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

Instructor Access (Optional grading support) is available for this course. Please note: this is ONLY recommended if you wish to write the optional paper. All quizzes are internally graded in this course. Optional papers will be completed via this page (click here) for an Instructor Access fee of $75.

NOTICE: This is an older course recorded with Adobe Connect and/or Vimeo recordings. We are currently working to replace the recordings with new Zoom recordings.  Please don't hesitate to email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com with any questions.

 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 (Students can also sign up for an optional ​ literary essay with 6 weeks to complete)​.​

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: Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Course Description: Encounter the vast complexity of one of the greatest novels of English literary history. 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 class 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: Introduction, Middlemarch, Books II-III.

• Week 3: Introduction, Middlemarch, Book IV-V.

• Week 4: Introduction, Middlemarch, Book VI.

• Week 5: Introduction, Middlemarch, Book VII.

• Week 6: Introduction, Middlemarch, Book VIII.

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.

If you have any questions please contact us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com.

©2020 Homeschool Connections and Eleanor Bourg Nicholson. All rights reserved. This course is designed by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson.

• This material is only to be used for its intended purpose by active subscribers of Homeschool Connections. Any other use without explicit permission is in violation of the seventh commandment (yes, the 7th commandment) and in violation of US and International copyright laws.

• You may print or download to local hard disk extracts for your personal homeschool and non-commercial use only. This is not to be used for homeschool co-ops without express written permission from Homeschool Connections.