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Essay / Autobiographical elements of George Eliot in his book The Mill on The Floss
The Mill on the Floss is considered to be George Eliot's most autobiographical novel which reflects his early childhood memories and his own relationship with his father and son. brother Isaac. The reader can see many examples and similarities between Eliot's own life and Maggie's character. She resembles the character of Maggie Tulliver who constantly seeks approval and love from her father but also from her brother. The novel stands out from other novels by its narration. Because there is a narrator in The Silk Mill who comments on the characters or the actions of these characters. She also provides detailed descriptions of the characters' psychological interiors. By extensively using direct address to comment on action or characters, the narrator attempts to convey to the reader the complexities of human life. In other words, she wants the reader to sympathize with the feelings of others. This essay examines the characters of Maggie and Tom in detail. Furthermore, he analyzes the novel based on its major themes such as revenge, sympathy, and sacrifice. Finally, he reviews the ending of the novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay From the beginning of the novel, we can see that Tom and Maggie are quite different in almost every way. Maggie is an impulsive girl who does not consider the consequences of her actions. However, Tom is an extremely practical and rational boy. For example, the scene in which Tom comes home is particularly important because it shows that Maggie and Tom have completely different personalities. At one point, Maggie asks Tom, "If a lion came roaring at me, I think you'd fight him, wouldn't you, Tom?" » Tom said, "How can a lion roar at you, you idiot." thing? There are no lions, only in shows. » Once again, Tom proves how practical and direct he is. He has no imagination to make up these stories. Because he doesn't have these skills, he can't even speculate on stories like this. Tom can only find solutions and solve problems. If there is a problem, he is the one to solve those problems. However, Maggie is not like that. Maggie is a very imaginative and intellectual girl. Maggie likes to read a variety of books while Tom doesn't like to read at all. When she was a little girl, her mother asked Maggie to obey the rules of society by asking her to wear a bonnet and do quilting. Shortly after, she cuts her hair. In doing so, she announces her rebellious character from the beginning of the novel. She definitely doesn't like to follow society's rules like her brother does. Tom obeys the rules of the church as well as his father's rules. Maggie also constantly wants to be loved and appreciated by Tom. However, Tom's affection is never enough for him. Tom doesn't show his affection to Maggie the way she wants him to. There is a doll in the attic. Whenever she feels sad or miserable, she goes to the attic and punishes the doll. This thing indicates the fact that she is a person who acts through her emotions. She's not as rational as her brother. The reason Maggie makes mistakes most of the time is because she acts without considering the consequences of her actions. But as soon as she realizes her mistakes, she regrets them. Because Tom doesn't act suddenly, he never regrets. Mr. Tullivar wants Tom to receive further education, but the kind of education Maggie should have received. Because Latin and geometry are not the subjects Tom should be learning. This knowledge will not beuseful especially when he begins to run the mill. Tom is not interested in learning languages like Maggie. He has practical skills and his mind is quite professional. When it comes to Maggie, she is an intellectual girl who loves reading books, listening to music, and studying Latin as well. When Maggie and Philip are secretly seeing each other, Tom asks Maggie to stop seeing Philip. Therefore, it can be said that he is a traditional boy who follows the strict behavioral codes of the Victorian era. When his father loses the lawsuit, he is the one who takes care of the Mill and the house as a housekeeper. Even though he is 16 years old, he is very decisive and mature. He tries to find a way to pay the money his father owes and get the mill back. For this reason, we can say that he is good at solving problems and planning the next actions. He is an obedient boy who does his best to help his family and take care of his mother and sister. We can say that he handles such a family crisis very well considering his age. In such a crisis, he acts as a leader. It's obvious he wants to be seen as the authority figure in the house. This is the attitude of the times. When Mr. Tulliver loses the case, Maggie is not expected to work. Rather, she must be saved from this situation by a male figure. Women do not receive formal education and therefore are not respected to work in the factory. According to Victorian society, women simply had no place in professional life or education. For these reasons, it is Tom who begins to work to pay off the debts that his father has incurred. Maggie is right in front of her brother. She is portrayed as a woman full of life and curiosity. She also seems to be a person hungry for knowledge, affection and approval. All things considered, Maggie and Tom are brother and sister who present completely opposite characters from each other. From the beginning of the novel, the reader can see how the theme of revenge and gender roles have a vital role in the novel. When Mr. Tulliver loses the lawsuit because of Mr. Wakem, Mr. Waken buys the mill and even asks Mr. Tulliver to manage the land and the mill. Since Mr. Tulliver is a very proud man, he is hurt by this incident. This is why he even tells his son to write in the Bible that he will take revenge on his father with the lawyer Wakem. In such a situation, how come Maggie can talk to Philip? She is not free to talk to him especially because her father and also her brother will be very angry. It is clear that she must obey the patriarchal society exemplified by Mr. Tulliver and Tom. Even though she is fully aware that her father and especially her brother will disapprove of her friendship with Philip, she continues to meet with Philip in secret. Despite all the forbidden rules, Philip insists on seeing Maggie. His father won't approve of these secret meetings either. Maggie tells Philip that she will never do anything to hurt her father or break his heart. She says these things because Maggie isn't there as herself. She is Mr. Tulliver's daughter. This can therefore be seen as a criticism of gender roles. The novel emphasizes the idea that people cannot act against environmental forces. If anyone does something against these forces like Maggie, they will ultimately be punished. Certain environmental forces shape its character. Although she is not an ordinary Victorian girl, she still does not act against the environment she was born into. Running away with Stephen, she does so very briefly but then she comes back. When Stephen wants to run away with Maggie and never return, she can't help but think of Lucy and Philip.,.