# Mrs. Glegg — The Mill on the Floss character guide

> Mrs. Glegg in The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** sister Glegg, aunt Glegg, Glegg

**First appearance:** 0006-vi-the-aunts-and-uncles-are-coming

## Snapshot

From her front and back parlours, Mrs. Glegg audits the moral failings of St. Ogg's, especially her brother-in-law Tulliver's, with the ledger always open.

## Who they are

Mrs. Glegg is the eldest and most formidable of the Dodson sisters, a woman who regards herself as the family's constituted check on weakness and extravagance. She clashes openly with Mr. Tulliver over money and pride, yet her quarrel is never so final that she cannot speak civil when spoken to. Her sharp tongue and sharper accounts make her the measuring rod against which the Tullivers' precarious respectability is judged.

## In the story

### [Enter the Aunts and Uncles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/vii-enter-the-aunts-and-uncles)

Criticizes Mr. Tulliver's indulgence of Maggie and expresses disapproval of the schooling plan.

### [Mr. Tulliver Shows His Weaker Side](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/viii-mr-tulliver-shows-his-weaker-side)

Her loan of five hundred pounds is the source of Mr. Tulliver's financial worry.

### [Mr. and Mrs. Glegg at Home](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/xii-mr-and-mrs-glegg-at-home)

Shows her quarrelsome nature and pride in her household management; she is upset with Mr. Tulliver and chides Mr. Glegg for not supporting her.

### [Mr. Tulliver Further Entangles the Skein of Life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/xiii-mr-tulliver-further-entangles-the-skein-of-life)

Receives Mr. Tulliver's letter demanding repayment of her loan; maintains her principles regarding her will and family honor.

### [Book III: The Downfall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/book-iii-the-downfall)

Participates in the family council, representing the Dodson side's concern over the Tullivers' financial disgrace.

### [The Family Council](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/iii-the-family-council)

Dominant and severe, she lectures Tom and Maggie on their new condition, insisting they must be humble and work. She angrily rejects Tom's proposal to use her money, asserting her control over her own savings.

### [I: A Variation of Protestantism Unknown to Bossuet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/i-a-variation-of-protestantism-unknown-to-bossuet)

Implied as a representative Dodson, embodying the family's pride in respectability and strict adherence to tradition.

### [Aunt Glegg Learns the Breadth of Bob's Thumb](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/ii-aunt-glegg-learns-the-breadth-of-bob-s-thumb)

Mrs. Glegg insists on being consulted and contributes twenty pounds to Tom's venture, expecting interest.

### [A Family Party](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/xii-a-family-party)

Attends the party; scolds Mr. Glegg for joking; expresses displeasure at Maggie's plan to go away without consulting her.

### [III: Showing That Old Acquaintances Are Capable of Surprising Us](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/iii-showing-that-old-acquaintances-are-capable-of-surprising-us)

Surprisingly offers Maggie shelter and support, standing by family honor despite her earlier judgments.

### [IV: Maggie and Lucy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/chapters/iv-maggie-and-lucy)

Mrs. Glegg is mentioned as a source of news about Lucy's recovery and plans, indicating her continued involvement in family matters.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/characters/mrs_glegg
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mill_on_the_floss_se/characters