The Mill on the Floss narrates the struggles of a girl and her family in the early years of Queen Victoria's reign over England. At that time, women's roles were strictly limited to housework...Philip is the son of Mr. Wakem, a lawyer whom Mr. Tulliver detests, so Tom is prepared to dislike him. Tom is also disturbed by Philip's physical deformity. Philip is overly sensitive but an apt pupil, so he also has a problem with the brutish miller's son.BARBARA GUTH Critics have focused little attention on the character of Philip in George Eliot's Mill on the Floss. The questions of whether the novel is a tragedy, what kind of tragedy it is, and whether the ending betrays the spirit of the work have been addressed most frequently by looking at the characters of Maggie and Tom.THE MILL ON THE FLOSS By Carol A. Martin George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss is most frequently described as either bildungsroman or tragedy, with admix- ... Philip notices with some "bitterness" that Maggie is still "almost as frank and unconstrained towards him as when she was a child" (p. 267), the painting and his idea that ...Philip is the only son of Mr. Wakem, a wealthy lawyer who becomes the enemy of Mr. Tulliver, and by extension, Tom Tulliver. Philip has a physical "deformity," a hunchback, which makes him feel depressed and insecure. However, he is also very intelligent, sensitive, and gifted.Philip Wakem. Philip is the only son of Mr. Wakem, a wealthy lawyer who becomes the enemy of Mr. Tulliver, and by extension, Tom Tulliver. Philip has a physical "deformity," a hunchback, which makes… read analysis of Philip Wakem.Critic the tragic end in the Mill on the fliss. Existential angst is very much a part of this narrative. Though Maggie is deeply intelligent and passionate and has clearly defined desires, she finds this nearly impossible. She tries to choose between Philip and Tom, fails, and in trying to have...The Mill on the Floss centers on the childhood and young adulthood of Maggie and Tom Tulliver, two siblings growing up in the fictional town of St. Ogg's, Lincolnshire, England. The unnamed narrator, whose gender is never specified, dreams of Dorlcote Mill, the Tulliver family's ancestral home, and sees a little girl playing outside.Philip Wakem Philip is the son of Lawyer Wakem and thus an archenemy of the Tulliver family, according to Tom and Mr. Tulliver.The best study guide to The Mill on the Floss on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need.