the problem where the sacredness of obedience ended, and where the sacredness of rebellion began." - Meaning and context.">
Volume III, Chapter X

The law was sacred. Yes, but rebellion might be sacred too. It flashed upon her mind that the problem before her was essentially the same as that which had lain before Savonarola—the problem where the sacredness of obedience ended, and where the sacredness of rebellion began.

— George Eliot

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The law was sacred. Yes, but rebellion might be sacred too. It flashed upon her mind that the problem before her was essentially the same as that which had lain before Savonarola—the problem where the sacredness of obedience ended, and where the sacredness of rebellion began." in the context of "Volume III, Chapter X" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "George Eliot" (Quotes, Romola (1863): First book edition text at Wikisource; chapter numbering differs in later editions.) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
George Eliot

About George Eliot

George Eliot (born Mary Ann Evans; 22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880) was an English novelist and poet. Despite the strong social customs of her times against such arrangements, she lived unmarried with fellow writer George Henry Lewes‎‎ for over 20 years.