Middlemarch Lesson Plan

Was Lydgate right to vote for Tyke? Why or why not?

This discussion will hinge on students' definition of right. Whether Lydgate's vote was morally right is a different question from whether it was the right choice for him to make given his situation. Students could argue, morally, he should've voted for the man he preferred in the job. However, he wouldn't have actually had a preference if Farebrother were not his friend--it's not like he's voting for a man he thinks is evil. From a social standpoint, students will more likely lean towards saying it was the right choice. Lydgate didn't want to make an enemy of Bulstrode, which he surely would've done if he had voted...