Abstract and Key Words

Abstract: In the Victorian age, English women began to realize and strive for their rights of education, economy, love and freedom. These women are the new women. This thesis analyzes Maggie-the heroine of the novel, which reflects the new feminism at that time. Maggie has a wild childhood. When she grows up, she pursues her love. At last, she dies with her brother in the Floss River. The reason of the development of the new view of feminism is the development of economy and women have certain economic status and thus begin their self-realization. The influence is that women step into society and begin to change their position.

Key words: Maggie; fight; view of feminism

摘要：维多利亚时期的英国女性主义意识开始觉醒,一些女性开始争取自身在教育,经济,爱情等方面独立自由的权利。这些具有反抗精神的女性被称作维多利亚时期的新女性。本文通过对《弗洛斯河上的磨坊》中女主人麦琪的分析，体现当时的新女性观，麦琪的童年自由狂野，成年之后追求心中所爱，最后于哥哥一同沉入河中。追其原因是当时经济的发展，女性有了一定的经济地位，女性意识开始觉醒；其影响是女性开始走入社会，改变自己的地位。

关键词：麦琪；抗争；女性主义观

1.    Introduction
1.1. A brief review to the author and the novel
George Eliot, a British female writer, has been ranked among the writers of the classics, but the themes of her novels are mainly around the topic of love, marriage and family, which stimulate great interests among female readers. Eliot rebels against the traditional life style and challenges male society. She uses a man’s name as her pen name, because she hopes that her works have the same standard of evaluation as men writers.
In the novel, The Mill on the Floss River, Maggie is independent and smart. When she is a little girl, she likes reading books and she is also an eloquent girl. Her father thinks that she is like a lawyer, but he also thinks it is harmful for women to be educated. So even her father knows Maggie is cleverer than her brother Tom, he sends Tom to school. Her father loves his little daughter very much, but he doesn’t want to give Maggie the chance to be educated. Maggie doesn't give up. She reads the book that Tom reads in school and studies by herself. This fully proves Maggie had the feature of new women.