Abstract: George Eliot is one of the most famous writers in the nineteen-century England. As a “living sample” of Women’s Liberation Movement, Eliot challenges the male-dominated society all through her life. But her attitudes towards feminism are ambivalent and self-contradictory. On the one hand, she advocates that women should fight for their freedom in education, marriage and vocation. On the other hand, she also claims that women should be submissive and make self-sacrifice for their families. This paper attempts to analyze one of Eliot’s most influential works, The Mill on the Floss from the feminist angle. And Eliot’s ambivalent views on feminism are explored through Maggie’s fighting and failure. Then the paper studies the root causes of Eliot’s ambivalence in  terms of her religious belief and personal experience.The study of Eliot’s ambivalent views on women is helpful for us to have a deeper understanding on Eliot herself and her works. What’s more, it contributes to the study of other feminist literary works. 

Key words: George Eliot; feminism; The Mill on the Floss; ambivalence

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 The Mill on the Floss-1

1.2 The Development of Feminism in Victorian Age-2

2. George Eliot’s Ambivalent Views on Women in The Mill on the Floss-4

2.1 Education-4

2.2 Love and Marriage-6

2.3 Vocation-8

2.4 Self-sacrifice-10

3. The Root Causes of Eliot’s Views on Women-12

3.1 Eliot’s Religious Belief-12

3.2 Eliot’s Personal Experience-14

4. Conclusion-16

References-17