Education's Momentousness in George Eliot's A Mill on the Floss

George Eliot's A Mill on the Floss is her commentary on the Victorian Era and its unjust and discriminatory system where men and women were considered unequal in every frame of life. The structure of the society was designed as such to exploit and oppress women in the social, economic, cultural, and political spheres. A Mill on the Floss is also heavily influenced by the patriarchal society and the dominating male power. It can also be said that the novel is an insight into the female consciousness of George Eliot.The character of the novel Maggie Tulliver is also an individual who is influenced by the world that is dominated by men. Her psyche and frame of thought are also molded because of the time that she was living. Maggie's support and encouragement towards education also show that in a world where the female voices are drowned in the more controlling voices of the men, she wanted her voice to be heard. Maggie is the representative of every woman who was living in that era who went through this dilemma of wanting to have the right of making their own decisions while not being able to do so at all. Even in the novel, Maggie's father who loved her the most was afraid of her intelligence becoming a tool for bringing troubles in the future. This reflects how women were only expected to fulfill their stereotypical gender roles that were self-created by society. If women were to question their roles and revolt against them by acquiring education, it would threaten the already present male ideologies and hierarchies. So, women were not appreciated or acknowledged if they showed interest in education. Maggie's character is also an unconventional one because she refuses to accept the traditional ideologies which have suppressed women for so long. Her resolve and determination for knowledge and education are admirable. Maggie never abandoned receiving education whether it be any phase of her life. Even when her family was going through a crisis, she never gave up learning and that is what makes her different from other female characters. Her will to reach the same equality that has been assigned to men in the education sector is seen through her actions. Maggie always had a healthy relationship with books and she read every book she could get her hands on. She tried her best to make use of the knowledge and achieve her set goals in life. She was well aware that her independence and individuality would only come to her if she actually thinks of her knowledge and learning as a weapon, a weapon to fight against the prejudiced society and earn a place that is equal in every way to that of men. So, her constant pursuit of acquiring education clearly reflects her feminist frame of mind.