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The Causes Of Maggie's Tragedy

Posted on:2007-01-19Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:J FuFull Text:PDF
GTID:2155360182487728Subject:English Language and Literature
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
The Mill on the Floss is one of George Eliot's most excellent novels, and it is also considered an autobiographical one. After the publication of the novel, it was highly praised. But at the same time the ending of the novel was regarded as a shortcoming of the whole work. Someone pointed out that the ending was too abrupt, and Maggie's death was neither poetic nor natural.In this thesis, the author tries to make a feminist reading of The Mill on the Floss and its ending—the death of the protagonist Maggie and her most beloved brother Tom in a flood to reveal George Eliot's intention of writing this novel.This paper provides a panorama analysis of Maggie's relationship with the women and men in her life. The women around Maggie are not aware of their fate of being repressed by a patriarchal society;for example, Maggie's mother never attends to Maggie's need as a woman and Lucy shapes herself strictly according to a patriarchal criterion, without any self-consciousness and defiance.And the male in the novel, for example Tom, only try to punish Maggie for her trivial mistakes without any mercy. Maggie can get consolation from Philip, but because he is marginalized for his deformity, she cannot get recognition and acceptance from the main stream society. Stephen only can meet part of Maggie's need for love.Maggie on the one hand fights against the patriarchy, but on the other hand, she relies on male's love and care. For example, though she does not always want to follow Tom, she wants Tom to love and care about her. Therefore, her fight is incomplete and unsuccessful.The author of this thesis thinks that the patriarchy as well as Maggie's reconciliation to it leads to her tragic destiny. Through thedescription of the sufferings of women in a patriarchal world, George Eliot urges that both male and female should change their attitudes to build a harmonious society. Or the continual operation of the patriarchy will smother the soul of women, for whom only death is their destiny.
Keywords/Search Tags:George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss, feminism, female's tragedy, causes, patriarchy, reconciliation
PDF Full Text Request
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