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I'm not very far along in the book, Maggie has just cut off here hair. So far the husband seems like a "simple" man who wants better for his son, maybe not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Mrs. Tulliver reminds me of my aunt, very worried about keeping up appearances (or wanting to at least).
Since there will be a separate thread for discussion of characters, we will leave it till later, when everyone actually finishes reading the book and form their opinions on the characters. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Virgil
This is one of the nicest books I ve read. We did it for literature in school (meaning I taught it) and the kids, though Pakistani, were captivated. I find a breath of countryside in it.
I agree with you there that Mill on the Floss is one of the best books that ever existed in this world. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Anthony Furze
Did you teach the abridged version or the unabridged one? (I think that unabridged version is not taught at school level)
I love that maggie cut off her hair.
I taught the unabridged one... I ve just found it again. You re whetting my appetite so I ll start reading rightaway...
Good for you. I am also re-reading it.
Here's a lovely passage, perhaps encapsulating the theme or at least one of the themes:
from Book 1, Chapter 5.Quote:
It was Tom's step, then, that Maggie heard on the stairs, when her
need of love had triumphed over her pride, and she was going down with
her swollen eyes and dishevelled hair to beg for pity. At least her
father would stroke her head and say, "Never mind, my wench." It is a
wonderful subduer, this need of love,--this hunger of the heart,--as
peremptory as that other hunger by which Nature forces us to submit to
the yoke, and change the face of the world.
I have been wondering what made me dislike this book so much. I think it is the doom and gloom hanging over it from the very first page; we as readers can feel that these people will go through oh-such-drama-and-tragedy and will not be happy. I don't mean that all books should or do end happily but it seems like in some, the characters never get a break and TMOTF is one of those books in my eyes. I can't help wondering if the authors sometimes throw in things just to make it harder and harder for the characters: if they had survived the flood, would they have struck by a bolt of lightening next?
I'm only at around page 100, so I'm way behind for the month, but so far I like Maggie. That scene where she cuts her hair was pretty interesting. Why does she do it? It's not clear to me why. Any ideas?
There could be many reasons: 1) rebellion against her mother 2) no more having to sit for long periods of time to have it curled - and her mother woan't be so preoccupied about the curls falling out 3) curly hair is a lot like her cousin Lucy and perhaps she doesn't want to be the type of girl that Lucy is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Virgil
Oh yeah, that makes sense.Quote:
Originally Posted by papayahed
I agree with Papaya's interpretation too. I think just before this incident, the auntie suggests that they should do something about Maggie's unruly hair (like her character in their eyes?) so she decides to take it into her own hands: She does something about it herself. However, I think the incident is symbolic because it not only shows her non-conformist, independent nature but also her tendency to act upon impulse. (If I remember correctly) When she cuts her hair, her brother makes fun of the way she looks and she immediately regrets it.Quote:
Originally Posted by papayahed
Maggie seems to care (or show it more freely) more for her brother than he does for her and she is always trying to please the people she likes.
No time to read TMOTF now but I'll be reading it later for one of my courses so I might, hopefully, have something to say later on :p
Yay! Almost done. I'm on page 430-something. But, guess what? I like this book. Not at all like Hardy, IMO. Granted, it's long, and it indulges in some flowery language (things like, "Oh, father, dear father!" and "See how the dog-roses have strewed the ground and spread their opal petals over it!"), but the characters and narration are charming enough to persuade even me to overlook that type of stuff. I especially like how the characters' pitfalls are brought on by their own hubris, rather than by the cruel hand of fate that seems to plague most heros in books. These are flawed, frustrating people, and that's just awesome.
Eliot has a way with words that is very beautiful. I mark favorite passages in books with small post-it notes, to transfer to a file I keep on the computer, and TMOTF has almost as many post-it's now as it does pages. :blush: