The Mill on the Floss

The Mill on the Floss

by

George Eliot

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The Mill on the Floss: Conclusion Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Five years later, all traces of the destruction of the flood have vanished. Dorlcote Mill has been rebuilt, and the Tulliver family graveyard is quiet again. Philip, Stephen, and Lucy often visit the grave marking Tom and Maggie’s burial place. Philip always visits alone, whereas Stephen and Lucy visit together (they have since married). The inscription on the tomb reads: “In their death they were not divided.”
Maggie and Tom’s sibling relationship was difficult and riddled with grudges. However, the inscription on their tombstone provides a reminder that they were inextricably bonded together and could not be “divided” for long. Their death is presented as a reconciliation and forgiveness, and a final end to the divisions that kept them apart in life.
Themes
Memory and Childhood Theme Icon
Tolerance and Forgiveness  Theme Icon
Literary Devices