I had wanted for sometime to read a book by George Eliot for two reasons: she was liked by Charlotte Bronte and she was one of the Big Four(the others being Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte and Jane Austen) mentioned in a Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf(I'm not a big fan but still, the lady had some good judgement ;)). I randomly picked up The Mill on the Floss and am very happy that I did.
The book has moved me a great deal. It is one of those "epics" where you feel as if you have actually spent a lifetime through it rather than just a period of someone's life. I felt the same about Gone with the Wind: you go through various and strong emotions along with the characters in their intense joy and suffering and are left in awe by the end of the book. To my knowledge, this book has been very different from it's contemporaries in the way it has handled it's characters and most of all, in the way it ended. I really did not expect Tom and Maggie's life to be cut short like that but for me, it was a happy ending! I don't think it could have ended more beautifully. You might think I have a morose mind and the person who wrote the introduction to the story felt that G.E. could surely have conjured up a happier ending. However, to me, the central point was the love that existed between the brother and sister that was sorely obstructed by misfortune and their vastly different natures so I was just happy they loved each other again like they did as little children;nothing and noone could come again to spoil it! I just felt happy that Maggie was satisfied in her one great wish to be simply loved by Tom without judgement. It seems human nature rejoices as much in touching tragedy as in happy endings and authors have totally exploited that :D Shakespeare's tragedies are more loved and admired than his comedies, aren't they?
This book initially put me in a lot of confusion. I was always used to utterly and completely siding with the protagonist of any book I read and I assumed that since, Maggie is the protagonist of this book, all my sympathy will be directed towards her. Yet, I often found myself supporting Tom over Maggie and couldn't help wondering if I had lost feelings like compassion and generosity. Of late, I have been suspecting myself of losing some of my idealistic notions and turning a little practical/cynical(honestly, the world seems too grey and complicated to have fixed ideas and opinions anymore!Live and let live seems to be the best policy to follow :)). This unusual reaction caused me to worry a little. Then I realised that's exactly what the book wants me to do. It doesn't want me to point out that this person is a hero and that person is a villain. Rather, it is showing me that everyone in the book, without exception, has both merits and demerits. Maggie is no angel, Tom is no villain, Philip is no long-suffering saint and Stephen is not a heartless traitor. They have all, including the dull Mrs Tulliver, done both good and bad things. Even the grouchy Aunt Glegg is redeemed in the end!I think George Eliot wants to convey that human nature is too complicated and mixed to be judged too severely and so, we must just help each other along the way rather than being bent on punishing everyone for their faults.
By some weird coincidence, many of the books I read have themes that are similar to my life at that point because of which I can relate better to them! Here, Tom and Maggie's passage into care-ridden adulthood coincided with what I've come to finally accept, that I must grow up :D But it brought back to me why childhood is so amazing. For one, we had time to stand and stare, as that poet says. I miss the balcony at 27/5 from where I had an awesome view of the vast sky that I would stare at joblessly. Nowadays, the sky has become a rare sight in Mumbai >:( Secondly, we had unalloyed fun. Fun was not analysed to find out if it was good enough or cool enough; it was just had. Thirdly, we had unalloyed affection. We just liked people till we had a reason not to. We were barely aware of their faults, let alone their virtues. But these are luxuries only a protected, dependent individual may enjoy without getting into a lot of trouble :D The Mill on the Floss was an amazing read and I'm looking forward to more of George Eliot in the future!
CORRECTION: The author Charlotte Bronte mentions is George Sand, not George Eliot.I conveniently mixed up the last names!
