The Mill on the Floss Lesson Plan

How do Maggie and Tom begin to change as characters, after the loss of innocence that occurred in Book 2?

In the third book, we see the world after Tom and Maggie’s loss of innocence. Though they are united by tragedy at the beginning of their father's illness, cracks in this union begin to form almost instantly as we see their childhood tendencies firming into adult characteristics. Tom’s “natural inclination to blame” is solidified by “the natural strength and firmness of his nature...beginning to assert itself."

This leads to him implicitly blaming Mr. Tulliver for the family’s current situation, which Maggie cannot stand: ”Maggie hated blame: she had been blamed...