“My writing is simply a set of experiments in life” —George Eliot
This discussion-based literature course will focus on George Eliot’s masterpiece, Middlemarch, famously described by Virginia Woolf as “one of the few English novels for grown-up people.” Published in eight installments between 1871 and 1872, Eliot’s expansive, intricately plotted novel follows the interconnected lives of several families and their friends and neighbours in a bustling provincial town in the early 1830s. In addition to having compelling characters, moving plots, and a memorably wise and witty narrator, Middlemarch comments on some of the most pressing social and political issues of the Victorian era, including electoral reform, medical advancements, railway expansion, and “the woman question.” It is also one of the great examples of nineteenth-century realism, the literary mode that Eliot believed to be best suited for portraying the lives of everyday people and evoking sympathy with their struggles.
By reading Middlemarch alongside selected texts about Eliot’s life and the historical and literary context, we will explore various questions raised by this novel which remain relevant to contemporary life. What place is there for idealism amid the realities of modern life? Why do people marry, and what dooms marriages to fail? What does it mean to have a vocation? Is it possible to find equal happiness in love and work? How does money affect relationships? What makes some people more ambitious than others, and how does ambition affect individuals differently? And finally, how can we feel sympathy for the plight of those who are different from ourselves—and what role can reading play in encouraging us to remain compassionate and open-hearted?
Required text:
Participants must obtain a copy of the required texts at the bookstore or library of their choice.
Standard Tuition: $160.00
New Participant Tuition: $115.00
Day: Wednesdays
Time: 6:15 - 8:15 PM
Location: 3405 Atwater Ave
Course leaders: Charlotte Boatner-Doane, Shernaz Choksi, Louise Jarrett
Please note that in the case of extenuating circumstances (e.g. a snowstorm) an in-person course may be temporarily held on Zoom.
First session: January 13 2027
Course length: 6 weeks
Degree credit: 1.5
Maximum number of participants: 18
Please note that the Thomas More Institute does not allow participants to audit courses for free.
About the Thomas More Institute: The Thomas More Institute has been providing adults with stimulating lifelong learning opportunities in Montreal since 1945. A secular and non-profit academic institution, TMI offers an ever-evolving choice of university-level courses in the liberal arts, including discussion-based courses, lecture-style courses, writing workshops, and more. Our courses are held in small groups, offering an alternative learning environment to that of traditional university courses. You can take individual courses that interest you, or work toward a structured bachelor of arts degree or comprehensive certificate that involve additional coursework. Share Your Curiosity at TMI!
About course fees: all prices displayed include Tuition and the Administrative fee.
Leaders of another course, and anyone else wishing to register by phone, should call (514) 935-9585 to register.
All course participants registering should read and abide by the Thomas More Institute Code of Conduct.
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