The Mill on the Floss Chapter Summary & Analysis | Book 7: Conclusion

Book 7: Conclusion Summary

Dorlcote Mill has been rebuilt, and Maggie and Tom, who had been found with their arms clasped around each other, are buried in a single grave in the churchyard next to their father. Both Stephen and Philip visit the grave and eventually Stephen visits it with Lucy. The tombstone reads: IN THEIR DEATH THEY WERE NOT DIVIDED.

Book 7: Conclusion Analysis

This is the denouement-the unraveling. That Maggie and Tom die in each other's arms simply signifies that their troubled relationship and Tom's thick-headed obstinacy led to the final disaster. If Maggie had been with Philip or even Stephen, she would not have died in the flood. That they were clasped in an embrace is symbolic of the struggle of Maggie's life.