Approaching The Mill on the Floss from a variety of critical perspectives, Ashton reveals how George Eliot translated her unconventional and painful personal experiences into imaginative fiction. She discusses in detail how Eliot's language, imagery and tone evoke a unique blend of humour and tragedy; relates Eliot's work to Darwin's then-emerging theory of evolution; and reflects on the author's ideas about literary realism. Placing The Mill on the Floss in the larger context of European literature, Ashton demonstrates its connection to the work of such authors as Goethe and George Sand.