the mill on the floss - family relationships?

Question

to what extent do you think that the novel the mill on the floss is essentially about family relationships

Answer 1

The book is essentially about the closeness of the relationship of Maggie with her brother Tom, who is obsessed with family honour and the acquisition of money in an attempt to gain status and social power. These values become more important to him than the warmth of family ties and he attempts to manoevre Maggie into a socially advantageous marriage, spurning her when she refuses to comply. In death the two discover that family affections are supreme over social ritual and status. The book is a series of vignettes of childhood and the consequences of the choices children make as they struggle to achieve relationships with others and a place in the social order. The choices made affect those around them and also the personalities of those making them. The pressures and demands on Tom and Maggie are thrust to the fore with the loss of the mill and the fall of the family from social respectability.

Answer 2

To a very great extent. All of Maggie's problems originate from her awkward position in her family; in addition, family relationships cause the other problems in the novel; for instance, Mr. Tulliver's anger about the loan and his hatred of the Wakems.