ABSTRACT

Fiction is an art, which originates from reality and is superior to reality. It is a microcosm of society, politics, economy, culture and so on, so we can observe the social situation at that time through the novel. George Eliot was a famous female English writer in Victorian Period and a prolific writer in English literary history. She put the historical reality into writing to convey her understanding of the Vitoria times. The Mill on the Floss was published in 1860, it reflected many creative ideas of the author and at the same time embodied her unique as an autobiographical writer. She incorporated her own experiences into her work and put her emotions into the protagonists of the novel.

Through the analysis of the plot and the characters of the novel, this paper discusses the pursuit of humanism and the significance of this spirit to the reality in the period of Vitoria. The analysis of humanistic spirit will be conducted from the pursuit of love, equality, freedom, and spirit of resistance of the protagonists in the novel. The pursuit of spirit about love, freedom, equality and so on is not only the author's inner appeal, but also the pursuit of the people at that time, especially the middle and lower classes. Humanism reflects people's awakening and respect for human values.

Key words: humanism; equality; freedom; resistance; love

CONTENTS

摘要

Abstract

1Introduction-4

1.1 The Emergence and Development of Humanistic Spirit-4

1.2 Introduction of the Novel-5

1.3 Introduction of the Author-6

1.4 Thesis-7

2 On Eliot’s Humanism in The Mill on the Floss-7

2.1 The Historical and Social Background of the Novel -7

2.2 Eliot’s Humanism-9

2.2.1 Pursuit of Equality  -9

2.2.2 Resistance-10

2.2.3 Pursuit of Freedom -12

2.2.4 Pursuit of Love-13

2.2.5 Altruism-15

2.2.6 Sympathy Consciousness-16

3 Conclusion-18

3.1 Further Presentation on the Theme-18

3.2 Eliot’s Contribution-18

3.3 Realistic Significance-19

References-19

Acknowledgements-20