Maggie Tulliver in The Mill on The Floss: Character Thursday (61)

The Mill on the Floss tells us the life span of Maggie Tulliver, a rebellious and imaginative young girl who—unlike any ordinary girls of her age—appraised books and knowledge. Her imagination was broadening by the books which influenced her way of thinking. Maggie grown up to be a young woman who was hunger for being loved and cared, especially by her brother Tom. She was disappointed when Tom could not understand her and even angry with her.

Maggie was a woman who was misplaced and misjudged. She was being prejudiced by others, but she could bear it in silence only if Tom agreed with her and continued to love her. Unfortunately she didn’t get that from Tom. Nonetheless, Tom was her center of life, and neither Philip Wakem nor Stephen Guest could replace his position in Maggie’s heart. And this is unusual, because Tom had never been an attentive brother to Maggie since they were small children. So, I think it’s because Maggie had unconsciously idolized Tom. Maggie found in Tom everything she wanted to have but couldn’t: freedom and independence. Maggie always wanted to show off to Tom that she was also capable to do what people expected from boys, and she needed that recognition from Tom, to make him regarded her as his equal.

Emily Watson as Maggie Tulliver

During the second half of the book I kept questioning, whom that Maggie loved the most: Stephen or Philip? I believe Maggie loved Tom more than those two, but now I also think that above them all, Maggie loved freedom, independence and recognition. She could not make decision of whom she would choose for a husband, because she felt none of them brought her freedom. In Philip, she felt that they have a special bound since children, and her conscience ‘forced’ her to pick him. On the other hand, Stephen forced her to think about her love to him. If I were Maggie, I would leave everything behind, and accept the job offer as a nursemaid somewhere far away from home. But then, freedom is supposed to be free choices with all the consequences.

If only Maggie lived in this modern era, at least…we, women, have more freedom to decide what’s best for us.

That is my Character Thursday of this week, an analysis of book character of my choice, who is yours?... Just put your post URL in the linky below. Do you like to join us in discussing characters from books you read? Seethe details of Character Thursday first.