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Lesson 1 (from Prelude and Chapters 1-3)

Objective

Society in Middlemarch, as in many other places during the Victorian Era, was largely based on class and wealth. The objective of these exercises is to help students better understand the class structure of Middlemarch.

Lesson

1) In-class discussion: What is the structure of Victorian society? What place does each main character appear to occupy in society? Who is of a higher rank, and who is lower? What variables form the basis for this hierarchy?

2) Small group activity: Divide the class into groups of three or four. Based on evidence from the text, have students make a diagram of the social structure of Middlemarch and plug the characters' names in where they think they would fit. Come back together as a class and discuss.

3) In-class writing assignment: Write a paragraph comparing your town to Middlemarch. If the people you know (your clergyman, dentist, teachers, etc.) lived during...

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