The Mill on the Floss, written by George Eliot and published in 1860, tells the story of Maggie and Tom Tulliver, siblings growing up at Dorlcote Mill on the River Floss in rural England. Maggie, intelligent and passionate, struggles against the narrow expectations imposed on women in Victorian society, while her practical brother Tom frequently misunderstands her. After their father loses the family mill in a bitter lawsuit, the siblings face hardship and diverging paths. The novel explores themes of family loyalty, unfulfilled longing, social class, and moral growth. It ends tragically when a flood sweeps the Floss, drowning the reconciled brother and sister together.
