George Eliot’s Middlemarch (1872), is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels in the English language. A fascinating portrait of life in a provincial English town during the politically charged years of 1829-32, Middlemarch features a wide array of characters bound together in a complex social web. Its psychological complexity, moral seriousness, and subtle humor—as well as its depiction of ambition, disillusionment, and betrayal—are some reasons Virginia Woolf famously called it “one of the few English novels written for grownup people.”

The journalist Nathan Heller recently noted that in an age dominated by social media and smartphones, “assigning Middlemarch . . . [is] like trying to land a 747 on a small rural airstrip.” The novel demands a level of attention and focus—not to mention time—that few people in the 21st century devote to books. But Eliot’s masterpiece rewards that attention, and this seminar will make the experience even more fruitful.

In twice-weekly discussions of the novel, fellows will consider such questions as: What, if anything, makes human improvement possible? How does the novel’s community adapt or react to social and political change? How can we better understand the people around us? What does the novel suggest constitutes a good life? What are the characteristics of a happy marriage?

Image: Camille Pissarro, Landscape at Eragny, 1897

Christopher Scalia on Middlemarch

This course is offered by Humanities at Hertog. It takes place weekly on Mondays & Thursdays, via Zoom, from 6 PM to 8 PM ET. Fellows will receive a $150 stipend contingent upon participation in the course and completion of a brief response paper. All course materials will be provided.

Faculty

Christopher Scalia

Christopher J. Scalia is a senior fellow in the Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies department at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on literature, culture, and higher education. Prior to his role at AEI, Dr. Scalia was an English professor with a specialty in 18th-century and early 19th-century British literature.

Preview the Syllabus by Week/Session

Readings:

  • Middlemarch, Prelude & Book I (pp. 3–112)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Based on the Prelude and first chapters, how would you characterize Dorothea? What are her ambitions, and what are her expectations from marriage? How would you characterize the relationship between her and Celia?
  2. What is your reaction to Dorothea’s interest in Casaubon? Why is she drawn to him? Are her family and others justified in being concerned?

Readings:

  • Middlemarch, Book II (pp. 115–211)

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does Lydgate’s behavior in the process of selecting a new chaplain, and particularly his attitude toward Farebrother, shape your understanding of him? More generally, what does this process show about Middlemarch as a community?
  2. What do you make of Will Ladislaw? How would you characterize his relationship with Casaubon? With Dorothea? Is he a sympathetic character?

Readings:

  • Middlemarch, Book III (pp. 215–99)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the relationship between Fred and Mary. What are their attitudes toward each other? How does their romance compare with others in the novel so far?
  2. How has marriage met, or failed to meet, Dorothea’s expectations? What do you make of the narrator’s sudden shift to a different point of view at the start of Chapter 29—does this shift change your attitude toward Casaubon change at all?

Readings:

  • Middlemarch, Book IV (pp. 303–401)

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you characterize Peter Featherstone? How do members of his community and family perceive him? Given what happens early in Book IV, what do you make of Mary’s decision at the end of Book III—was she right to act (or refrain from acting) as she did?
  2. What major developments transpire between Casaubon and Dorothea? How does their relationship change? In your response, consider the decision she makes at the end of Chapter 42.

Readings:

  • Middlemarch, Book V (pp. 405–99)

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your judgement of Ladislaw’s behavior in these chapters? What is the source of his attraction to Dorothea? Is his treatment of her, and Casaubon, appropriate or justifiable—and is he perceived fairly by the community?
  2. What role do national politics play in these chapters? You may consider, for example, how major political reforms relate to more local ones (such as Lydgate’s efforts in the medical field); whether Mr. Brooke’s involvement in the reform movement makes him a more sympathetic character; or the analogous relationship between political reform and the “dead hand” of Casaubon’s will.

Readings:

  • Middlemarch, Book VI (pp. 503–98)

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does Dorothea respond to her husband’s death? What insights does she gain about herself, or do we gain about her, during her visit with her sister?
  2. How has the relationship between Mary and Fred developed over the course of the novel so far? Has either character changed or matured? What forces bring them together?

Readings:

  • Middlemarch, Book VII (pp. 601–87)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Consider the Lydgate’s marriage. What are the sources of tension between Tertius and Rosamond? Do you feel more sympathy for one than the other? How do their struggles compare with those of another couple in the work?
  2. Given his behavior in these chapters, is it fair to understand Bulstrode as the novel’s villain? Does he demonstrate any capacity for redemption? Is he remotely sympathetic?

Readings:

  • Middlemarch, Book VIII (pp. 691–785)

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you make of Harriet Bulstrode’s response to learning about her husband’s actions? How does their marriage compare to another in this section?
  2. How does Dorothea’s fate, especially as described in the finale, relate to what we first encountered in the Prelude? What does the general attitude toward her new relationship suggest about the wisdom of the community, or the limits of our knowledge of other people?

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