In this post, notes of “Unit 1: The Mill on the Floss Summary by George Eliot” from “DSC- 8: Victorian Literature” are given which is helpful for the students doing graduation this year.
Introduction to George Eliot
Brief Biography:
Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880) is known by her pen name, George Eliot. She wrote important works of Victorian literature.
Born in Warwickshire, England, Evans had a modest upbringing. Her mother died when she was young, and she had a difficult relationship with her father.
She was taught at home and later went to a local boarding school, where she became interested in literature and philosophy.
Evans started her career as a writer and editor. She worked for the Westminster Review, a well-known journal, where she met important thinkers like George Henry Lewes.
She had a long-term relationship with him, which was controversial at the time. She chose the name “George Eliot” to avoid the limits placed on women writers and to gain more respect for her work.
Context: Victorian Era:
The Victorian era (1837-1901), named after Queen Victoria, was a time of great change in Britain. The Industrial Revolution led to rapid growth in cities and changes in society.
There were huge differences between the rich, especially the growing middle class and factory owners, and the poor, who faced tough working conditions.
This time also saw big changes in morals, religion, and ideas. The rise of science and logical thinking, led by people like Charles Darwin, challenged old religious beliefs.
The British Empire grew, bringing new views from around the world but also raising difficult questions about colonialism.
Literary Context:
Victorian literature reflected the concerns of society. Writers like Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the Brontë sisters, and Thomas Hardy wrote about class, morals, and personal responsibility. George Eliot was different because she focused on deep human emotions and the complexities of people. Her works looked at how individual lives connect with society, the role of women, and the limits of moral certainty.
Eliot’s main works, like Middlemarch and Silas Marner, explore these ideas thoughtfully, focusing on character growth and social issues.
Through her writing, she became a key figure in Victorian literature, challenging norms and examining the human experience in a deep and thoughtful way.
The Mill on the Floss Summary
Childhood at Dorlcote Mill:
The story starts with the Tulliver family, who live at Dorlcote Mill near St. Ogg’s village. Mr. Tulliver runs the mill, and he and his wife, Mrs. Tulliver, have two children: Maggie and Tom.
Maggie is smart and curious, while Tom is practical and serious. Their life seems happy and simple, but there are hints of future struggles.
Family’s Financial Problems:
The Tullivers’ happy life changes when Mr. Tulliver loses a lawsuit, leading to their financial ruin. They go into debt, have to sell the mill, and face poverty. This change affects their social status and makes growing up tough for Maggie and Tom. Maggie finds it especially hard because poverty limits her dreams for a richer life.
Maggie and Tom’s Relationship:
Maggie and Tom’s bond is important in the story. They are close as kids, but as they grow up, their differences show. Tom is protective but also strict and focused on social rules, while Maggie is more independent and sensitive. She feels torn between her love for Tom and her wishes for a more meaningful life. Tom often doesn’t understand what Maggie needs emotionally, which creates conflict between them.
Key Events Leading to the Climax and Resolution:
- Maggie’s Love Interests: Maggie’s feelings for two men are key to the plot. She connects deeply with Philip Wakem, the son of the man who won the lawsuit against her father. Even though their families are different, she likes Philip’s kindness but struggles with her family’s disapproval.
Later, she meets Steerforth, a charming man who offers excitement. However, running away with him leads to regret and scandal.
- The Climax: The story reaches its peak when Maggie, after a tough time, tries to go back home and fix things with her family. Tragically, she and Tom are caught in a flood while trying to escape after arguing. The flood symbolizes the uncontrollable troubles in Maggie’s life.
- The Resolution: In the end, both Maggie and Tom drown in the river, ending their struggles. Maggie’s death represents freedom from the restrictions she faced, while Tom’s death brings a tragic understanding between them.
The story concludes by showing that Maggie, despite her mistakes and society’s judgment, longed for connection and understanding that she never fully achieved. Her death symbolizes the end of her search for love and self-knowledge, while the novel reflects on fate, morality, and the complexities of human nature.
Character Analysis
1. Maggie Tulliver: Maggie Tulliver is a complicated and tragic character in Victorian literature. She struggles between her own desires and what society expects of her. From a young age, Maggie is shown to be smart, sensitive, and emotional, but also rebellious. As she grows up, she realizes that her gender and social class limit her freedom. Maggie wants to think freely and find emotional happiness, but society’s rules hold her back.
- Internal Conflicts: Maggie’s main struggle is between what she feels and thinks versus what society expects. She loves her brother Tom and feels a duty to her family, but she also wants more from life, which she can’t find in her small town.
- Relationships:
- Tom Tulliver: Maggie’s relationship with Tom is both loving and tense. He cares for her but represents the strict rules of society, failing to understand her deeper feelings and thoughts. This causes friction, especially when Tom criticizes her relationships with other men.
- Philip Wakem: Philip is one of the few who understands Maggie well, and their relationship shows her need for emotional and intellectual connection. However, their love is complicated by class differences and family expectations, especially since Philip’s father caused the Tullivers’ financial problems.
- Stephen Guest: Stephen’s interest in Maggie leads her to a scandalous relationship that harms her reputation. His charm draws her in, but being with him creates a conflict between her desires and her responsibilities.
2. Tom Tulliver: Tom Tulliver, Maggie’s older brother, represents the strict morals of Victorian society. He loves Maggie but is also harsh and judgmental. After their father’s financial issues, Tom takes on a protective role, but his need to uphold family honor often stifles Maggie.
- Protective Nature: Tom’s protection comes from love but also a strong sense of duty. He tries to control Maggie to maintain the family’s reputation.
- Relationship with Maggie: Tom struggles to understand Maggie’s curiosity and emotions, often seeing her actions as a betrayal of family values. His inability to shield her from society’s judgment leads to her feeling isolated.
- Role in Family’s Financial Issues: Tom’s stubbornness contributes to their family’s financial problems. Although he eventually realizes his mistakes, it is too late to prevent Maggie’s tragedy.
3. Philip Wakem: Philip Wakem, the son of the man who hurt the Tulliver family, is a sensitive and thoughtful character. Though he is weak and seen as an outsider, he deeply loves Maggie and respects her intellect and emotions.
- Love for Maggie: Philip loves Maggie selflessly and accepts her fully, despite their social differences. He offers a genuine love that contrasts with the shallow attention from men like Stephen.
- Societal Challenges: Philip and Maggie face many societal obstacles, including his low social status and her family’s disapproval of their relationship.
4. Stephen Guest: Stephen Guest is a charming and carefree character who leads Maggie into a moral crisis. He is attractive but selfish and ultimately harms her.
- Maggie’s Romantic Interest: Stephen’s flirtation with Maggie creates confusion for her as she is captivated by his attention. Despite knowing the risks, she is drawn to him due to her emotional struggles.
- Role in Maggie’s Moral Dilemma: Stephen represents the conflict between passion and duty. His actions force Maggie to choose between her desires and societal expectations, leading to her downfall.
5. Supporting Characters:
- Mr. and Mrs. Tulliver: Their personalities affect Maggie and Tom’s growth. Mr. Tulliver is proud and blind to the consequences of his actions, while Mrs. Tulliver focuses on social norms, limiting Maggie’s freedom.
- Aunt and Uncle Pullet: They represent older values and criticize Maggie’s free spirit, trying to impose their beliefs on her.
- Mr. Wakem: Philip’s father is a complex figure who symbolizes the authority that contributed to the Tullivers’ financial troubles. However, his son Philip’s kindness shows that moral authority isn’t always compassionate.
Themes Exploration
1. Gender Roles and Societal Expectations: Maggie’s life is greatly affected by the strict gender roles of her time. As a woman, she is expected to be modest and obedient. Her desire for knowledge and freedom clashes with societal norms, making her feel trapped. The novel criticizes the limited roles for women and the harsh judgment they face, especially those like Maggie who challenge these norms.
2. Conflict Between Passion and Duty: Maggie often feels torn between her passions—intellectual, emotional, and romantic—and her responsibilities to her family and society. Her relationships with Philip and Stephen show her longing for more, while her bond with Tom reflects her sense of duty. This inner conflict leads to tragic decisions.
3. Education and Intellectual Freedom: Maggie craves education and knowledge, but her opportunities are limited as a woman. The expectations around her restrict her intellectual freedom, highlighting the challenges women faced during the Victorian era.
4. Family Dynamics: The relationships within the Tulliver family are key to the story. Tom’s strictness and their parents’ pride shape Maggie’s life, making it hard for her to pursue what she truly wants. Family loyalty and social status greatly influence the characters’ fates, leading to Maggie’s tragic choices and death.
Symbols and Themes
1. The River Floss: The River Floss is a strong symbol in The Mill on the Floss. It shows the flow of time and the unpredictable events in life that influence people’s futures. The river is always present in the story, representing change, fate, and emotional struggle.
- Change in Life: The river’s constant flow reflects how life is always changing. Just like the river flows on its own, the Tulliver family faces challenges they cannot control, such as money problems, family duties, and society’s judgment. Maggie’s growth also shows this change as she deals with her wants and the limits placed on her by society.
- Unpredictability: The river flooding at a key moment in the story represents the unexpected events that can upset people’s lives. When the river overflows, it symbolizes how Maggie’s life is overwhelmed by strong emotional and social pressures. The flood represents the peak of Maggie’s struggles, freeing her from her limitations but also leading to her tragic end.
2. The Mill: The Mill at Dorlcote is important to the Tulliver family for both work and their way of life. It stands for hard work, tradition, and stability, but losing the mill also means losing their wealth and place in society.
- Family’s Work: At first, the mill is a sign of success and independence. Mr. Tulliver is proud of being a miller, and the mill shows how the family maintains their social and economic status. It represents a life based on hard work and tradition.
- Downfall: When the mill is lost after Mr. Tulliver’s legal troubles, it starts the family’s decline. The mill’s loss symbolizes how fragile human plans can be and how fate can disrupt stability. For Maggie, losing the mill means losing her childhood and facing an uncertain future.
Literary Techniques
1. Irony and Foreshadowing: George Eliot uses irony and foreshadowing to add depth to the story.
- Irony: There is a sad irony in Maggie’s journey. She is smart and emotional, but her search for love and knowledge leads to her downfall. Her love for Philip and Stephen brings scandal, while Tom’s strict views blind him to Maggie’s struggles. The Tulliver family’s downfall is also ironic, as Mr. Tulliver’s pride leads him to misjudge the effects of his legal loss.
- Foreshadowing: Eliot hints at the tragedy that will happen to Maggie. Early on, we see the tension between Maggie and society’s rules, and hints about her love interests. The river is mentioned early, foreshadowing the flood that will later change Maggie’s life.
2. Narrative Style and Structure: Eliot writes with a third-person omniscient narrator who shows the thoughts and feelings of the characters. This style helps explore the characters’ inner lives and gives a deeper understanding of their actions. The narrator often shifts viewpoints between Maggie, Tom, and others, showing the emotional conflicts that drive the story.
- Structure: The novel is divided into different parts, each one looking at various stages of the characters’ lives, from childhood to adult struggles. This structure reflects the Tulliver family’s gradual development and decline, as well as Maggie’s growth from a curious girl to a tragic adult facing societal pressures.
3. Figurative Language: Eliot uses figurative language, like metaphors and similes, to add depth to the story. Through vivid descriptions, Eliot shares the characters’ emotions and the symbols that reflect their experiences.
- Metaphors and Similes: Eliot often compares nature to human feelings. For example, Maggie’s emotional struggles are likened to rough rivers or stormy seas, highlighting uncontrollable forces. The river imagery recurs throughout the novel, linking Maggie’s growth and suffering to the changing flow of water.
- Impact on Storytelling: This figurative language deepens the emotional impact of the story, helping readers connect with the characters’ struggles. It also explores larger themes, like the clash between personal desires and social expectations, and the conflict between freedom and moral duties.
In summary, Eliot’s use of symbols and literary techniques enhances the reader’s understanding of the characters’ emotions and the main themes of the novel. The river, mill, and characters’ relationships with these symbols highlight the complexities of life, especially within the strict moral and social rules of Victorian society.
Key perspactives
1. Feminist View of Maggie’s Challenges: From a feminist view, Maggie Tulliver’s problems show the limits placed on women in the Victorian era, especially regarding their freedom to think and feel. Maggie is shown as smart and passionate but is trapped by society’s expectations for women.
- Maggie’s Wish for Knowledge and Emotion: Maggie wants to learn and feel deeply, but the roles for women in her time are very limited. Men like Tom and Philip can chase their goals freely, while Maggie’s desire for knowledge and emotional independence is looked at with doubt. Her feelings for Philip and Stephen show her wish for personal growth, but society’s criticism of her love life reveals the unfair treatment women face.
- Social and Moral Limits: Maggie is punished for not following the rules, and her romantic choices lead her to be shunned by society. A feminist view suggests that Maggie’s tragic fate comes from a society that doesn’t let women follow their desires without facing harsh penalties. Her sad ending criticizes a society that restricts women’s choices, making them vulnerable to judgment.
2. Marxist View of the Tulliver Family’s Money Problems: A Marxist view of the Tulliver family’s story looks at the money problems and class issues in the novel. The Tulliver family’s decline shows how unstable social classes can be in a changing society.
- The Mill as a Sign of Financial Stability: The mill, which supports the Tullivers’ livelihood and reputation, symbolizes how fragile their situation is in the capitalist economy. Mr. Tulliver’s financial failure and the loss of the mill show how quickly fortunes can change in a capitalist world.
- Class and Moving Up in Society: The Tullivers represent the rising middle class that still faces challenges to stability and advancement, especially during legal and financial troubles. The novel shows how wealth and status can be lost easily, highlighting the weaknesses of the family’s financial situation. Their decline also points out the unfairness in the legal system, as Mr. Tulliver’s lawsuit loss worsens their money troubles and leads to social isolation. This reflects the difficulties faced by the working and middle classes in capitalism.
3. Psychological View of Characters’ Actions: A psychological view of The Mill on the Floss looks at the complicated reasons behind the characters’ actions, especially Maggie’s.
- Maggie’s Inner Conflict: Maggie struggles with her need for love, freedom, and family duty. She feels torn between wanting emotional connections and obeying societal expectations. Her relationships with Tom, Philip, and Stephen show her fight to balance her feelings with society’s rules. Maggie’s need for deep emotional ties and her impulsive actions with Stephen come from her search for meaning outside society’s limits.
- Tom Tulliver’s Psychological Growth: Tom’s rigid thinking is driven by his sense of duty and desire to keep social order. His love for Maggie is protective but possessive, coming from his sense of responsibility. Tom’s failure to understand Maggie’s complexity causes a rift between them, leading to his frustration and distance from her.
Historical and Social Background
1. Life in 1820s-1830s Rural England: The 1820s and 1830s in rural England were times of big social and economic changes. Traditional farming was being challenged by the Industrial Revolution, and small towns like St. Ogg’s were influenced by growing cities and industries.
- Rural Life and Class Structure: In rural areas, landowners and small farmers held power, while workers and tradespeople made up the lower class. The Tulliver family, with their mill, is in a middle-class position that is unstable. Their eventual downfall after Mr. Tulliver loses his lawsuit shows how fragile their economic situation is in a changing society.
- Social Roles and Gender Expectations: During this time, women were expected to focus on home life. Maggie’s struggles reflect the few opportunities for women in rural England, where they were often pressured to marry well and follow strict moral codes. Maggie’s wish for independence and knowledge challenges these expectations.
2. Effects of the Industrial Revolution on Small Towns like St. Ogg’s: The Industrial Revolution greatly affected small towns like St. Ogg’s. While cities rapidly industrialized, small towns felt its impacts.
- Changing Economy: The traditional farming and craft-based economies faced competition from industrial production. This shift made small businesses like the Tulliver family’s mill vulnerable to larger factories.
- Social Mobility and Class Tensions: The novel highlights tensions caused by these economic changes. The Tullivers, like many families, find themselves in a delicate position in a society where social advancement depends more on wealth and legal success than on traditional status.
3. Victorian Norms and Their Effect on Behavior: Victorian society was marked by strict moral rules about gender roles, sexuality, and family relationships. These norms heavily influenced the characters’ actions in The Mill on the Floss.
- Moral Expectations: The strict moral codes of the Victorian era put pressure on characters like Maggie to fit in with society’s expectations. Women were expected to be modest and dedicated to family, while men had more freedom. Maggie’s emotional and intellectual depth challenges these rules, and her failure to conform leads to her social isolation and tragic fate.
- Family and Honor: The Victorian focus on family reputation is crucial to the Tulliver family’s downfall. Mr. Tulliver’s pride, Tom’s sense of duty, and the judgment on Maggie all reflect the importance of maintaining family respect, often at the cost of individual happiness.
In summary, the historical and social context of the early Victorian era greatly impacts the characters’ actions and the themes of the novel. The rural setting, combined with industrial growth, societal expectations, and class issues, creates a backdrop where characters like Maggie struggle between their personal desires and society’s rigid demands.
Key Quotes
1. “The worst sin is when we think we will love others, but really we love ourselves.”
— Maggie Tulliver
Meaning:
Maggie reflects on her struggle with who she is and what others expect from her. She feels torn between wanting love and having duties to her family. This quote shows her awareness that loving herself too much could lead to bad outcomes, linking to the book’s themes about how society judges moral choices.
2. “I have been foolish. But I was confused, and now I will try to find my way.”
— Maggie Tulliver
Meaning:
Maggie realizes she made poor choices in her love life. This quote shows her growing understanding of her mistakes and her wish to move forward despite society’s harsh views on her actions. It highlights her journey of self-discovery.
3. “It is very hard for a woman to choose between love and duty.”
— Maggie Tulliver
Meaning:
Maggie struggles to balance her family responsibilities with her feelings for Stephen. This quote captures her main conflict in the story—how to meet society’s demands while fulfilling her own emotional needs, showing the limited choices women had at that time.
4. “The river’s flood symbolizes the powerful forces of nature that can change or destroy lives.”
— Narrator
Meaning:
The flood represents the uncontrollable events in Maggie’s life. When it overwhelms her, it shows how fate and nature can shape people’s lives, leading to tragic outcomes, like Maggie’s eventual drowning.
5. “She was a woman who didn’t fit into the world around her.”
— Narrator
Meaning:
This quote highlights how Maggie struggles to find her place in a society that doesn’t accept her strong personality and intellect. It shows the book’s themes of isolation and the consequences of not fitting in.
6. “I will not let my own soul defeat me.”
— Maggie Tulliver
Meaning:
This moment shows Maggie’s desire to break free from society’s and her family’s pressures. She wants to understand herself beyond what is expected of her. However, it hints at her future struggles against these strong social judgments.
7. “It’s hard to be true to yourself when others are so sure of their own beliefs.”
— Narrator
Meaning:
This quote emphasizes the challenge of being authentic in a world filled with strict rules and expectations. Maggie feels torn between her own desires and what society wants her to be, adding to her sense of isolation.
8. “You will keep moving forward like the river. You can’t change the past, and the future is full of surprises.”
— Philip Wakem
Meaning:
Philip offers Maggie comfort by saying that despite past mistakes, she can still look forward to new opportunities. However, there’s irony, as the reader knows that Maggie’s fate is already decided, showing the theme of inevitability in her life.
Conclusion:
The quotes from The Mill on the Floss show important themes like self-discovery, societal pressure, gender issues, and fate. Through Maggie’s thoughts and the imagery of the river and mill, the author, George Eliot, paints a deep and relatable picture of the struggles people face from inside and outside their lives. These quotes reveal Maggie’s internal battles and the larger forces that affect her.