Mill on the Floss, Book Four

“The Valley of Humiliation”

1. What circumstances give the book its title? What is the significance of the opening passages about flooding on the Rhone and the days of medieval romance?

2. What is the Tulliver family situation as the book opens? How does each member of the family react to their decline in status and income? What does Mr. Tulliver regret as he considers Maggie’s future?

3. Why does Maggie turn to religion for guidance, and what form of religion does she espouse? What critique of her choices will Philip later make? Do you think the author agrees with him?

4. How does Bob Lakin react to the news of the Tullivers’ loss? What does this seem to indicate about Tom’s earlier judgement?

5. What future is adumbrated by the book’s final sentence?

“Wheat and Tares,” Book Five

1. What allusion is referred to in the title? Which actions are the wheat, and which the tares?

2. What intervening changes have occurred in Maggie at age 17?

3. What does the narrator emphasize in describing her first meeting with Philip after some years? Does the narrator approve of their meetings? How can you tell? On what grounds does the narrator find Maggie and Philip at fault? Is this a view one would expect in a Victorian novel?

4. Which traits of Philip and Maggie are emphasized in their interview? What issues do they discuss, and how do their opinions differ? What does Philip predict about Maggie’s future? Is he correct? What are Maggie’s reading tastes? What kinds of heroes and heroines does she prefer?

5. Does she seem attracted to Philip? Does she “love” him? Do you think the narrator considers this to be a promising future union?

6. What ventures enrich Tom so rapidly? What do you think of the plausibility of Eliot’s account of the Tulliver and Deane family’s participation in Luke’s trade?

7. What are important features of the scene in which Philip declares his love? What are Tom’s motives for disapproval of Maggie’s meetings with Philip?

8. How does Tom react when he finds Maggie and Philip together? How do Philip and Maggie respond to his anger? Does Maggie stand up for Philip?

9. What attitude toward debt is shared by the Tulliver family? Do you think this was a common attitude in Victorian England?

10. What event brings about Mr. Tulliver’s death? Who is at fault in his encounter with Wakem? What are important features of the death scene?

11. How do Tom and Maggie respond to their father’s death? Why does Maggie declare she will avoid Philip after the latter’s death? Do you think the narrator approves of her decision?