The Mill on the Floss의 체험구조 = The structure of Experience in the Mill on the Floss

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

George Eliot has been rightly considered to be one of the most important novelists in the so-called "great tradition" of the English novel. Like many other Victorian writes George Eliots main concern as a novelist was to make a detailed study on the relation between individual and society. In this paper I try to clarify the depth, breadth, and limitations of her insight into the real relation of things, by analyzing the structure of experience of The Mill on the Floss, her second novel.
It is commonly said that the basic theme of the novel is Maggie's idealism and nobility of mind wasted away by the harsh realities of the town of St. Ogg's. But when we understand Ludwig Feuerbach's though on the mutual relationship between personality and objective reality, the real meaning of the novel can be illuminated in a new light. According to Feuerbach, who excercised great influence upon George Eliot's thought(she translated The Essence of Christanity, Feuerbachs major piece, into English in 1854), "Only through his fellow does man become clear to himself and self-conscious; but only when I am clear to myself does the world become clear to me." This kind of awareness, I think, is the basic structure of experience which underlies the process of Maggie's spiritual growth.
Beginning in mere egoism and illusion Maggie learns the real meaning of duty, responsibility, and fellow feeling, through relationships with Tom, Philip, Stephen, and the others. She realizes that by eloping with Stephen she has broken all "the ties that had given meaning to duty." And she gives up Stephen. The renuniation of Stephen produces in her a surer vision of reality. Her newly-earned awareness of the real relation of things-"the ego attains consciousness of the world through consciousness of thou"-enables her to risk her life to rescue Tom, her brother, from drowning.
As was indicated by George Levine, however, her spiritual maturity is excercised "in the direction of her family." It is "not tested in the infinitely complicated social world which posed her moral dilemma." In this respect we are justified in a grave suspicion as to whether her rescue of Tom is a spontaneous action resulting from her surer vision of reality or a simple instinctive response towards her family member in danger.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 머리말
• I
• Ⅱ
• Ⅲ
• Ⅳ
• 참고문헌
• 영문요약