Autobiographical Elements in the Novel mill on the Floss

1. Autobiographical elements in Mill on the Floss
Psychologically every person wants to lead a smooth life. But those who receive a
tragedy after tragedy in life essentially want to have some catharsis by shedding some drops of
tears. These tears can be of various types. It may be some saltiest water from the eyes or may be
the use of saltiest ink on pages. George Eliot does not drop the dew drops from her eyes because
she does not want to be laughed at. She adopts another method to get rid of the constant burden
of mind. For this purpose she creates some characters in her novels which are the real projection
of G. Eliot‘s life.
 Death by drowning:
George Eliot's grandfather "George Evans" was a carpenter and a builder. He accidently died by
drowning. Death of Tom and Maggie by drowning is the conclusion of the Eliot novel.
"the next moment the boat was n longer to be seen on the water.
Brother and sister had gone down in an embrace never to be parted..."
 Marry Ann's mother and Mrs. Tulliver's family similarities
Like Mrs. Tulliver, Mary Ann‘s mother was also one of the four sisters of the Pearson family and
their social and financial superiority and snobbery provide the material for the portrayal of the
four Dodson sisters.
 Both are favourite of their father:
George Eliot was favourite child of her father. Like G. Eliot Maggie was too favourite child of
Mr. Trulliver. He is proud of Maggie’s intelligence, although he isn’t sure what use it will be to a girl.
 Both adored their brothers:
George Eliot adored her brother Issac as Maggie adores her brother Tom.
" I don't love you Maggie'
'oh Tom, don't say that,' begged Maggie. 'I am sorry.
It was an accident, tom. Please forgive me."
 Lucy is representing the true picture of Eliot's sister:
In portraying the character of Lucy, the author resembled her own sisters Christiana who was
neat & pretty quite a contrast to Mary Ann.
 Both have love affair with committed man

2. Maggie has love affair with committed man as George Eliot has. George Lewes was a married man.
She defined her family‘s wrath and lived with Lewes though unmarried to him. The action led to her
alienation from her brother Isaac. It has a close parallel to tom’s reaction to Maggie’s affair with Stephen.
But here reality departs from art because Maggie renounced Stephen Guest as a lover who did not
legitimately belong to her.
 Tom represents true picture of George Eliot's brother:
Maggie's brother "Tom" represents true picture of George Eliot's brother Issac.
 Maggie is true representative of George Eliot:
Maggie is fullest revelation of George Eliot. Maggie's hairs are curly as Eliot has. Maggie was
dirty in her childhood as George Eliot was in her child hood. Maggie was ill-mannered child as
George Eliot was in her child hood.
To Mrs. Tulliver Maggie seemed "half and idiot" in some ways- for if she sends the child
upstairs for something, Maggie forgets what she had gone for, and would
“ sit down on the floor in the sunshine and plait her hair
and sing to herself like a bedlam creature …..”
The practical, house proud Mrs. Tulliver cant appriciate Maggie and sighs
" It seems hard as it should have but one girl
And her so comical "
Similarly Mary Ann Evans had unmanageable hair & was not comfort to her mother in house work.
 There is a close affinity between Maggie’s nature and that of Mary Ann Evans, Maggie‘s
nature is impulsive like her creator. Mary Ann had troubles with her rebellious locks &
dresses similar to those of Maggie.
 Books like “The Pilgrim‘s Progress”, ” History of the Devil‘s”, & Aesop’s fables “ were
the favourites of Mary Ann as with Maggie.
 The mental sharpness, the clinging affectionateness, the ambition, the outlook beyond the
present , the religious & moral pre occupations, the thirst for knowledge, the spiritual &
moral conflicts, the passionate high thinking , love of music and everything truly
beautiful , these are common to both Maggie & Mary.
 Like Maggie , Mary too used to speculate that as she was younger the smaller fish would
come to her fish in road and bigger to Tom’s .George Eliot speaks for Mary Ann when
she says in the novel.
“ It’s a wonderful subduer, this need of love –

3. this hunger of the heart …..as peremptory as that other hunger by
which nature forces us submit to the joke & change the face of the world”
 It is even said that Marry Ann had an adventure with gypsies as Maggie runs away with
gypsies in the course of novel. Mary Ann doted on Issac just as Maggie does on Tom.
 Both fathers have English nature:
George Eliot's father Mr. Robert was a true English nature and temper are produced in Mr.
Trulliver.
 Stephen represent picture of George:
Stephen Guess was engage with Lucy like George the lover of Marry Inn was a married man.
Both were committed. And have illegitimate relationship with Maggie and Marry Inn.
We can conclude that Mill on the Floss is an autobiographical novel.