# Maggie Behaves Worse Than She Expected explained — The Mill on the Floss

> Chapter companion for The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot.

## What happens

Maggie, feeling jealous and excluded by Tom's preference for Lucy, pushes Lucy into mud after Tom tells her to go away. Tom slaps Maggie and threatens to tell their mother, while Lucy is left crying and muddy. The adults panic and search for Maggie, who remains defiant.

## Themes in this chapter

### Family Obligation and Conflict

Maggie's jealousy toward Tom and Lucy leads to a violent outburst, creating family tension.

### Gender Roles and Limitations

Tom's contemptuous view of girls as unfit for dirty places contrasts with Maggie's defiant behavior.

### Passion vs. Duty

Maggie's passionate anger overcomes any sense of duty to be kind to Lucy or obey adult rules.

## Character check-ins

### Maggie Tulliver

Jealous of Tom's attention to Lucy, she pushes Lucy into mud and feels no immediate remorse.

### Tom Tulliver

Prefers Lucy's company, slaps Maggie after she pushes Lucy, and threatens to tell their mother.

### Lucy Deane

Innocent victim of Maggie's jealousy, ends up muddy and crying.

### Mrs. Tulliver

Anxious about Maggie's whereabouts, fears Mr. Tulliver's reaction if Maggie is lost.

### Mrs. Pullet

Disturbed by the chaos, comments on Maggie's potential bad end.

### Mr. Pullet

Confused and overwhelmed, searches for Maggie with a spud.

## Key lines

> Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love

Jealousy and anger, like love, cannot stand being ignored or left out.

_Narrator's insight into Maggie's motivation for following Tom and Lucy._

> the utmost Maggie could do, with a fierce thrust of her small brown arm, was to push poor little pink-and-white Lucy into the cow-trodden mud

Maggie's only outlet for her intense feelings was to shove Lucy into the muddy ground.

_Climactic moment of Maggie's rebellion and jealousy._

## Links

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