The Mill on the Floss

What Else Was There for Maggie if There Was No Love in Life? The rebellious and passionate Maggie Tulliver is at odds with her family because she is torn between her love of knowledge and her urgent desire to gain her brother's affection and favour. Her brother Tom who is inveterate is sent to school but her intelligence is seen as abnormal. Maggie frequently travels to see her brother and on one of her visits she makes friends with the intellectually challenged Philip Wakem—the nemesis of her father. Maggie and Philip are drawn to one another despite how hurt they are by the absence of affection in their life.