Tom's schooling at Mr. stelling's; Maggie's visit to the school. Tom is sent to King's Lortton to study with Me. Stelling. Tom finds out that being the only student is very different from being one of many. He has to study Latin, Euclid and Arithmetic, all of which he finds difficult and boring. Tom is unable to understand Me. Stelling's jokes, and this makes him feel stupid.
Mr. Stelling is a handsome , ambitious man but quite unimaginative . He is no educationist . His decision to teach had been promoted by economic necessity. He soon puts Tom down as "a throughly stupid lad " not only weak in education , but wilfully averse to learning. Tom has an unpleasant time and his prayers for divine help do not always get results. He often longs for his home . He often has to baby sit for the stelling's small daughter, Laura, but Mrs. Stelling rebukes him about his methods of amusing the child.
Maggie visit Tom in October with Mr . Tulliver and stays back for a few days. She is very much interested in his lesson and shows her easy grasp of the Subjects. However, She is offended when Mr. Stelling remarks that girls have " superficial cleverness' but are " Shallow " After Maggie leaves for home, Tom misses her very much. He plants sticks to mark the days left for Christmas holidays, and throws away one to mark the passing of each day
Critical comments . The chapter gives an acute discussion on the subject of proper education. George Eliot suggests that education should suit the aptitude of the student, and that many children are looked upon as stupid, simply because they are given the wrong type of education. The chapter emphasises the wrongness of Mr. Tulliver's decision on Tom's education. Further contrast is shown between Tom and Maggie. Mr. Stelling's character sketch shows George Eliot's realistic and unexaggerated method of characterization . A vein of humor runs through Mr. Stelling's analysis of Tom's mind.
Tom's pleasure.at going home is lessened by the fact that this Christmas is not quite so Cheerful as the past ones . The Mosses are staying with the Tullivers for Christmas .Mr. Tulliver is in a bad mood . He is engaged in a quarrel with a new neighbour ,Mr. Pivart ,who wants to irrigate his lands from the river. Mr. Tulliver feels that this is an infringement on his own source, of water power for running his mill. Tom feels frightened when he hears his father say that he relies on Tom's help in the Future.
This is one of the biggest mistakes teachers make, especially professors who practice teaching only for financial gain They do not seek to help weak students and help them develop themselves, but they classify them on the basis that they are stupid and never try to help them.