TheMillontheFloss.ppt

TheMillontheFlossTheMillontheFloss George Eliot, whose real name was Mary Ann Evans, was born in 1819. She grew up in the countryside in Warwickshire, in the English Midlands. Her parents were very strict and religious, and she was very close to her brother, Isaac. Eliot was an enthusiastic scholar who read books on religion and philosophy, and wrote translations and literary reviews. She started a relationship with another writer and critic, George Henry Lewes, who encouraged her to begin writing novels. Like many women writers in the Victorian period, Eliot wrote anonymously using a man’s name so that her work would be taken more seriously. From 1854 onwards, George Eliot and Henry Lewes lived as man and wife. Their relationship attracted a lot of criticism because they were unmarried, and because Lewes, was still married to another woman. Her brother Isaac was shocked by his sister’s controversial, immoral behavior and told her that he would reject her and never speak to her again. Background Queen Victoria ruled Britain from 1837 to 1901, the longest reign of any British monarch in history. This period is known as the Victorian Era. During these years there were enormous changes in British society. Some middle-class families involved in commerce, like the Guests and the Deanes in The Mill on the Floss, grew very rich during the Industrial Revolution. The British middle-class became, for the first time, as powerful as the aristocracy. But life was difficult for poor people-for those who lived in crowded conditions in the town and for those who, like the Mosses, stayed on their farms in the country. Almost all Victorian novelists (especially Dickens, Eliot and Hardy) wrote about common themes: life in the town compared to life in the country, the social problems of the city and the confusion in religious beliefs and the social order. Until 1870, a woman who got married became the legal property of her husband and had to give him everything that she owed. She could not have any money of her own. If, like Maggie Tulliver, a middle-class woman was forced to work because of financial difficulties, the only acceptable positions that were open to her were usually teaching jobs. Middle-class women who were forced to earn money in this way were pitied by society and often treated like servants by their employers. For the Victorians the qualities admired in a woman were those possessed by Lucy Deane in The Mill on the Floss. It was a scandal if a woman had a love affair, lived with a man without being married or had a baby outside marriage. A woman who behaved in this way risked being ostracized completely by society.Women in VictorianSocietyMaggieTulliverMaggie TulliverMaggie Tulliver She is a hugely complex character, which makes sense. She is at the center of a complex novel that has a lot of different themes and ideas swirling around. And this is exactly what makes Maggie so complicated: she’s impossible to pin down as any one "thing."Maggie is bold and independent, but she frequently submits to her family’s wishes, even when they cause her pain. She longs to find a better life and a better future, but she stubbornly clings to her painful past. She wants love more than anything, but she gives it up after finding it. She has a great capacity to enjoy books and art and music, but she willingly denies herself these things. If we had to pick one word to describe Maggie it would be complicated. And that doesn’t really tell us all that much. It definitely takes some work to understand Maggie.Tom Tulliver is Maggie’s brother. He got a pretty raw deal and had to go work a crummy job at sixteen, after his dad bankrupted the family. His sister is a bit of an emotional train-wreck. And he drowns in a freak flash flood. Not to mention, he pretty much has no friends at all. In fact, most people don’t like Tom. But Tom isn’t an antagonist. In fact, he is arguably a protagonist, along with his sister Maggie, to whom he is bound for better or worse. Tom may not be popular, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t sympathetic.Philip Wakem is Maggie’s friendly guide/life-coach. And he is always encouraging Maggie and giving her inspirational speeches about being true to herself and seeking her own happiness and not denying her own desires. It’s all very self-empowering. Philip delivers a lot of uplifting speeches throughout the book. Mr. Tulliver is Maggie and Tom’s father. He has a couple of things to hold true in the world: the world is really confusing; Maggie is smarter than Tom; he himself is an honest man; and lawyers were created by the devil. At last, Mr. Tulliver hopelessly and permanently confused since he sees the world in highly personal terms. He never understands how Wakem’s actions against him cannot be personal, and he starts up a dangerous and obsessive feud accordingly.Stephen finally shows up to spice up the latter chapters. Stephen’s physical attraction to Maggie, and the sexual tension between them, is pretty intense. And Stephen also brings the romance.Lucy is Maggie and Tom’s cousin. She would actually be a really nice and likable popular girl.Lucy is a bit too good to be true. She’s beautiful, and very kind, and very friendly. She genuinely cares about other people and she has an amazing capacity to forgive others. Lucy actually forgives Maggie after Maggie basically runs off with Lucy’s fiancé. Theme Mr. Tulliver keep himself “going to law” because of the debt. And thereby losing his patrimony and bankrupting his family, causing a big change to Tom and Maggie. Thus, Tom has to give up the good opportunity of education and earn his family living desperately. Maggie also makes a change that does household. After a couple years struggling, the work-hard Tom accumulates enough money and repurchases the mill. But unfortunately, his father is so excited that he passes away. After the bankrupt, Tom vents on the lawyer and Maggie has a good feel with Philip. But Maggie is not allowed to make friend with Philip. Later, she lives a couple days with her cousin Lucy and therefore Maggie knows Stephen who is Lucy’s fiancé. She is attracted by Stephen and Stephen is also beguiled by Maggie. And Maggie gets into a dilemma that who she should love. If she chooses Philip, Tom will be unhappy. While she chooses Stephen, it seems more impossible. One day, Maggie travels on river with Stephen they run off unexpectedly. However, Maggie feels sorry to Lucy and her brother because a love affair is a scandal for a unmarried girl and it can loss family’s reputation. The next day, Maggie goes back to the mill and Tom is really angry that he forced her to leave their mill. Therefore, Maggie leaves the mill and feels really miserable. Unfortunately, a flood pours in the mill and Maggie sails a boat to save Tom who is in trapped. And they patch up the broken relationship in danger. However, there isn’t a happy ending. Maggie and Tom are swallowed by the fierce flood. But I am touched by their deep brotherly affection.  At last, I want to talk about my feeling to Maggie. She is unconventional and smart as well as of character. But in that special era, it wasn’t a good thing. Nevertheless, the tradition can’t tie her up. Maggie is studious and likes reading always with her hair undone. She is full of vigor all the time and doesn’t care much about her appearance. To be honest, I wanted to be a girl like Maggie. What’s more, her determination and courage also attract me a lot. After her family’s bankrupt, she once lived with her rich cousin named Lucy and spent a few days as a society lady. Her character attracts many gentlemen in her town. But she realizes immediately that her brother is supporting her family difficultly. She says: There is too much temptation in it. I must give up. Afterwards she fulfills her promise. If I were her, I will lose myself in that kind of life. Thus, determination and attitudes decide many things. Once you lost, maybe you can’t wake up in such a confused world. No matter what era you are in, to be yourself is the best way of living. Reading Reflections  I think Maggie is the person who was deeply touched me in the book. The author George Eliot shaped a brave, brilliant heroin that was different from the majority females of that era. She’s special and wasn’t tied up by the era. Not every woman in that era was interested in getting knowledge, not every woman in that era loved reading books and thinking, and not every woman in that era dared to pursuit love and happiness. But she could do that. And the most precious thing was that she gave up her love in order to save their family’s glory, though she’s deeply hurt. The Mill on the Floss represented the views of the author George Eliot that women could have their own choices and they needn’t give up to their husbands, their families or the reality. She encouraged women to break up the traditional rules and get what they really want, such as true love and freedom. Anyway, Whatever era we live, even in Victorian Era, everyone shouldn’t lose himself. Thank You。