The MIll On the Floss

By WildHeron1980

Just wrapped up The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, and that ending really tore at me. It felt bittersweet in the worst/best way. Maggie is honestly one of the strongest female characters to me—especially how she keeps standing her ground even when society seems determined to drag her down, and she still puts her family first. But it also made me question what “ideal” even means. Is she different from the people who go against society to chase what they want? And I’m not totally sure about her choices—like, she seems more driven by family than anything romantic. Did she not truly love Stephan? Also, was her interest in Philip more like pity at first, then just turning into real friendship? I keep wondering if she genuinely couldn’t sort out love vs friendship the way she should have, or if she was just immature. Either way, she still feels brave right up to the end. What did you think of the novel?