The Mill on the Floss · Chapter
Mr. Tulliver, of Dorlcote Mill, Declares His Resolution About Tom explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Tulliver announces his plan to give Tom a good education so he can become a surveyor or auctioneer, not a miller. Mrs. Tulliver suggests consulting the aunts and uncles, but Mr. Tulliver refuses. The conversation shifts to Maggie's wildness and her mother's frustration with her unruly hair and behavior.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this excerpt, the emotional/psychological peak occurs when Maggie, despite her "heavy heart" and initial re…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Education and Self-Improvement
Mr. Tulliver's desire to give Tom a 'good eddication' to secure his future and avoid the pitfalls of lawsuits.
- Gender Roles and Limitations
Maggie's intelligence is seen as problematic for a girl; Mrs. Tulliver's focus on appearance and domestic skills.
- Family Obligation and Conflict
Mr. Tulliver's defiance of consulting the aunts and uncles; Mrs. Tulliver's concern about family opinions.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Tulliver
Declares his resolution to give Tom a good education and dismisses the idea of consulting the aunts and uncles.
- Mrs. Tulliver
Suggests killing fowl for a family dinner to discuss Tom's education; frets over Maggie's wildness and hair.
- Tom Tulliver
Subject of his father's educational plans; described as slowish and taking after his mother's family.
- Maggie Tulliver
Enters after wandering by the water; described as 'too 'cute' and wild, with unruly hair; refuses to do patchwork.
- Lucy Deane
Mentioned as Maggie's cousin with perfect curls, contrasting with Maggie's appearance.
Key passages
“What I want, you know, is to give Tom a good eddication; an eddication as'll be a bread to him.”
Mr. Tulliver wants Tom to have a practical education that will provide for his livelihood.
Mr. Tulliver's core motivation for Tom's schooling.
“But I should like Tom to be a bit of a scholard, so as he might be up to the tricks o' these fellows as talk fine and write with a flourish.”
Mr. Tulliver wants Tom to be educated enough to outsmart smooth-talking men in business.
Mr. Tulliver's pragmatic view of education as a tool against deceit.
“It's no mischief much while she's a little un; but an over-'cute woman's no better nor a long-tailed sheep—she'll fetch none the bigger price for that.”
Mr. Tulliver thinks Maggie's cleverness is harmless now but will be a disadvantage for a woman later.
Reflects contemporary views on female intelligence and marriageability.
