The Mill on the Floss · Character
Mrs. Tulliver
Maggie and Tom's anxious, doting mother, whose pride lives in her linen, her china, and the respectability she fears losing.
supporting
Also known as aunt Tulliver, poor Mrs. Tulliver, Amiable Mrs. Tulliver
First appearance: Book I: Boy and Girl
As a supporting figure in The Mill on the Floss, Mrs. Tulliver is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Maggie and Tom's mother, who worries about Maggie's unruly hair and behavior, and values the Dodson family's standards of propriety.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Mrs. Tulliver is a soft, fussing woman who measures love in household order and dreads the disgrace of debt almost as much as the loss of her possessions. As the mill's fortunes sink, she is scolded by her own servant…
Continue beside the text
The fuller portrait of Mrs. Tulliver sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.
See Mrs. Tulliver in Book I: Boy and GirlCharacter Web
32 connectionsA slice of how Mrs. Tulliver sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Family
- Other
Character groups
- Major characters and family
- Minor characters and background
- Protagonist
+27 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- 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 readingRelationships
- Maggie Tulliver
family · ambivalent
Mother and daughter, with Mrs. How this plays out →
- Tom Tulliver
family · positive
- Mr. Tulliver
family · ambivalent
- Mr. Tulliver
family · ambivalent
- Tom Tulliver
family · positive
- Tom Tulliver
family · positive
- Maggie Tulliver
family · ambivalent
Mother and daughter, with Mrs. How this plays out →
- Mr. Tulliver
family · ambivalent
- Maggie Tulliver
family · ambivalent
Mother and daughter, with Mrs. How this plays out →
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Mrs. Tulliver in Book I: Boy and GirlIn the story
Mrs. Tulliver appears across 37 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Book I: Boy and Girl
- Outside Dorlcote Mill
- Mr. Tulliver, of Dorlcote Mill, Declares His Resolution About Tom
- Mr. Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom
- Tom Is Expected
- Tom Comes Home
- VI: The Aunts and Uncles Are Coming
- Enter the Aunts and Uncles
- +29 more
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Mrs. Tulliver unlock in the free preview.
See Mrs. Tulliver in Book I: Boy and Girl