Observing these people narrowly, even when the iron hand of misfortune has shaken them from their unquestioning hold on the world, one sees little trace of religion, still less of a distinctively Christian creed. Their belief in the unseen, so far as it manifests itself at all, seems to be rather of a pagan kind; their moral notions, though held with strong tenacity, seem to have no standard beyond hereditary custom.
In George Eliot's "The Mill on the Floss," the observation of certain individuals reveals a profound absence of formal religious belief, particularly that of Christianity. When faced with adversity, rather than turning to a structured faith, these individuals appear to embrace a more instinctual and possibly pagan belief system. This suggests that their understanding of the unseen world does not align with organized religion but rather reflects a more primitive and traditional outlook.
Furthermore, the moral values held by these characters seem to derive primarily from long-standing customs rather than any universal moral principles. Their adherence to these inherited customs is strong, yet it lacks the framework of a defined ethical standard, pointing to a reliance on tradition rather than on a higher religious or moral code. This underscores the complex relationship between culture, morality, and belief in the context of personal and societal struggles.
