Essay/Term paper: The mill on the floss

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Book Reports

The Mill on the Floss is a book written

by George Eliot, whose real name is Mary Anne (later

Marian) Evans. There is a great deal of autobiography in this

book. The facts of Mary Anne's life do not match Maggie

Tulliver, but there is an obvious reflection of her own life.

Book One: Chapter1-13 The novel opens up with a

description of the countryside around the town of St. Ogg's

and the river Floss. In the second chapter Maggie, Mr.

Tulliver, Mrs. Tulliver, and Mr. Riley are introduced. Mr.

Tulliver states his intention to send Tom to a different school.

In the third chapter Mr. Riley gives his advice about a school

for Tom. In the forth chapter Mr. Tulliver goes after Tom,

while Mr. Tulliver is gone you learn about that Maggie's

mother is concerned mainly with what her family thinks. In

the fifth chapter Tom is home and you learn that he cares for

his sister Maggie deeply, and that Tom's opinion is very

important to Maggie. In the sixth chapter the Tulliver's are

getting ready for the aunts and uncles to arrive. In the

seventh chapter the family arrives and you are introduced to

Mrs. Glegg, Mrs. Pullet, Mrs. Deane and Maggie's cousin

Lucy. Mr. Tulliver states his intention to send Tom to school

and it is met with opposition. In the eighth chapter he goes to

his brother-in-laws house to demand the money that he

owes him so that he can pay his wife's sister Mrs. Glegg. In

chapter nine you read about the Tullivers going to visit the

Pullets. In the tenth chapter Maggie pushed Lucy in the mud

because she is receiving most of Tom's attention. When Tom

goes to tell on her she runs off and can't be found. In the

eleventh chapter Maggie decides to run away to the gypsies,

but after learning how poor they were and how little of food

they had she decides to go back home. In the twelfth

chapter you read that St. Ogg is named for it's patron saint

who showed pity on a woman and child. St. Ogg is the town

where the Gleggs live. In the thirteenth chapter Mr. Tulliver

borrows money from a client of his old enemy Wakem.

Book One: Chapter 1-7 In the first chapter of this book

Tom is at school, and he is Stelling's only student. Maggie

goes to visit him in October. In the second chapter Tom gets

to come home for Christmas. Mr. Tulliver has a lawsuit

against Mr. Pivart , his next door neighbor. It has also

become known that Wakem's son will be sent to school with

Tom. In the third chapter Tom is back at school and meets

Phillip Wakem. Philip Wakem is a small, deformed youth

with a hump on his back, but is an exceptional artist and

story teller. In the forth chapter read that Tom feels that

Philip is an enemy. Tom and Philip get in an argument that

left Phillip crying bitterly. Tom bribes Mr. Poulter to let him

borrow his sword and keep it under his bed. In the fifth

chapter Tom tries to make up the quarrel with Philip, but

Wakem does not respond. Tom tries to impress Maggie and

drops the sword on his foot. Also Maggie becomes very

fond of Philip Wakem. In the sixth chapter Philip sends all

his extra time with Tom and Maggie. Maggie kisses Philip in

the library and promises to do so again next time she sees

him. In the seventh chapter Tom goes on at King's Lorton

until his fifth half year, and Maggie is sent to boarding school

with Lucy. Also Mr. Tulliver loses his lawsuit against Mr.

Pivart. Book Three: Chapters 1-9 In the first chapter Mr.

Tullver falls off of his horse and is found insensible by the

roadside. Tom ventures that Wakem is responsible and

vows to make him "feel for it". In the second chapter Mr.

Tulliver is found crying over the things that she has to sell to

pay the mortgage. Maggie reproaches her mother for caring

more about her possessions than Mr. Tulliver. In the third

chapter the aunts and uncles gather for consultation. They

help by buying some of Mrs. Tullivers good things. In the

forth chapter Mr. Tulliver wakes up for a while and

becomes excited, but soon falls back to bed. In the sixth

chapter Tom goes to see his uncle Deane about a job. Mr.

Deane gives him a job for no better reason than he is his

nephew.. In the sixth chapter the sale of Mrs. Tullivers

household goods is finally over. Bob Jakin, one of Tom's

childhood friends, comes back to repay a favor. He offers

them money, but they refuse it saying that it is not nearly

enough to help. In the seventh chapter Mr. Tulliver slowly

recovers but has lost track of time. Also Wakem decided

that it would be a good investment to buy the mill. In the

eighth chapter the land and the mill are sold to Wakem, and

Mr. Tulliver agrees to be employed by Wakem as a

manager. In the ninth chapter Mr. Tulliver struggles with

himself to keep his promise to work for Wakem. Mr.

Tulliver also has Tom write in the family bible that he will

never forgive Wakem, and that Tom must make him feel for

it when the chance comes. Book Four: Chapters 1-3 In the

first chapter you read that the religion of the Dodsons and

Tullivers is "of a simple, semi-pagan kind." Family life on the

Floss os much like before. In the second chapter you read

that Maggie is old for her years but lacks Tom's self

command. Mrs. Tullivers uncontentment in this empty life is

less painful to Maggie than her father's sullenness. In the

third chapter Bob Jakin comes to the house and brings

books for Maggie. One is by Thomas a Kempis, this book

leads her to a new inner life . Book Five: Chapters 1-7 In

the first chapter Maggie who is now seventeen years old and

darkly beautiful tells Philip that she is glad that he has come,

and they start meeting secretly. In the second chapter Tom

borrows money from aunt and uncle Glegg to repay debts.

In the third chapter Maggie feels that concealment is wrong

and that they should not meet secretly anymore. In the forth

chapter Maggie returns a book to Philip saying she did not

like it because once again the fair-haired woman stole all the

love from the dark woman. Philip also declares his love for

her, but she says that she can do nothing about it because

she does not want to hurt her father. In the fifth chapter Tom

finds out about her meeting Philip and goes with her to meet

him. He makes Maggie swear never to meet him again. In

the sixth chapter the Tullivers finally have the money to pay

off their debts. In the seventh chapter Tulliver meets with his

creditors. He meets Wakem on his way back home and

knocks him off of his horse. Mr. Tulliver is whipping Wakem

when Maggie comes to restrain him. Later that night Mr.

Tulliver gets very ill and dies, before his death he would not

forgive Wakem. Book Six: Chapters 1-14 In the first

chapter you read about Lucy Deane being courted by

Stephen Guest. Also Maggie is coming to stay with her.

Mrs. Tulliver has been their housekeeper since Mrs. Deane

died. Stephen feels that Lucy is the sort of woman to marry.

In the second chapter Maggie comes and meets Stephen

who finds her beautiful and intelligent. He finds Maggie

interesting but believes he could never love her. In the third

chapter Maggie tells Lucy she feels that Stephen is too

self-confident.. She also tells her the story of herself and

Philip. In the forth chapter Maggie goes to visit Tom, who is

lodging with Bob Jakin, and asked to be absolved of her

promise not to see Philip. Tom agrees but says she must give

him up if she begins to think of Philip as a lover. In the fifth

chapter Tom tries to get Mr. Guest to buy Dorlcote mill, and

says if it can be bought he would like to buy it by working

off the price. In the sixth chapter Maggie is launched by

Lucy into St. Ogg's society. Also Maggie and Stephen are

becoming very aware of each other. In the seventh chapter

Maggie sees Philip. Philip recognizes that Maggie and

Stephen are in love but he will not allow himself to believe it.

In chapter eight Philip tells his father that he wants to marry

Maggie. At first Wakem disapproves but then says that he

can if she will have him. In the ninth chapter Maggie helps

Lucy in a booth selling large, plain articles. Mr. Wakem

comes and speaks to Maggie amiably. Maggie goes to aunt

Moss's house and has told Lucy that she will speak to Tom

about marrying Philip, but she is still in love with Stephen. In

chapter ten Stephen kisses Maggie and she sends him away.

She tells Philip she is leaving and will speak to her brother.

In the eleventh chapter Maggie has stayed with her aunt four

days before Stephen comes to see her. Stephen asks her

hand in marriage and she refuses, they exchange one kiss

before he goes. In the twelfth chapter Tom refuses to give

his blessing for Maggie and Philip to get married. In the

thirteenth chapter Maggie tries to avoid Stephen but finds it

impossible. She ends up going rowing with him. Stephen

asks Maggie once again to marry him and she refuses. They

rowed out way to far and ended up getting on a boat coming

toward them. In the fourteenth chapter Maggie departs from

Stephen telling him they can never get married. Book Seven:

Chapters 1-5 In the first chapter Maggie returns home to

Tom, but Tom hearing of her on the river with Stephen, and

not being married, turned her out. Bob Jakin took her and

her mother in. In the second chapter it becomes known that

Maggie has returned unwed and she is cast out of society.

Dr. Kenn tries finds her a position at the church. In the third

chapter aunt Pullet offers to take Maggie in but she declines.

There is also word that Lucy is no longer ill. Maggie receives

a letter from Philip and it makes her sure that no happiness in

love could make her forget the pain of others. In the forth

chapter Dr. Kenn, unable to find her a position, employs her

himself as a governess to his children. Lucy comes and visits

Maggie and tells her that she is not angry with her and that

Maggie is better than she. In the fifth chapter Dr. Kenn has

to let Maggie because of rumors that he intends to marry

her. Maggie receives another letter from Stephen asking her

to come to him, but she resolves not to go. She is wondering

how long it is until death. At that moment she feels water

about her knees, knowing at once it is the flood. Maggie is

swept away in one of the boats while trying to help Bob

ready the boats. She paddles to reach the mill. Tom climbs

out into the boat. They set off to find Lucy. Huge fragments

are floating and people in a boat shout a warning , but Tom

and Maggie are borne down by the drifting masses. They

disappear under the current "in an embrace never to be

parted."