* To avoid gender prejudice. In the 19th century, it was common for female writers to publish their work under male pseudonyms in order to be taken more seriously by readers and critics. By using the name George Eliot, Evans was able to escape the prejudices that women writers often faced and compete on an equal footing with male authors.
* To create a distinct literary persona. The name George Eliot allowed Evans to create a separate identity for her writing, one that was not tied to her personal life. This allowed her to experiment with different styles and genres of writing and to explore topics that she might not have felt comfortable writing about under her own name.
* To protect her privacy. By using a pseudonym, Evans was able to protect her privacy and keep her personal life separate from her literary career. This was important to her because she was a private person who did not want her personal life to be the subject of public scrutiny.
The pen name George Eliot was a strategic choice that allowed Mary Anne Evans to overcome the challenges of being a female writer in the 19th century and to establish herself as one of the most respected and successful writers of her time.