Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
15th International IDEA Conference Studies in English , Hatay, Türkiye, 11 - 13 Mayıs 2022, ss.102
George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss portrays Maggie Tulliver as a character, who is not
compliant with the social norms of the Victorian society. The societal norms of the period
attributes domestic duties to women while men are expected to be the breadwinners of the
family. Therefore, within this social climate, Maggie’s looks and intellectual pursuits are not
welcome by her society. Philip Wakem, on the other hand, as a male, an intellectual and coming
from a successful family background, is expected to be closer to the centre in accordance with
the expectations of the era. However, due to his deformity, Philip does not meet the
understanding of a healthy male body that can work and earn money. For this reason, he is also
marginalised as Maggie. These two marginal characters, sharing a common position in their
society, are eventually drawn to each other, both intellectually and emotionally. Although they
appear to be compatible in most ways, Stephen Guest as a healthy masculine man, compatible
with the norms of the society, proves to be a more suitable choice for Maggie at first. This paper
will argue that Maggie’s approach towards her suitors, namely Stephen and Philip, in relation
to body politics of the time, results in further marginalization of Philip. Thus, her attitude
towards both suitors reinforces the healthy masculine body image of the Victorian era, and
therein invites an exploration of the novel in light of the theories on body politics.