Genre
The Mill on the Floss
by George Eliot

The Mill on the Floss: Genre 1 key example

Genre
Explanation and Analysis:

The Mill on the Floss is a realist novel, as evidenced by the fact that it doesn’t focus on the lives of the wealthy elite, but on the stories of middle-class, working people. It can also be categorized as an example of realism because it depicts the sorrows and struggles of its characters rather than romanticizing their lives. Eliot also pays close attention to setting, class dynamics, and politics, as other realist novels often do. Even though Eliot depicts romantic relationships between her characters, this is not a “romantic” novel. In fact, it could even be considered a tragedy, given the mournful ending in which Maggie and Tom drown.