter of which is, i suppose, what we are thinking about, when we say in the eyes of the beholder. elaine scarry says that moral critiques of beauty relegate beauty from the transcendental realm in deference to the sublime, so that it becomes almost triffling, but critiques from realism cuts beauty off from the "real world," so where does that leave beauty? and i am too tired to continue this entry. more later.