George Eliot, whose given name was MaryAnne Evans, was born during a time when women authors were only beginning to use their female names, rather than use male pen names to protect their gender from the public. Eliot chose to continue the tradition of using a male pen name in the hope of avoiding the stereotypical idea that women could only write lighthearted romance. In addition, she may have done so to shield her somewhat scandalous personal life from public scrutiny.
As a child Eliot was very intelligent as well as an avid reader. However, she was not considered physically beautiful. Her father, assuming that she would not marry invested in her education (something that was not typically offered to girls during that time in history). Eliot achieved great success academically. However, at the age of 16 her mother died and she was required to return to the family home, ending her formal education. Eliot continued to live with her father and keep house for him until the age of 30 when he passed away.