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The nineteenth century saw tremendous social change in England, and most of it can be viewed through the microcosm of the town of Middlemarch, the central setting for George Eliot’s greatest work. Written from 1869-1872 but set in 1828-30, the novel takes a long view of the roots of changes still in progress. Through the medium of characters from a variety of social classes and professions, Eliot addresses many major concerns of the nineteenth century: the Reform Movement to grant the franchise and other rights to more citizens, religious tolerance, the emerging industrial economy, advances in medicine, and the Woman Question, among others. However, Eliot also addresses the timeless concerns of human beings: relationships between men and women, courting lovers, friends, husbands and wives, and parents and children; what to do with one’s life; and what to do when all does not go as one hopes it will. It takes a big novel to do all of these things, and Eliot’s novel is big, but it is also humorous, humane, and profound, and there is something in it for everyone. We will discuss the historical, political, scientific, and social context for the novel in the class. All editions of the novel, including electronic ones, are acceptable for use in the class. For each of the course sessions, we will read approximately one-quarter of the novel, with additional short contemporary texts and images and other media introduced during the class time, which will be from 10:00-16:00 on the dates below.
Monday, July 23: Middlemarch, Books 1 and 2
Thursday, July 26: Middlemarch, Books 3 and 4
Tuesday, July 31: Middlemarch, Books 5 and 6
Thursday, August 2: Middlemarch, Books 7 and 8 |
