summary of mill on the floss

1. Assignment submission on:
Mill on the floss
Submitted to:
Madam Wafa Pirzada
Submitted by:
Mohammad Salih
(M.A English-Lit&Ling 2017-18)
Email: mschandio94@gmail.com
National University of Modern Languages (NUML
Task. Summarize the novel mill on the floss in your own words
Book - 1
The narrator reminisces about an afternoon where Mr and Mrs Tulliver are having
a chat by the fireside. Mr Tulliver tells his wife that he wants their son Tom to
continue his studies so he can help his father with the business and have a good

2. life. Mrs. Tulliver wants to call her sisters and their husbands to dinner so this
proposition could be discussed but Mr. Tulliver says he will do as he pleases. Mr.
Riley, an educated man of the town, recommends a tutor, Rev. Walter Sterling, for
Tom whose fee is rather high. Maggie is forgetful, messy, and inconsiderate of
social norms, but intelligent girl. When Tom comes back home from school, he has
brought Maggie a fishing rod as a present from the money he saved while he was
away. He then promises to take her fishing the next day. But when he finds out that
he had forgotten to feed his rabbits and now they’re dead, he brings up all her past
failures and says he will not go fishing with her. Maggie locks herself up in the
attic. Their father asks Tom to bring her down and Tom does. The next day they go
fishing where Maggie catches a big fish and Tom is proud of her. This is the
happiest moment for Maggie. Mrs. Tulliver invites her siblings to dinner to discuss
Tom’s situation but Tom and Maggie sneak off with the stockof pastry prepared
for the guests. Tom finished his pastries and becomes angry with Maggie when he
doesn’toffer him any of hers. Tom leaves her to meet Bob Jakin. At the dinner we
are introduced to the siblings of Mrs. Tulliver, the Dodsons sisters. One of the
aunts comments that Maggie’s hair is too long and she decides to cut it with the
help of Tom. Tom helps her but laughs when he sees her with short hair. Everyone
is shocked by her actions except her father. At dinner Mr. Tulliver finds that
lawyer Wakem is sending his sonto Mr. Sterling for further education as well and
Mr. Tulliver starts saying mean things for lawyer Wakem. This ends in an
argument with Mrs. Glenn. The next day Mr Tulliver goes to visit Mr Moss, his
brother in law, to get the money back that he lent him. He needs the money back to
pay for Tom’s tutor. Mr. Moss says that to pay Mr. Tullver backhe would have to
sell his land and Mr. Tulliver tells him to do whatever he has to do to pay him back
and leaves. But after some thought, he comes back and sees his sister crying and
tells her that they can forget about the loan and his sister thanks him. He hopes that
this good thing of his will reflect on Tom and Maggie’s relationship in the distant
future. While the father is away, Tom, Maggie, and Lucy are all set to visit their
aunt. While waiting to leave, they start playing with cards and Tom teases Maggie
saying that he likes Lucy better which makes Maggie angry and she destroys
Tom’s card house and he gets angry at her. While the adults chat at the aunt’s
house, Tom asks Lucy to go the garden with her but when Maggie asks to join
them he refuses her. Maggie becomes angry and pushes Lucy into the pond making
her look all dirty. Tom and Lucy come back home but Maggie is nowhere to be
found. Maggie has decided to run away with the gypsies since she has been always
called one because of her dark skin, hair, and eyes. She finds a tent with two

3. women and some children and joins them. But she doesn’tlike how dirty they look
and how unappetizing their food is. She decides to leave them and a men from the
gypsy family accompanies her. When they reach St. Oggs, Maggie sees her father
and her father pays the gypsy for returning Maggie safely. Mr. Tulliver borrows
money from lawyer Wakem’s client to pay back Mrs. Glegg.
Book - 2
Tom is Mr. Sterling’s only student and he feels lost and uninterested. Tom is not
good at studies and his tutor very soondecides on Tom being a “thoroughly stupid
lad”. Tom is aware of this impression of his but can’t help being better at studies.
He wishes to have Maggie with him. A few months later, Maggie visits Tom and
starts getting interested in the education Tom is receiving and asks his tutor to
accommodateher in the lessons as well. Mr. Sterling and Tomboth tell her that
such education is beyond a woman’s mental capacity. When Tom comes home for
the holidays, he sees that his father is in a new quarrel with a new neighbor named
Mr. Pivart concerning the land ownership and Mr. Tulliver is sure that lawyer
Wakem is behind all this. When Tom goes back to his tutor he hears that Mr.
Wakem’s son will be joining him in studies. He now meets Phillip Wakem.
Phillip’s back is arched as a result of a childhood accident. They don’tget along
right away but Tomstarts chatting with him when he see Phillip’s drawings. But
Tom never gets over the feeling that Phillip is his enemy. When Maggie comes to
visit again, she meets Phillip and becomes interested in him. Tom shows Maggie
the sword he got from Mr. Poulter, a schoolmaster from the village and retired
soldier. Maggie laughs seeing Tom with a sword so he tries to impress her with his
sword skills and ends up injuring his foot. Some years later, Maggie is sent to
boarding schoolwith Lucy. She meets Phillip on the street one day but she wants
to keep distance from him since their fathers are bothtied in a very serious lawsuit
and are considered to be enemies. Maggie visits Tom at schoolto inform him that
their father has lost the lawsuit and has gone bankrupt. Tom leaves for home with
Maggie.
Book – 3 & 4
Mr. Tulliver goes to St. Oggs to talk to his lawyer about selling his mill and finds
out that his mortgage has been transferred to lawyer Wakem. He falls from shock
when he reads this on his journey back and when he regains consciousness, he asks
for Maggie. Mrs. Tulliver asks Maggie to bring back Tom. Tom thinks lawyer
Wakem is responsible for all this and vows to make him pay for it. When Tom and

4. Maggie come back they see that all their stuff has been auctioned off. While Mrs.
Tulliver cries over her things, Maggie goes to sit with her father. Their aunts and
uncles don’thelp them much in this situation and ask Tomand Maggie to start
working to supportthe family. Maggie houts at them for not helping the family in
time of need. Tom goes to see Lucy’s father Mr. Deane for a job. There he is told
that his education is useless and that he needs to learn real skills like bookkeeping
if he needs a job. When Maggie hears this she tells Tom that she wishes she knew
the skill so she could teach it to Tom. Tom, being angry for being insulted and not
being offered a job, gets angry at Maggie and accuses her of conceit which greatly
upsets her. Bob visits Tom and tells him he has come backto repay the nice
gesture of Tom when they were younger. Bob offers them some money but it
wasn’t enough to solve their financial crisis so they refused it but promised Bob
that if they were ever in need they would call him. Mr. Tulliver is slowly getting
better now. Tom gets a job working with Mr. Deane. Mrs. Tulliver goes to meet
lawyer Wakem and asks him to let his company (Guest and Co.)buy Tulliver’s
mill and keep Tulliver as a manager there. He agrees to it as he sees it as a good
investment and he never had any personal agenda again Mr. Tulliver, unlike what
Mr. Tulliver had against him. The land and the mill are sold to Wakem. Mr.
Tulliver works for Wakem but he still wishes evil upon him. One afternoon, Bob
Jakins visits Maggie. He has brought bookfor her. From Bob’s gifted book, she
finds one that makes her change her thought and lifestyle. She becomes serious and
quiet and always wants to be alone. But her father see this as her way of being
degraded by family’s debts.
Book - 5
Maggie is now 17 years old. One day on her walk, she meets Phillip. He tells her
that he had been waiting for her to come and shows her a painting he drew of her.
He tells her she is much more beautiful than the painting. Maggie tells him she
wishes they could be friends but things were different now that they were older.
Phillip tells her that even though he respects his father very much, he respects his
friendship with Maggie as well and he does not wish to end their ties. Maggie says
she can’t hurt her father anymore since he is already in pain. Phillip says he is
hurting a well and he would really like it if they could meet from time to time.
Maggie asks the meetings to be in secret and Phillip says that would make things
wrong. Maggie doesn’tgive him an answer and tells him to meet her again to
receive her answer. Phillip thinks even if she can’t love him back, he would still be
glad to see her and help her by getting her out of spending time alone.

5. While Maggie’s character is going through psychological changes, Tom does well
at his job and earns good money to help his father. Maggie wants to keep meeting
Phillip because he helps her mind develop, but she can’t help but feel like she is
pushing the limits by doing so. When they meet the next time, she tells him that
they can’t keep meeting anymore but she agrees to stay another half an hour.
Phillip tells her he has started drawing another painting of her and he has to study
her face while he can to finish his painting. Maggie tells him that she once thought
life was boring and unbearable but her new outlook on life has changed that.
Phillip tells her that resigning yourself from the world and not letting yourself meet
and talk with people is damaging your thinking. Maggie starts to think this is true.
They talk of other things and she asks Phillip to sing her a song but when he does
she starts to think of the old days and leaves.
A year later, Maggie meets Phillip to return a bookand says she hated it because
the fair skinned girl won the heart of the lover and the dark skinned girl was left
heartbroken. Phillips says she can take the revenge for all the dark skinned girls by
stealing all the love away from her fair skinned cousin Lucy. Maggie says she is
not jealous of Lucy, she is just sad for all the unhappy people and always takes side
of the rejected lovers. Phillip asks her if she would ever reject a lover herself. She
jokingly replied she might if he was conceited and too into his own looks and
Phillip says what if it was someone who wasn’t good looking enough to be
conceited. Maggie realizes that Phillip was declaring his love for her. She doesn’t
say anything in reply and Phillip asks her to forget his declaration. She tells him
that she does love him but could never think of him as a lover because she could
never hurt her father.
Tom gets suspicious about Maggie and Phillip because he sees Maggie blush at the
mention of Phillip’s name. He then asks Maggie about their relationship and she
tells him that they’ve declared their feelings for each other. Tom makes her swear
on Bible never to meet Phillip again and makes her feel guilty for meeting him all
this time while he was working hard to pay off the family’s debts. Maggie said she
was lonely and felt sorry for Phillip. She tell him that she needs to meet Phillip one
last time and Tom goes with her. Tom accuses Phillip of taking advantage of "a
young girl's foolishness." Philip retorts that he honors her more than Tom does and
says Tom is incapable of understanding what he feels. Tom replies that he will
thrash Philip if he comes near Maggie again. Philip says that if Maggie wishes to
give him up, he will abide by that. Maggie says that she must for her father's sake.
Tom snatches Maggie away. On the way back Maggie accuses Tomof being mean

6. towards a deformed personand tells him that she will stop seeing Phillip but only
for the sake of her father, not for the sake of Tom. When they get home, Maggie
goes to her room and cries but she feels a sense of relief that now at least she has
nothing to hide like her meeting with Phillip.
Three weeks later Tom saves enough money to pay off his father’s debts and they
arrange a dinner where they would pay off lawyer Wakem. Mr. Tulliver is glad to
not have Wakem have a power over him anymore. When Wakem and Tulliver
meet, Wakem makes a harsh comment on his farming and Tulliver loses his temper
and starts beating him. Maggie comes and drags her father back home. The next
day, Mr. Tulliver calls Tom and Maggie to his room and asks Tom to get the mill
back lawyer Wakem and take care of his mother and sister like Mr Tulliver took
care of his sister. Maggie begs him to forgive lawyer Wakem but he doesn’tand an
hour later, Mr. Tulliver passes away.
Book - 6
Lucy Deane is being courted by Stephen Guest who has a "bright strong presence
and strong voice." She tells him that her cousin Maggie is coming to visit. Lucy
wants her to meet Phillip because Phillip talks about her all the time with Lucy and
Stephen, but she knows that Maggie will not agree to that. Stephen asks her why
would Maggie not want to meet Phillip and she tells him about the feud between
Mr Tulliver and Lawyer Wakem. When they meet, Stephen quickly becomes
attracted to Maggie but in order to not show it he talks a bit harshly with her and
Lucy thinks that him and Maggie don’tlike each other. He does, however, invite
her to go on a boat ride and Lucy asks him to invite Wakem as well. Stephen is
interested in Maggie but he believes he could never love her. Still, he feels
offended when she doesn’teven look at him during the boat ride. But while getting
off the boat, Maggie is about to fall and Stephen catches her. After this, she starts
to feel romantically towards him.
That night, Maggie is busy in thoughts of Stephen’s singing and his glances when
Lucy comes to talk to her. She asks Maggie what she thinks of Stephen and she
says “he is too self-confident”. Lucy tells her Phillip is to come next day and
Maggie tells her the whole story of why she can not see Phillip ever again. But,
Lucy says their story is romantic and she will bring them both together. Tom is
now living with Bob Jakin when Maggie goes to visit him to ask his permission to
see Phillip. Bob tells her that all Tom does these days is sit in front of the fire and
stare at it except when he is at work, and that means he is probably in love. Maggie

7. doesn’tbelieve this to be true. When Tom comes in he speaks coldly to her but she
asks for permission and he doesn’tgive her. He says she’ll have to give up her
brother if she wishes to see Phillip ever again and that he doesn’ttrust her
anymore. Maggie finds this mean and starts crying so Tomsoftens his speech,
saying Maggie just lacks judgement and needs guidance. Maggie promises to stay
only as friend with Phillip and Tom says that would be best.
Uncle Dean calls Tom to praise him on the work he has done for the company for 7
years and, that they were going to offer him a share in the business. Tom is grateful
for the offer but he says he doesn’twant to invest in Dorlcote Mill. In turn, he
wants to be the manager of the mill and after he makes enough money at that job,
then he’d like buy the mill. The uncle tells him he will talk about this deal with the
owners.
Phillip comes to meet Maggie, Lucy, and Stephen later than expected and while he
was away Maggie and Stephen become more attracted towards each other. The
next morning, Phillip comes and Maggie tells him that she is not allowed to spend
time with him. Phillip tells him she is only turning him away to avoid pain and
Maggie sees the love in his face for Maggie. Soonafter, Stephen arrives and him
and Maggie both cold towards each other. To lighten the mood, Lucy suggests
music and Phillip and Stephen begin singing while Phillip played the piano.
Maggie is moved by the music. Lucy requests them to sing more and Phillip starts
to sing a song he had sung for Maggie in private before and Maggie starts to feel
regretful towards him. But then later Stephen starts to sings and Maggie is taken
“by a wave too strong for her”.
Throughout the evening, Phillip notices that there is something between Maggie
and Stephen and starts to feel anxious. Lucy speaks privately with Philip, who tells
her a plan to get his father to agree to the relation of him and Maggie. He asks his
father to come up to his studio to see some new sketches. Among them are several
of Maggie. When Mr. Wakem discovers who they are, he questions Philip about
his relationship with Maggie. Philip tells him their past history, and says that he
would marry her if she would have him. Mr. Wakem says Philip can marry her if
he pleases and go his way but Phillip does not have enough financial resources to
supporthimself and Maggie. Wakem says that what women do is of less concern
than whom they belong to. At this Philip becomes angry for the first time. He
defends Maggie as being more than his equal and says she might not have him
anyway. Wakem storms out, and Philip goes out to avoid meeting him again at

8. once. He returns in the evening. Mr. Wakem asks Philip if Maggie loves him.
Philip replies that she once said so but that she was very young, and he does not
wish to force her. Mr. Wakem has seen Maggie and thinks her handsome. With
that barrier down, Philip is able to get his father's agreement to sell the mill. He
tells all this to Lucy and she shares this information with her father, Mr Deane.
Between Phillip and Stephen, she wishes to chooseStephen because she longs for
the life of ease and comfort. But she still can not accept this because of Phillip. She
tells Lucy that she is to go to aunt Moss and accepta teaching position near where
she lives and get away from both boys. Lucy tells her that Phillip has talked to his
father and the mill will now be sold to Tom and the dispute between Wakem and
Maggie’s family will be over. But Maggie still doesn’tfeel relief becauseshe
remembers Tom’s threat if she ever thought about Phillip as a lover again. Lucy
offers to talk to Tom on maggie’s behalf if she truly loves Phillip and Maggie says
if Tom would allow her, she would marry Phillip.
The next morning Maggie is to go to visit aunt Moss. Philip comes before she
leaves. He reminds her of their earlier days. When she tells him she is going away,
he asks if they can ever be together again. She replies that only Tom separates
them now. Maggie has spent four days with her aunt before Stephen comes to see
her. She is walking with Mrs. Moss when Stephen comes. He asks to speak to
Maggie privately. They walk together and Maggie says his coming is not
gentlemanly and she will go no farther. Stephen says it's not right that she should
treat one who is mad with love for her like this. She continues to walk with him,
trying to tell him that their union is wrong because of Lucy and Philip. Stephen
says if Maggie loves Phillip then they should be married. She says she can not
deny her feeling for him either and Stephen proposesto her again. He tries to
convince her that they are doing nothing wrong by getting together, but, Maggie
says there are some duties that come before love and they part ways.
Now that Tom has acquired the mill, there is a party thrown in his honor at Mrs.
Pullet’s house. There, Maggie’s aunts criticize her for having a job when she could
just come live with them now that she dresses and behaves better, and has matured.
At the end of party, Lucy asks Tom to drive her and her mother home. On their
way, she tries to get Tomto agree to Maggie and Phillip’s relation. Tom refuses his
blessing, although he says Maggie may do as she likes.
Stephen visits the Deanes often now that she is staying with them. One evening,
Lucy mentions that Maggie would like to go boating one more time. Phillip is also

9. there and Lucy invites him to the boating trip. Phillip once again suspects that
something is going on between Maggie and Stephen and believes that she is going
away to her aunt Moss’s houseto avoid Stephen. He spends the whole night
worrying, and falls sick. So, he sends a note to Stephen asking him to take the girls
boating on his behalf. Lucy, unaware of the changes in this plan, leaves to town to
take care of some business because she thinks that this will give Maggie and
Phillip some time alone. Maggie is also surprised when she sees Stephen instead of
Phillip. She refuses to go with him at first but Stephen persuades her to change her
mind. Maggie notices that Stephen has taken them past their destination and asks
him to return back. Stephen asks her to continue with him on this journey and get
married with him. Maggie refuses, saying that Stephen has taken advantage of her
thoughtlessness. He denies that he intended it, but says that he can send her home
from here, so that the blame will be all his.
It’s too late to go all the way backso they rest at a lodge nearby. They plan to
resume their journey the next day. That night, Maggie wakes up from a dream that
she has been on the water with Stephen and has seen the boat of St. Ogg with the
Virgin seated in it. The Virgin becomes Lucy and the boatman Philip and then
Tom, who rows past without looking. She calls to him, and they begin to sink. She
wakes up and sees Stephen asleep on the deck close to her, and she feels that the
worst bitterness is the pain she must give to him. When Stephen wakes up, Maggie
tells him that she wants to go backand Stephen says she must have never loved
him becausehe is ready to do anything for her but she keeps depriving him of
happiness. Stephen says she does not know what will be said by the people when
she returns to their town, but Maggie replies that Lucy and Philip will believe her.
Stephen lets her go at last, angry for the moment. Maggie gets into a coach, but it
takes her farther from home. She spends the night at York, intending to start home
the next day.
Book - 7
Maggie returns to the mill on the fifth day after her departure. Tom has learned
from Bob Jakin that Maggie was seen with Stephen at Mudport. He fully expects
the worst — that she is not married. When Maggie comes to him for refuge, he
angrily refuses to have her. He accuses her of using Philip as a screen to deceive
Lucy, who is ill as a result and unable to speak to anyone. He will not shelter
Maggie, for he wishes the world to know that he knows the difference between

10. right and wrong. Mrs. Tulliver is with Tom, and when she hears this she offers to
go with Maggie. They go to Bob Jakin, who gives them lodging.
It soonbecomes known that Maggie has returned, and since she is unwed, all the
blame falls on her. If she had returned as Stephen's wife, the affair would have
been "quite romantic”. Everyone assumes that Stephen refused to marry Maggie
and recalls that Lucy and Philip have been treated badly. It is hoped that Maggie
will leave "so as to purify the air of St. Ogg's . . . ." Maggie is filled with remorse
and is unable to see either Philip or Lucy. She intends to take employment to
supportherself. A letter has arrived from Stephen, Dr. Kenn informs her. He has
gone abroad and has written back to say that Maggie is blameless. However, the
evidence is insufficient to satisfy public opinion. He advises her to leave the town
but Maggie wishes to remain there.
Aunt Glegg reproves Tom for "admitting the worst of his sister until he was
compelled." Mrs. Pullet does not know how to act; but Mrs. Glegg stands firmly
by her kin. She offers to take Maggie in and shelter her. There is word that Lucy is
better, but nothing has been heard from Philip. At last Bob brings Maggie a letter
from him. Philip writes that he believes in Maggie and that her love for Stephen
comes from only part of her character. Philip could not bear to stand in her way,
but only the thought that she might need him kept him from suicide. He says that
she should have no self-reproaches because of him, for she has been true. He offers
her any help he can give. The letter makes Maggie sure that no happiness in love
could make her forget the pain of others.
Dr. Kenn takes Maggie on as governess to his children since nobodyelse will
employ her. Maggie is sitting alone in her room one evening when Lucy appears.
She has stolen out to see Maggie. Maggie tells her that she did not mean to deceive
her, and that Stephen struggled too, that he will come backto her. Lucy cannot
stay; but she promises to come to Maggie again when she returns from the coast,
when she is stronger and can do as she pleases. Her parting words are that Maggie
is better than her. Dr. Kenn is forced to release her from her position as governess
because of the "gossip and slander" which had arisen. He has advised Maggie that
it would be bestfor her to go away from St. Ogg's.
Now Maggie has received a letter from Stephen, saying that two months have
made him even more certain that he can never live life without her and asking her
to write to him to come. Her longing for him and her misery combine to make her
desire to write, and the thought that Stephen is miserable makes the desire stronger.

11. But she recoils from that, and hours of prayer make her resolve to bear her burden.
She burns the letter, vowing to "bear it till death," and wondering how soondeath
might come. At that moment Maggie feels water about her knees. She starts up,
knowing at once that it is the flood. She runs to wake Bob and hurries down to help
him ready the boats. Maggie is swept away in one boat into the darkness. She
floats out over the flooded fields, and in the growing twilight she sees St. Ogg's.
She paddles to reach the mill, where the house stands "drowned up to the first
story." Maggie calls, and Tom comes to the window. Their mother is away at
Garum Firs. Tom climbs out into the boat. They set off to try to find Lucy, but
below the wharves huge fragments are floating. People in a boatshout a warning,
but Tomand Maggie are borne down by the drifting masses. They disappear "in an
embrace never to be parted." They both die in the flood.
The fifth year after the flood, the mill had been rebuilt. On the tomb, below Tom
and Maggie's names, is written, "In their death they were not divided." The tomb
has been visited by two men who felt that "their keenest joy and keenest sorrow
were forever buried there." One of them came again years after "with a sweet face
beside him." The other was always alone.
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