I’m reading The Mill on the Floss for the first time, and instead of leaving scrawled notes in my book as I slowly make my way through, I’m stopping to write my thoughts here in hopes that I remember more.
Today’s installment covers the introduction to Dorlcote Mill and the Tulliver family, minus Tom. Mr. Tulliver, the miller, is looking for advice for his not-so-bright son’s education from his local auctioneer/arbitrator Mr. Riley. And there are repeated comments from Mr. and Mrs. Tulliver about not knowing what to do with highly intelligent, headstrong Maggie.
Chapter 1
- Who on earth is this narrator looking back on Maggie Tulliver at age 9?
- Short chapter laden with descriptions of the landscape.
Chapter 2
- page 10: this book is about arbitration about a dam and water levels. It’s a little too close to home here, one month after catastrophic flooding and dam breaches nearby in Gladwin and Midland counties. 160 years later, and the same water issues crop up. And riparian rights was just a tiny blip during law school.
Chapter 3
- Lengthy aside about Mr. Riley’s lack of selfish motives makes me believe he actually is selfish and that he actually is playing the long game: he recommends Rev. Stelling teach Tom Tulliver in order to curry favor with Stelling’s father-in-law, who’s in a position to send business to Riley. Why insult readers who read too much into this, dear Narrator?
Ms. Wordopolis Reads 