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As an English Victorian writer, George Eliot is well known for her distinctive ideology, the

exquisite writing technique, the vivid depiction of the characters, together with the
complicated psychoanalysis of the characters.
Since her novels create the new depth in terms of the psychological descriptions, George
Eliot is considered to be the pioneer of the psychological novel.
One of her early works-The Mill on the Floss is considered to be a masterpiece in the history
of English literature.
Apart from this, The Mill on the Floss is also a good representation of reflecting the
psychoanalysis.
This thesis attempts to undertake a psychoanalytic study of The Mill on the Floss in the light
of Sigmund Freuds theory of the structures of mind.
According to Freud, the mental apparatus consists of the id, the ego and the superego.
The id is an important part of our personality which supplies all the mental power of human
beings. It contains the basic desire, the impulse and vitality of human beings. In addition, the
id is governed by the pleasure principle, which is the instinctual seeking of pleasure and
avoiding of pain in order to satisfy biological and psychological needs.
Compared with the id, the ego represents reason and common sense, acting in accordance
with the reality principle. Moreover, restricted by the outer factor, the ego tries to reconcile
the relationship among the external world, the id and the superego.
As to the superego which is governed by the morality principle, it pursues the ideal
perfection.
Furthermore, the superego remains the character of the father and censors the thought and
behaviors of human beings.
The thesis is made up of three chapters. Chapter I focuses on the analysis of Maggie and tries
to prove that she is mainly an id-dominated character. Her uncontrollable impulse is mainly
reflected in two aspects: her Electra complex and her sexual desires for Tom and Stephen.
Chapter II attempts to explore Tom and the Dodsons who act as the embodiment of Maggies
superego. Toms attitude towards Maggies love and the Dodsonsrestriction on Maggies
behaviors can be analyzed by Freudian theory concerning the superego.
Chapter III intends to analyze such characters as Dr. Kenn and Lucy to demonstrate that
they are the representatives of Maggies ego. Egos mediating function and cohering function
are able to reconcile the relationship between the id and the external world and the
relationship between the id and the superego.
To sum up, by the elaborate analysis of these main characters and the relationships among
them, Maggie can be considered to be a character mainly dominated by the id, and Tom and
the Dodsons can be taken as the embodiment of Maggies superego, while Dr. Kenn and Lucy
as the embodiment of her ego. Moreover, it shows that George Eliots The Mill on the Floss
unconsciously reflects Freuds psychoanalytic theory. Thus, it is feasible to interpret the
literary works by means of the structures of mind in Sigmund Freuds theory

MaggieTulliversCharacter
InAdamBede,Eliotemphasizestheinaccuracyofinterpretationonthe

basisofexternalappearances.Sherecallsthisinadequacyofinterpretation
inpaintingthephysiognomyofherheroandheroineinTheMillonthe
Floss,TomandMaggieTulliver.Thenarratorsaysofbothoftheminthe
firstchapter,butthatsamenaturehasthedeepcunningwhichhidesitself
undertheappearanceofopenness,sothatsimplepeoplethinktheycansee
throughherquitewell,andallthewhilesheissecretlypreparinga
refutationoftheirconfidentprophecies(8485).Eliot,inTheMillonthe
Floss,appliesAlexanderBainsideasoftheunconsciousmemory;human
presentactionsarenotseparatedfromhispast,butconsciouslyor
unconsciouslyrelatedtopastexperiencesformedintheearlychildhood.
EliotalsotestsbothLamarksandDarwinsideasofheredityasafactorthat
determinesthehumancharacterandbehavior.
Eliot,inthenovel,isnotonlyinterestedinwhathercharactersare,butalso
inwhattheywillbecome.InAdamBede,readersareintroducedto
characterswhiletheyarephysically(butnotalwaysmentally)maturewhile
theMillpresentsthedevelopmentofMaggiefromchildhoodon.Both
MaggieandTomareplacedinacontextofpastandfuture,heredityand
development.EliotinTheMillexplorestheroleofthememoryofthepast
onshapingtheindividualconsciousnessinthefuturewithinasocial
hereditycontext.
TheMillontheFlossistheonlyoneofEliotsnovelsinwhichheredity
playsasignificantroleindefiningcharacter.Beforeweareintroducedto
TomandMaggie,theyareplacedinthecontextofaTulliver/Dodson
dichotomy.Mr.Tulliversaystohiswife:
[Tom]isabitslowish.Hetakesafteryourfamily,Bessy.Yes,thathe
does,saidMrsTulliver,acceptingthelastpropositionentirelyonitsown
merits,he'swonderfulforlikingadealo'saltinhisbroth.Thatwasmy
brother'swayandmyfather'sbeforehim.Itseemsabitofapity,though,
saidMrTulliver,astheladshouldtakeafterthemotherssideisteadothe
littlewench[Maggie].Thatstheworstontwithecrossingobreeds:you
canneverjustlycalkilatewhatllcomeont.Thelittleuntakesaftermy
side,now.(5960).

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MrsTulliver,themerestepitomeofthefamilyhabitsandtraditions,isa
thoughbutmildDodson(97).Sheclearlyexistsasanindividualapart
fromherhereditarycharacteristics.Tomisahardierversionofhismothers
family:literalandslowwitted.Hehasthecongenitaldeficiencyofbeing
bornwithdeficientpowerofapprehendingsignsandabstractions(242).
TomsEtonGrammarisincomprehensibletohim;itisnothingbut
abstractionshideouslysymbolized(208).HisdifficultieswithLatinare
indicativeofhistypeofthinking:hewasnotgiventohypothesisand
experiment(210).Tomisalsoexternalandstubborn,whodoesnotchange
hisfirstimpressions:
hewasaboywhoadheredtenaciouslytoimpressionsoncereceived:aswith
allmindsinwhichmereperceptionpredominatesoverthoughtandemotion,
theexternalremainedtohimrigidlywhatitwasinthefirstinstance.
mereperceptions,whicharedirectreflectionsoftheexternalworld,are
inadequatewithouttheimaginativeabstraction.
Maggie,incontrast,isawarmhearted,imaginative,andquickwitted
Tulliver,wholikesmetaphorsandabstractions.Maggiesmindworks
antitheticallytoToms.WithoutknowinganyLatin,shegraspsthe

metaphoricmeaningoflanguagehiddenfromhim.WhenTominformsher
thatbonusmeansgood,notgift,shereplies:itmaymeanseveral
thingsalmosteveryworddoes(214).Thiswhatmakesherlivein
literaturebooksthaninreality.
Despitethestronginfluenceofheredityonthecharacteristicsofthehuman
being,Eliotdoesnotconsideritastheonlyabsolutefactorthatshapes
character.PhilipWakemisagoodexample;Tomdidntseehowabad
manssoncouldbeverygood(232).Maggie,likeEliot,hasarichsenseof
complexitiesofheredity:I'vereadofverybadmenwhohadgoodsons,as
wellasgoodparentswhohadbadchildren,(252)shetellsTom.Therefore,
ourunderstandingofthefactorsthatdetermineMaggiesandToms
identitiesshouldgobeyondtheinfluenceofhereditytoreachthe
psychologicalinfluencesofexperienceandenvironment.
Again,TheMillisuniqueamongEliotsnovelsbecauseitistheonlyoneto
presentfullycharactersdevelopmentfromchildtoadult.PhilipWakemis
fondofsketchingMaggiesportrait.Herevealstwopictures,sidebyside,
tohisfather:theyarethesameperson,saidPhilip,withcalmpromptness,
atdifferentages(540).Eliotachievesthesamefunctionofshowing
developmentinthecharacterofMaggiestressingsimilarityanddifference,
continuityandchange,notinthephysicalcharacteristics,butthe
psychologicalaspectsofMaggiespersonality.

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Dr.AymanElHallaq
862
InTheMill,Eliotsdevelopmentalpsychologyisnotonlyinfluencedby
AlexanderBainsideas,butalsobyWilliamWordswoth,( 1)whoemphasized
thatthechildisthefatherofman.Bydepictingherheroandheroineas
children,Eliotseekstoenrichourunderstandingoftheiradultbehavior.
Maggiespersonalityisformedatanearlyage:inaleaptowardsclearness
andfreedom,MaggiecutsoffherlocksinfrontofherbrotherTomthen
feelsthatbittersenseoftheirrevocablewhichwasalmostaneveryday
experienceofhersmallsoul(121).Later,shecouldseeclearlyenough
thatitwasveryfoolish,andthatsheshouldhavetohearandthinkmore
aboutherhairthanever(121).Readersarepreparedforafuturecutting
loosefromthesocialnorms,withtragicconsequences.
InherinvestigationofMaggiesconsciousnessanditsdevelopment,Eliot
stressestheunitybetweenchildandadultpersonalities.Essentialtothis
unityismemory,whichEliotcalls,themothertongueofourimagination,
thelanguagethatisladenwithallthesubtleinextricableassociationsthe
fleetinghoursofourchildhoodleftbehindthem(94).
MaggiesandTomsearlyyearsweresecure;theylivedinawarm
protectiveuniverse.Therewasnoagonizingexternalrealitypresentedor
outerworldtodisturbthepsychologicalconstructionofhermind.Both
theexternalrealityofthepresentandthememoryofthepastwereunited
andinharmonyinsidethem.WhenTomhappilygoesbackhomefrom
schoolforChristmasattheendofthehalfyear,Eliotexplains,throughhis
mind,thepsychologyofachildwholivesinasecureenvironment:
Thereisnosenseofeaseliketheeasewefeltinthosesceneswherewewere
born,whereobjectsbecamedeartousbeforewehadknownthelabourof
choice,andwheretheouterworldseemedonlyanextensionofourown
personality:weacceptedandloveditasweacceptedourownsenseof
existenceandourownlimbs.(222)
Thechildsperspectiveoftheworldfailstodistinguishbetweentheselfand

theexternalreality,thesubjectandtheobjectoutside,theselfandtheother:
theotherortheobjectisanextensionoftheselforthesubject;bothare
inseparablyassociated.Anyseparationbetweenbothoftheminvolvesa
partiallossoftheself.Bythetimeobject(peacefulouterworld)isseparated
fromthesubject(self),theobjectbecomesamemorytowhichthesubject
yearnstoreassociateto.Thepassageoftime,forMaggie,bringswithit
dissociation,discontinuity.Mr.Tulliversbusinessfailurebringsacomplete
changeinthefamilyswayoflife.AsMaggielooksatherchildhoodhome,
(1)IrefertoWordsworthsMyHeartLeapsUp.

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shefeelsthateverythingisgoingawayfromustheendofourliveswill
havenothinginitlikethebeginning(325).
Mr.Tulliversmindcannotstandthepressureofdiscontinuity.
Unconsciousofthosearoundhim,hesubmergesinawaveofmemory
(277).Mr.Tulliversbreakdownconsistsofacompletedisjunctionbetween
theobjectandthesubject;heslipsintotheworldofhismemoriesofthe
past,whichhasnoresemblancetotheactualitiesofthepresent.
Maggiescharacteristruetoitshereditarycharacteristics.Fromearly
childhood,shesuffersdiscontinuitywhichfinallyovercomesherfather.She
isfilledwithnothingbutthememoryofherchild'sfeelingsamemory
thatwasalwaysstronginher(394).Maggieisunabletoacceptthefactthat
asshegrowoutofchildhoodherouterworldinnolongeranextensionof
herpersonality.Theincompatibilitybetweentheinternalandtheexternal,
thesubjectandtheobjectwilllatergrowmoreserioustobeaconflict
betweentheinwardimpulseandtheoutwardfact(367).Theconflict
becomesmoreviolentandMaggieishauntedbyablind,unconscious
yearningforsomethingthatwouldlinktogetherthewonderfulimpressions
ofthismysteriouslifeandgivehersoulasenseofhomeinit(321).The
onlylinkavailableismemory;itistheonlyunifyingelementbetweenthe
goodpastandabetterfuturewhichisabletogivehersoulasenseof
homeandgetsheroutoftheagonizingpresent.
Inapassionatemomentofheradulthood,Maggiecutsoffhermemoryas
saviorfromanagonizingpresentandreplacesitbyamomentarypassionate
lovewithStephenGuest.Itissimilartotheirrationalmomentinwhichshe
cutoffherlocksinthepast:amomentthatshewillregretlater.Shegoeson
ajourneythatestrangesherfromherownpastandpresent:Memorywas
excluded(589),Eliotstatesexplicitly.Maggielosespartofheridentityin
suchamoment,sheturnsbackandreturnstoSt.Oggs,buttoolate.The
damagehasbeendone.SheistormentedbywhatEliotcallsthesenseof
contradictionwithherpastself(648).Intheconcludingchapterofthe
novel,theLastConflict,Maggieisnotabletoreconstructtheidentityshe
lostonhertripwithStephen,andtheonlyresolutionis

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