The Mill on the Floss

The Mill on the Floss

by

George Eliot

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Mill on the Floss makes teaching easy.

Mrs. Glegg Character Analysis

Mrs. Glegg is Mrs. Tulliver’s eldest sister and Tom and Maggie’s most hated aunt. She takes very seriously her rights and responsibilities as the oldest of the Dodson sisters, and tends to treat her family dictatorially, making loud judgments about Mrs. Tulliver’s housekeeping and criticizing everything about her niece and nephew’s behavior and physical appearance. Mrs. Glegg believes that the Dodson way of life is the highest standard to which others should aspire, and she frequently finds others wanting in that respect (particularly Mr. Tulliver, who she thinks is rude and hot-headed.) However, despite her irritable nature, she is the only Dodson family member who defends Maggie at the end of the novel, when Maggie has become an outcast as a result of her botched elopement with Stephen Guest. For Mrs. Glegg, family is the highest value, and she is fiercely loyal to her own kin.
Get the entire The Mill on the Floss LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Mill on the Floss PDF

Mrs. Glegg Character Timeline in The Mill on the Floss

The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Glegg appears in The Mill on the Floss. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 1, Chapter 2 
Women’s Roles and Social Pressures Theme Icon
...“like other folks’s children.” Mrs. Tulliver tells Maggie to work on her sewing for her Aunt Glegg , but Maggie protests that she doesn’t like sewing or her aunt. Mr. Tulliver laughs,... (full context)
Book 1, Chapter 4
Women’s Roles and Social Pressures Theme Icon
...as a voodoo doll to vent her rage. Today she pretends the doll is her Aunt Glegg , whom she hates. (full context)
Book 1, Chapter 7
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
Mrs. Glegg is a “handsome” woman, like all the Dodson sisters, but she dislikes buying new clothes,... (full context)
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
...is crying, and informs her sisters that old Mrs. Sutton has died of the dropsy. Mrs. Glegg scolds her for carrying on about people outside the family, since she thinks she shouldn’t... (full context)
Women’s Roles and Social Pressures Theme Icon
...have such pretty blonde curls. Maggie greets Lucy warmly, but doesn’t like the attentions of Mrs. Glegg , who talks to the children as if she considers them “rather idiotic” and criticizes... (full context)
Knowledge and Ignorance Theme Icon
...a clergyman. Indeed, the narrator comments that Mr. Pullet barely knows what a clergyman is. Mrs. Glegg protests that it makes little sense to send a boy to school when he has... (full context)
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
Mrs. Glegg leaves in a huff, and the other women go outside to see to the children.... (full context)
Book 1, Chapter 8
Women’s Roles and Social Pressures Theme Icon
Mrs. Tulliver points out that it would be difficult for the family financially if Mrs. Glegg were to demand the return of her loan of five hundred pounds. Mr. Tulliver claims... (full context)
Book 1, Chapter 9
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
...children outside to play, while Mrs. Tulliver talks with the Pullets about the fight with Mrs. Glegg and her family’s financial situation. Mrs. Pullet says that Mrs. Tulliver was always her favorite... (full context)
Book 1, Chapter 12
Knowledge and Ignorance Theme Icon
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
Mr. Glegg and Mrs. Glegg live in St. Ogg’s, an ancient fishing village first built by the Normans and the... (full context)
Women’s Roles and Social Pressures Theme Icon
Mrs. Glegg constantly criticizes not only the other inhabitants of St. Ogg’s, but also Mr. Glegg’s passion... (full context)
Book 1, Chapter 13
Knowledge and Ignorance Theme Icon
When Mrs. Pullet and Mr. Pullet visit Mrs. Glegg the next day to mediate the quarrel, Mrs. Glegg readily agrees to let the Tullivers... (full context)
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
...like the family quarrel has come to an end, Mr. Tulliver sends a letter to Mrs. Glegg telling her that the five hundred pounds will be repaid, and that he has no... (full context)
Book 3, Chapter 3
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
...of Mrs. Tulliver’s linen and china in order to keep it in the family, but Mrs. Glegg protests that they should be talking about more pressing financial needs. She warns Mrs. Tulliver... (full context)
Book 5, Chapter 2
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
...convinces Mr. Glegg to invest in the shipping business, but even gets the notoriously stingy Mrs. Glegg to purchase some cloth and linen from his knapsack. Tom is very pleased with this... (full context)
Book 6, Chapter 12
Women’s Roles and Social Pressures Theme Icon
...give Mrs. Tulliver, who is also returning to the mill to keep house for Tom. Mrs. Glegg and Mrs. Pullet very much disapprove of Maggie “going into service” and working as a... (full context)
Book 7, Chapter 3
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
Meanwhile, Mrs. Tulliver goes to visit Mrs. Glegg and ask for her help. Surprisingly, the usually judgmental Mrs. Glegg is very much on... (full context)