The story in one page
At Dorlcote Mill, young siblings Tom and Maggie Tulliver are inseparable until the harsh realities of their father's bankruptcy and legal vendetta against the lawyer Wakem tear them apart. Tom focuses on ruthless financial restitution, while Maggie is trapped between her intellectual hunger and the suffocating social expectations of St Ogg's. As they drift into separate lives, their complex bond is tested by betrayal, poverty, and forbidden romantic interests. The narrative culminates in a catastrophic river flood that forces a reconciliation, leading to an embrace that defines their final, tragic resolution.
Who's who
- Maggie Tulliver
An intelligent, impulsive woman stifled by provincial social codes.
- Tom Tulliver
A rigid, duty-bound man obsessed with reclaiming family reputation.
- Mr Tulliver
The patriarch whose litigious nature destroys the family legacy.
- Wakem
The lawyer who systematically dismantled the Tulliver estate.
What it's really about
- Social Stigma
- Provincial judgment dictates every interaction in St Ogg's.
- Familial Duty
- Sibling loyalty clashes with individual desires for identity.
Why it's memorable
- Maggie running away to join a band of gypsies.
- The siblings clutching each other in a boat during the flood.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Brother and sister drown in a final, inseparable embrace as the river floods the mill. They are buried together beneath a stone inscribed with their shared story.
For your book club
- Tom values the ledger; Maggie values the inner life.
- St Ogg's is a town that weaponizes its history.