Justice And Care

The thesis attempts to make a gender analysis of The Mill on the Floss from the perspective of feminist ethics of care. By exploring the differences in moral development of the leading characters Tom and Maggie, it helps us comprehend their different moral experience and ethical choices and the reasons for their gender differences. Due to the construction of patriarchal social culture and the differences in mode of thinking, when confronted with ethical dilemmas, men tend to abide by a justice-oriented route while women are inclined to follow a care-oriented way. Taking ethics of care as the theoretical foundation, by analyzing his affirmation of rights, adherence to justice and authority, and performance of responsibility as a man, it demonstrates the justice orientation in Tom’s moral experience and decisions; by analyzing her focus on the unique self and desire for love and attention, caring about others before herself, and renunciation of her own love, it reveals the care orientation in Maggie’s moral experience and decisions. Based on the analysis above, this thesis intends to exhibit the possibility and necessity of combining justice ethics with care ethics in moral practice and it can provide a better understanding of Eliot’s distinctive moral ethics: Eliot doesn’t praise lopsidedly the masculine ethics of justice, but appreciates the caring temperament of women.When men learn to care others and women cultivate their mind with justice, a more harmonious ethical world will be built up.