The English Midlands at the turn of the eighteenth century is the setting for George Eliot's moving novel of three unworldly people trapped by unwise love. Adam Bede, a simple carpenter, loves too blindly; Hetty Sorrel, a coquettish beauty, loves too recklessly; and Arthur Donnithorne, a dashing squire, loves too carelessly. Betrayed by their innocence, vanity and imprudence, their foolish hearts lead them to a tragic triangle of seduction, murder, and retribution.

(Key Words: George Eliot, England, Rural Life, Conflict, Romance, English Midlands, Love, Adam Bede, Vanity, Imprudence, Tragedy, Seduction, Murder, Retribution).