And you should hear her read – straight off, as if she knowed it all beforehand. ‘She understands what one’s talking about so as never was. Mr Tulliver indulges Maggie’s affection unconditionally, calling her his ‘little wench’, but not her ambition. Even when Tom finds himself in the wrong, he assumes he could not have acted otherwise. Whereas Tom acts a little vindictively with a strong internal sense of justice that leaves no room for doubt, Maggie acts with instinctual feeling but often wishes she had behaved otherwise. Maggie, the novel’s central character, is, in contrast, loving but flighty and struggles to be taken seriously by her family. Tom seems to have inherited the personal characteristics of the Dodson’s he is somewhat hard and unaffectionate ‘rhadamathine’.

The Tulliver’s have two children Tom and Maggie. One of those sisters-in-law, Mrs Glegg, is very stern and opinionated, especially when it comes to her sister Mrs Tulliver who she feels is weak-willed and may have married below her in Mr Tulliver. His wife is one of four sisters of the highly respected, but somewhat arrogant and imposing, Dodson family. A generous and loving man, Mr Tulliver is also quick tempered and unforgiving when he feels wronged. Mr Tulliver operates a water mill on the river Floss that has been in his family for generations.

Mr and Mrs Tulliver enjoy a somewhat prosperous life in rural 1820’s England. It is the story of a young woman’s struggle for growth and independence against the restraints of small country life, domineering family and unsuitable suitors. The Mill on the Floss is described as Eliot’s most autobiographical novel for its portrayal of a complex relationship between a brother and sister.

The mill on the floss pages