Middlemarch at 150: Eight Reflections

Abstract

abstract:Eight scholars of Victorian literature reflect on George Eliot's Middlemarch in honor of the 150th anniversary of its publication. The authors offer their personal responses to the novel, and each has a unique focus: insights into the lesser known characters who contribute essential strands to the rich fabric of the text, reflections on friendships within and beyond the novel, analysis of the complexities of characters' thought processes, a letter to Mr. Casaubon and a comparison between reading the novel as a rushed graduate student and later as a more seasoned scholar, a reflection on how Middlemarch is NOT Jane Eyre and a belated appreciation of its humor, an analysis of the novel in context of a "world historical energy transition" and the current climate crisis, musings on reading Middlemarch for the first time while also teaching for the first time, and finally a defense of the character of Rosamond.