Final answer:
In George Eliot's novel 'The Mill on the Floss,' the community's moral standards are depicted as rooted in social norms, religious beliefs, and economic class structures, with societal approval playing a significant role in the moral behavior of individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the novel The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, the basis of the community's moral standards is deeply entrenched in the notions of social norms, religious beliefs, and the prominent social and economic hierarchies of the time. Eliot highlights how moral behaviors are encouraged or discouraged based largely on societal approval, disapproval, and the communal reinforcement of what is deemed 'right' or 'wrong.' This reinforcement serves as a proxy to laws, suggesting that community oversight may supersede legal enforcement in guiding moral conduct.
Moral codes are reflected through the character's actions within the narrative, illustrating an interplay between individual conscience and societal expectations. The novel portrays a community where moral standards are also bound up with the natural sense of sympathy and the social instincts that guide human behavior. Furthermore, the tension between individual desires and community morality plays a critical role in the characters' lives and choices.