The Torn Next Is Pierced by the Thorns
- We meet up with Maggie once again, who is in the middle of a major life crisis.
- She has a lot of inner turmoil and is torn between her own internal longings and the outward realities that limit her life.
- Mr. Tulliver is recovered and is back at work as the Mill’s manager. Mr. Wakem is now his boss.
- Tom is working for Mr. Deane still and is exhausted.
- Mrs. Tulliver is depressed and bewildered and throws herself into mothering Maggie and Tom since she doesn’t know what else to do.
- Maggie is most upset by her father’s depression, though.
- The only thing her father takes a real interest in is counting the money that he keeps in a lock-box. Tom contributes most of his wages to the family fund.
- The Tullivers have a very strict view of debt and they live on the smallest budge possible in order to save up the money to pay off their debts quickly.
- Maggie is depressed because both her father and Tom ignore her and the whole household is chronically in a bad mood.
- The family has very few visitors and each day passes like the one before. It’s a very bleak existence for the Tullivers.