Summary
Mr. Tulliver declares his intention to give his son Tom a proper education—not to make him a miller like himself, but to equip him with the skills of lawyers and businessmen who seem to hold all the power. He wants Tom to become 'a bit of a scholar' who can match wits with the smooth-talking professionals who intimidate working people like himself. Mrs. Tulliver, practical as always, worries about the logistics—who will wash Tom's clothes, how will she send him food? Their conversation reveals the tension between Mr. Tulliver's social ambitions and his wife's domestic concerns. We also meet young Maggie, their daughter, who bursts in with tangled hair and a rebellious spirit. Her parents see her intelligence but worry it's 'too much' for a girl. Mr. Tulliver notes that Tom seems to take after his mother's slower side, while Maggie has inherited the Tulliver sharpness—a reversal that troubles him. This chapter establishes the central conflict: a working-class family's attempt to climb socially through education, while grappling with their children's natural temperaments and society's expectations. Mr. Tulliver's desire to protect his family from being outsmarted by educated elites drives his educational plans, but his limited understanding of what that education entails hints at future complications.
Coming Up in Chapter 3
Mr. Riley arrives to help settle a business dispute, but Mr. Tulliver has bigger plans—he wants Riley's advice on schools for Tom. What kind of education will Riley recommend, and how will his counsel shape the Tulliver family's future?
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Mr Tulliver, of Dorlcote Mill, Declares His Resolution about Tom “What I want, you know,” said Mr Tulliver,—“what I want is to give Tom a good eddication; an eddication as’ll be a bread to him. That was what I was thinking of when I gave notice for him to leave the academy at Lady-day. I mean to put him to a downright good school at Midsummer. The two years at th’ academy ’ud ha’ done well enough, if I’d meant to make a miller and farmer of him, for he’s had a fine sight more schoolin’ nor _I_ ever got. All the learnin’ _my_ father ever paid for was a bit o’ birch at one end and the alphabet at th’ other. But I should like Tom to be a bit of a scholard, so as he might be up to the tricks o’ these fellows as talk fine and write with a flourish. It ’ud be a help to me wi’ these lawsuits, and arbitrations, and things. I wouldn’t make a downright lawyer o’ the lad,—I should be sorry for him to be a raskill,—but a sort o’ engineer, or a surveyor, or an auctioneer and vallyer, like Riley, or one o’ them smartish businesses as are all profits and no outlay, only for a big watch-chain and a high stool. They’re pretty nigh all one, and they’re not far off being even wi’ the law, _I_ believe; for Riley looks Lawyer Wakem i’ the face as hard as one cat looks another. _He’s_ none frightened at him.” Mr Tulliver was speaking to his wife, a blond comely woman in a fan-shaped cap (I am afraid to think how long it is since fan-shaped caps were worn, they must be so near coming in again. At that time, when Mrs Tulliver was nearly forty, they were new at St Ogg’s, and considered sweet things). “Well, Mr Tulliver, you know best: _I’ve_ no objections. But hadn’t I better kill a couple o’ fowl, and have th’ aunts and uncles to dinner next week, so as you may hear what sister Glegg and sister Pullet have got to say about it? There’s a couple o’ fowl _wants_ killing!” “You may kill every fowl i’ the yard if you like, Bessy; but I shall ask neither aunt nor uncle what I’m to do wi’ my own lad,” said Mr Tulliver, defiantly. “Dear heart!” said Mrs Tulliver, shocked at this sanguinary rhetoric, “how can you talk so, Mr Tulliver? But it’s your way to speak disrespectful o’ my family; and sister Glegg throws all the blame upo’ me, though I’m sure I’m as innocent as the babe unborn. For nobody’s ever heard me say as it wasn’t lucky for my children to have aunts and uncles as can live independent. Howiver, if Tom’s to go to a new school, I should like him to go where I can wash him and mend him; else he might as well have calico as linen, for...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Good Intentions - When Protecting Becomes Limiting
When our desire to protect someone leads us to push them toward solutions that serve our fears rather than their actual needs or abilities.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when family members project their own fears and limitations onto your life choices.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone gives you advice based on their own experiences rather than your actual situation, and practice asking gentle questions to understand their underlying concerns.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Academy
A private school for middle-class boys, more prestigious than village schools but less elite than grammar schools. These schools taught basic subjects and some Latin to prepare boys for trade or minor professions.
Modern Usage:
Like today's private schools that promise to give working-class kids the skills to compete with wealthier students.
Lady-day
March 25th, one of the traditional quarter days when rents were due, contracts ended, and servants changed positions. School terms often aligned with these dates.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how we still have semester breaks and lease renewals at specific times of year.
Arbitrations
Legal disputes settled outside of court by a neutral third party. Mr. Tulliver is involved in these property and business conflicts that require understanding legal language and procedures.
Modern Usage:
Like modern mediation for workplace disputes or insurance claims - you need to know the system or get taken advantage of.
Vallyer
A valuer or appraiser who determines the worth of property, goods, or land. These were respected professionals who could charge good fees for their expertise.
Modern Usage:
Today's real estate appraisers, insurance adjusters, or antique dealers who make money from specialized knowledge.
Social mobility through education
The belief that schooling can lift a family from working class to professional class. Mr. Tulliver sees education as the key to power and respect in a world where smooth talkers hold advantages.
Modern Usage:
The same hope parents have today when they sacrifice to send kids to college, believing education will protect them from being exploited.
Gender expectations
Victorian society's rigid rules about what boys and girls should be like. Boys needed to be successful breadwinners; girls needed to be gentle and domestic, not too clever or assertive.
Modern Usage:
We still struggle with these patterns - praising boys for ambition while worrying that smart, strong-willed girls are 'too much.'
Characters in This Chapter
Mr. Tulliver
Protagonist father figure
A miller who recognizes that education equals power in society. He wants to protect his son from being cheated by smooth-talking professionals, but his own limited education makes him vulnerable to choosing the wrong path.
Modern Equivalent:
The blue-collar dad working overtime to pay for his kid's college
Mrs. Tulliver
Practical mother figure
Focuses on immediate, concrete concerns like laundry and food while her husband dreams of social advancement. Her questions reveal how disconnected his plans are from practical reality.
Modern Equivalent:
The mom asking 'But who's going to drive him to practice?' when dad signs up the kid for expensive activities
Tom
The son with expectations
The boy being groomed for success despite showing little natural aptitude for learning. His father's hopes rest on him, but he seems to have inherited his mother's slower, more practical nature.
Modern Equivalent:
The kid whose parents are pushing for pre-med when he'd rather work with his hands
Maggie
The overlooked daughter
Shows quick intelligence and strong will, but these traits worry her parents because they don't fit expectations for girls. Her tangled hair symbolizes her refusal to conform to feminine ideals.
Modern Equivalent:
The smart daughter whose parents worry she's 'too intense' or 'too much' for boys to like
Riley
Professional role model
An auctioneer and valuer who represents the kind of smooth, profitable professional Mr. Tulliver wants Tom to become. He can face down lawyers and make good money without getting his hands dirty.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful insurance agent or real estate broker who makes more than the factory workers
Key Quotes & Analysis
"What I want is to give Tom a good eddication; an eddication as'll be a bread to him."
Context: Opening his explanation of why he's taking Tom out of the local academy
This reveals both his love for his son and his understanding that education is economic survival. The dialect shows his own limited schooling, making his ambitions both touching and ironic.
In Today's Words:
I want to give Tom the kind of education that'll actually pay the bills.
"I should like Tom to be a bit of a scholard, so as he might be up to the tricks o' these fellows as talk fine and write with a flourish."
Context: Explaining his educational goals for Tom
Shows his awareness that educated people use their skills to manipulate others. He wants Tom to have those same weapons of class warfare - the ability to match wits with smooth talkers.
In Today's Words:
I want Tom to be educated enough so these slick professionals can't bamboozle him.
"It's a pity she wasn't made o' commoner stuff - she'll be thrown away, I doubt."
Context: Observing Maggie's quick intelligence
Reveals the tragedy of wasted potential in a society that doesn't value intelligent women. He recognizes her gifts but sees them as a burden rather than an asset.
In Today's Words:
She's too smart for her own good - it's going to cause her problems.
Thematic Threads
Class Anxiety
In This Chapter
Mr. Tulliver's fear of being outsmarted by educated professionals drives his educational plans for Tom
Development
Introduced here - shows how class insecurity shapes family decisions
In Your Life:
You might feel this when you worry about not sounding smart enough in meetings or being taken advantage of by professionals.
Gender Expectations
In This Chapter
Maggie's intelligence is seen as problematic because she's a girl, while Tom's slower nature concerns his father
Development
Introduced here - establishes how gender shapes what families value
In Your Life:
You might see this in families where boys are pushed toward leadership roles while girls are steered toward 'helping' careers.
Education as Weapon
In This Chapter
Mr. Tulliver views education not as enrichment but as armor against being cheated or outsmarted
Development
Introduced here - shows education seen through lens of social warfare
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when someone pushes you to get credentials not because you're interested, but because they think you need to 'protect yourself.'
Parental Projection
In This Chapter
Mr. Tulliver wants Tom to have the tools he wishes he'd had, regardless of Tom's actual abilities or interests
Development
Introduced here - shows how parents' wounds shape their children's paths
In Your Life:
You might see this when a parent pushes their child toward opportunities they never had, even if the child isn't suited for them.
Practical vs. Ambitious
In This Chapter
Mrs. Tulliver worries about laundry and food while Mr. Tulliver dreams of social advancement
Development
Introduced here - shows tension between daily reality and big dreams
In Your Life:
You might feel this tension when someone in your life has big plans that ignore the practical details you'll have to handle.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does Mr. Tulliver want for Tom, and why does he think education will solve his problems?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Mr. Tulliver see Maggie's intelligence as a problem rather than an asset?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see parents today pushing their children toward success without understanding what that path really requires?
application • medium - 4
How would you help someone recognize when their protection might be creating new problems?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about how fear shapes the choices we make for people we love?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Protective Parent Pattern
Think of someone who has pushed you toward their vision of success, or someone you've tried to protect this way. Draw two columns: what they feared would happen if you didn't follow their path, and what they hoped would happen if you did. Then add a third column: what you actually needed or wanted.
Consider:
- •Notice whether their fears were based on their own experiences or actual current risks
- •Look for gaps between their understanding of the path and what it actually requires
- •Consider whether their protection addressed the real problem or just the symptoms
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone's attempt to protect or guide you created unexpected challenges. What would have been more helpful?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 3: When Friends Give Advice
What lies ahead teaches us people often give advice based on incomplete information and personal connections rather than real expertise, and shows us parents' ambitions for their children can reveal deep insecurities about their own limitations. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.