Literary works are essential sources of information that can help in building values and determining what is really important in a person’s life. “The mill on the floss” by George Eliot is a novel that presents the story of the main character’s development, her suffering, and the events of her life that built her as a person. The narration in work is conducted in the third person, which significantly helps to get into the atmosphere and understand all the feelings and experiences of the protagonists. Thus, this scientific paper aims to analyze the novel “The mill on the floss” and determine the primary meaning that the author wanted to convey.
As already mentioned, the genre of the analyzed work is a novel, which largely determines some of its characteristics. One of the main ones is its duration, which at the same time does not complicate its reading and understanding. On the contrary, with its help, the reader gets the opportunity to understand better the events taking place and the motivation of the characters in making a decision. Moreover, readers can trace the process of growing up and becoming the main protagonist Maggie as a person, which also has a unique value.
One of the central themes at the beginning of the novel is the relationship between siblings, Tom and Maggie. Hence, the author says that the elder brother constantly took care of his younger sister and did everything to keep her in her place. However, from a feminist point of view, this novel is a pure representation of how men in those days neglected the mind and abilities of a person just because they were women.
Moreover, the author points out how much the young girl hung up on her family. However, having found romantic feelings for a young man, she could not even talk about them because the object of her love was the son of an enemy of the family. The situation is aggravated by the fact that after confessing her feelings to her brother, Maggie does not meet with a positive reaction since even he resists the meetings of lovers (Elliott, 2019). This situation is also an example of how women’s rights and desires were ignored. At the same time, it is possible to expand this problem by emphasizing that any person was deprived of the ability to choose thoroughly since much depended on what decision the parents would make.
When reading the work under analysis, the passage made a memorable impression at the very end of the work. For some readers, the events taking place in it can cause more feelings and emotions than the whole work as a whole. Moreover, with the help of this passage, people can interpret the whole essence of the work. Consequently, one of the opinions on the ending is that it shows that the family remains above all and represents the principal value of life. The last words made an exceptional contribution to the author “brother and sister had gone down… never to be parted; in one supreme moment the days when they had clasped their little hands in love and roamed the daisied fields together” (Elliott, 2019, p. 535). Although many researchers consider this work feminist, we can say that the theme of family is also quite vivid and essential in the novel. It is also worth noting that the language of the narrative is quite simple to understand, which significantly expands the range of possible readers of the work. With the help of this factor, the author can gain the attention of a larger audience to focus on a particular problem.
Returning to the close reading of the specific passage, I find the ending more interesting than the central part of the work. At the same time, the novel is characterized by an exciting love story, which deserves attention. A passage was chosen for support, beginning with the words “nothing else was said: a new danger was being carried towards them by the river” and up to the end of the narrative (Elliott, 2019, p. 534). First of all, it is worth paying attention to the previously mentioned information that the work belongs to the genre of the novel, which is characterized by a large amount of information and the ability to elaborate on the events occurring with the characters. At the same time, the ending of a literary work may seem somewhat crumpled and illogical, which definitely causes confusion.
There are several explanations for this circumstance, one of which is the allegorical nature of the last passage. Thus, it is noted that it conveys the importance of finding harmony among people, not only with the outside world but also with oneself. Therefore, the author shows that until the last moment of her life, the main character Maggie is torn between her desires and duty to her family and society. Henceforth, having fallen in love with the son of her father’s enemy, she opposed the family. Having found mutual feelings with Stephen, the protagonist could betray a relationship not only with a potential fiance but also with her cousin (Elliott, 2019). Being entangled in the interweaving of opinions and responsibilities, the only thing that could save the heroine from a difficult decision was death.
One of the main elements of the plot, which is mentioned in the title of the novel, is the Floss River. She is mentioned throughout the narrative of the literary work and plays a significant role in maintaining the family mill of the protagonists. However, at one point, it is the river that becomes the reason that will ruin the Tulliver family in the future. A brother and sister drown in the same river, and a declaration of love and a request for marriage take place on this river. Thus, the river is the aspect that gave rise to written history and became its end.
Moreover, it is worth noting that the social aspect of the work plays a unique role in shaping the ending. Maggie has become the subject of multiple gossip and condemnation because of her love story. Therefore, the author shows that this kind of negative social reputation and humiliation is the most difficult to find a solution for the main protagonist. The deep imprint that these events left on Maggie could be the reason that the author saw death by drowning as the only way out for her.
In conclusion, the work “The mill on the floss” by George Eliot is a relatively simple and inconspicuous name hides a tragic and soul-touching story of the formation of personality, love, and complex family relationships. The last passage of the novel makes a deep, indelible impression, despite the initial crumpling. Consequently, it may seem that it was written in a hurry, but with more detailed analysis, it makes enough sense. First of all, he shows the value of complex family relationships, describing the death of a brother and sister. In addition, in the end, the author shows the importance of the river’s participation in the entire literary work and how it plays a role both in its beginning and in the finale.
Reference
Elliott, G. (2019). The mill on the floss. Amazon Digital Services LLC – KDP Print US.