It is said that George Eliot's style of writing deals with much realism. Eliot, herself meant by a "realist" to be "an artist who values the truth of observation above the imaginative fancies of writers of "romance" or fashionable melodramatic fiction." (Ashton 19) This technique is artfully utilized in her writings in a way which human character and relationships are dissected and analyzed. In the novel The Mill on the Floss, Eliot uses the relationships of the protagonist of the story, Miss Maggie Tulliver, as a medium in which to convey various aspects of human social associations. It seems that as a result of Maggie's nature and of circumstances presented around her, that she is never able to have a connection with one person that satisfies her multifaceted needs and desires. Maggie is able, to some extent, to explore the various and occasionally conflicting aspects of her person with her relationships between other characters presented in the novel. "From an early age, Maggie needs approval from men...Maggie is not shown in any deep relationship with a female friend." (Ashton 83) A reader can explore into Maggie Tulliver's person and her short d

And I the girl that puppy-like now ran,

Steven Guest can provide the aspect of passion for Maggie that Philip cannot provide. In their first interaction Steven felt an instant attraction for her, as she for him. "For one instant Stephen could not conceal his astonishment at the sight of this tall, dark-eyed nymph with her jet-back coronet of hair, the next, Maggie felt herself, for the first time in her life, receiving the tribute of a very deep blush and a very deep bow from a person towards she herself was conscious of timidity." (Eliot 484) Steven complicates Maggie's life because his attraction is also irrational-he is courting her loving and dear cousin. Maggie is aware of the danger in these passions and takes great effort not to partake in them, on an external display. Maggie stated that she would rather take death than to participate in temptations that could hurt so many people: Herself, Steven, Lucy-her cousin and Philip. How little she did not know of the disastrous effects it would have on a more broad scale. As time progresses, both Steven and Maggie find it more difficult to hide such attractions for each other and eventually Steven makes a thoughtless gesture that the two of them should be together...forever. Maggie's conscious and her inability to directly cause grief to her loved ones overcomes her strong sexual attraction for Steven and the prospects of a free life with him. This action causes the complexities of their relation to be exposed to the general public, the public to pass ill judgment on her and begins the second major dispute between her and her and Tom. Steven is said to "be a catalyst in the primary drama between brother and sister" (Ashton 52) This is an accurate statement because tension was already established between Maggie and Tom and if it were not for Steven, it would have been another thing to cause further conflicts. "It is perhaps worth remarking that he is the literary descendant to other energetic, simple, sexually powerful men in novels who create quite complex problems for women whose alternative lovers are perhaps more sensitive." (Byatt 690)

Edinborough and London. "Brother and Sister" The Legend of Jubal and Other Poems.

Of forty inches, bound to show no dread,

Maggie's brother, Tom, is the person of whom she was the most fond of. She turned the cheek on some of his unkind actions toward her in the realization of a strong, unbreakable bond. This excerpt from "Brother and Sister" (Ashton 90) portrays the type of relationship Maggie and Tom Tulliver have.

"Every episode in the early chapters show Maggie's high hopes of pleasure being dashed by disagreements with Tom." (Ashton 75) "Tom indeed was of opinion that Maggie was a silly little thing: all girls were silly...still he was very

Some common words found in the essay are:
Tom Ashton, Maggie Tulliver, Riley Maggie's, Wakem Tom, Maggie Philip, Tom's Maggie's, Steven Maggie, Tom Steven, Tom Eliot, Philip Philip, steven guest, mill floss, maggie tulliver, maggie tom, mill floss middlesex, various aspects, tom maggie, wakem tom, ashton 92, explore various, floss middlesex,
Approximate Word count = 1871
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)