The Mill on the Floss · Chapter
Maggie Behaves Worse Than She Expected explained
Maggie, feeling jealous and excluded by Tom's preference for Lucy, pushes Lucy into mud after Tom tells her to go away.
What happens
Maggie, feeling jealous and excluded by Tom's preference for Lucy, pushes Lucy into mud after Tom tells her to go away. Tom slaps Maggie and threatens to tell their mother, while Lucy is left crying and muddy. The adults panic and search for Maggie, who remains defiant.
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
- Family Obligation and Conflict
Maggie's jealousy toward Tom and Lucy leads to a violent outburst, creating family tension.
- Gender Roles and Limitations
Tom's contemptuous view of girls as unfit for dirty places contrasts with Maggie's defiant behavior.
- Passion vs. Duty
Maggie's passionate anger overcomes any sense of duty to be kind to Lucy or obey adult rules.
Characters to notice
- Maggie Tulliver
Jealous of Tom's attention to Lucy, she pushes Lucy into mud and feels no immediate remorse.
- Tom Tulliver
Prefers Lucy's company, slaps Maggie after she pushes Lucy, and threatens to tell their mother.
- Lucy Deane
Innocent victim of Maggie's jealousy, ends up muddy and crying.
- Mrs. Tulliver
Anxious about Maggie's whereabouts, fears Mr. Tulliver's reaction if Maggie is lost.
- Mrs. Pullet
Disturbed by the chaos, comments on Maggie's potential bad end.
- Mr. Pullet
Confused and overwhelmed, searches for Maggie with a spud.
Key passages
“Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love”
Jealousy and anger, like love, cannot stand being ignored or left out.
Narrator's insight into Maggie's motivation for following Tom and Lucy.
“the utmost Maggie could do, with a fierce thrust of her small brown arm, was to push poor little pink-and-white Lucy into the cow-trodden mud”
Maggie's only outlet for her intense feelings was to shove Lucy into the muddy ground.
Climactic moment of Maggie's rebellion and jealousy.
