Stay Different, Stay Truthful

George Eliot (May Ann Evans), one of the finest novelists in the Victorian period, denouncing “the silly novels by lady novelists”, has bestowed another well-crafted art piece on me, her near-autobiographical novel of The Mill On the Floss. We have a strong female character as our heroin, Maggie Tulliver, who is at the same time sensitive, intellectually curious, compassionate and prone to her own passions and indecisiveness. Her beloved brother, Tom Tulliver, personality-wise a near opposite of her, with whom she struggles to maintain a loving and caring relationship, appears to be remote and indifferent to her, only revealing the slightest trace of affection when he calls her “Magsie” on two occasions throughout this sprawling 600-page book. I do not particularly care about this central relationship between Maggie and Tom (my least favorite character in the book. Please Maggie, just cut the ties and move on already. ) our author has set her mind to explore, what rivets me and keeps me coming back for more is the psychological depth and moral struggles the characters, especially Maggie and Philip(the perceptive and learned son of the arch-enemy of Maggie and Tom’s father, crippled by his physical deformity, remains loyal and truthful to Maggie. ) What serve as delightful side dishes are the Tulliers’ connections with their relations, the worldly and frequently critical “aunts” and “uncles” and their social standings in this small community with a clearly displayed hierarchy.

No one leads a happy life in this provincial town, despite the pastoral landscape, and they all have their own cross to bear. It is how they bear the grind of a provincial life that I am most interested in. Our Maggie has swung from practicing asceticism, denying every single pleasure and temptation in life, to slowly letting her nature blossom and finally falling victim to her unbridled passions, maybe in the process scandalizing herself and wrecking a few lives. But through it all she has always wrestled with herself and strived to remain true to those whom she loves dearly. I will end with this note from George Eliot herself, “agreements between intellects seem unattainable and we turn to the truth of feeling as the only universal bond of union.”