Middlemarch Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. How do we approach long novels differently from short ones?
  2. Originally, this novel was going to be called "Miss Brooke" (that became the title of the first volume). The final version, as you know, is called Middlemarch. Why do you think Eliot changed the title?
  3. What's the purpose of the Prelude and the Finale?
  4. Does Eliot change the definition of what "an epic life" is by the end of the novel?
  5. Is the end of the novel disappointing?
  6. Is Dorothea's life a failure? What constitutes failure in the world of this novel?