Encounter the vast complexity of one of the greatest novels of English literary history.

 How to get the most out of Middlemarch

 With Eleanor Bourg Nicholson:

• Read the course materials below and do the assigned reading (Book 1 of Middlemarch) BEFORE viewing the first class and read all assigned texts/chapters BEFORE all subsequent classes. IF YOU DON'T READ THE MATERIALS, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE CLASSES!!

• Take the weekly identification quiz BEFORE viewing each week's class. Refresh your memory on plot/character points you might have missed. Take the quiz a second time if you need to!

• As you read, note down themes or questions.

• You do NOT need to take notes as you watch each class unless it helps you focus!

• Re-watch the recording and/or review the PowerPoint from class as needed.

• Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for each week.

• Repeat each week until the course is completed.

• Once the course is completed to the parent's satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Total Classes: ​6 weeks of classes

Class dates: Thursdays, March 6 to April 10, 2025

Starting time: 2:30 PM Eastern (1:30 Central, 12:30 Mountain, 11:30 Pacific)

Duration: 55 minutes.

Prerequisite: ​Has attended at least one Literature Class previously. Read ​Book I of Middlemarch before Class 1.

Suggested Grade Level: 11-12.

Suggested Credit: 1​/2-semester Literature or Victorian Literature.

Instructor Bio: Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Fee: For all 6 classes: $99 if you register on or before November 15; $119 if you register after Nov. 15. (Registration closes one week before the first day of class. After that date, registrations are not guaranteed. There is a $20 surcharge for late enrollments after the course is closed.)

Course Description:  In George Eliot’s Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life (1871-2) we will delve into a wide range of historical issues, such as the status of women in society, the nature of marriage, humanism and idealism, religion, political reform, developments in industry, medicine, and education—all through the lens of the eventful and socially tumultuous English 1830s. In addition to cultivating artistic appreciation and a love of reading, this course facilitates the development of critical reasoning, the disciplined use of the imagination, and a strong knowledge of historical and literary context.

Course Outline:

·         Week 1: Introduction, Middlemarch, Book I.

·         Week 2: Middlemarch, Books II-III.

·         Week 3: Middlemarch, Book IV-V.

·         Week 4: Middlemarch, Book VI.

·         Week 5: Middlemarch, Book VII.

·         Week 6: Middlemarch, Book VIII; Review.

Course Materials: (Penguin, Oxford, or Dover editions recommended; other editions accepted)

·         George Eliot’s Middlemarch

Homework: 3 hours reading per week, 1 identification quiz per week; miscellaneous small assignments. A literary-critical writing project opportunity is available for extra credit.