Silas Marner by George Eliot has been considered one of the classics of the 19th century. This novel somehow brings to remembrance The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The theme of “religion-and-ethics” runs throughout both novels and plays a key role in the development of the characters. In his book, George Eliot incorporates clear mechanics together with a story-line full of suspense and action. Although the novel seems to be way too narrative and motionless in the beginning, the story unfolds with the protagonist ,Silas Marner, been robbed by the Dunsey Cass, the son of a wealth land-owner. The story begins to progress even more when, he accidentally finds an little girl sleeping in his house and just outside of his porch, her dead mother. This story has defi-nitely stood the test of time and has earned the title of “masterpiece”.
After being exiled for his home town, Silas Marner sits in his cottage and weaves on his loom. Being totally absorbed in his work, Silas doesn’t want to enroll in the society of “Raveloe” because of his great disappointment with people, friends and God. Our story takes a turn when we are introduced to Squire Cass and his two sons Godfrey and Dun-sey. Being raised by a wealthy father, the two men have become selfish, unforgiving and corrupt. The actual story begins with the quarrel between Godfrey and Dunsey over a hundred pounds that Godfrey owed to Dunsey. Initially this money was stolen by God-frey from one of his fathers renters. Dunsey threatens Godfrey that he would reveal his theft and his secret marriage with Molly Farren, an opium addict. Godfrey agrees that Dunsey would sell Wildfire, Godfrey’s favorite horse. As Dunsey went to sell the horse he accidentally injured it and the horse died. Dunsey then realizes that his money just “died” and just a few meters away he sees the cottage of Silas Marner. He sneaks in, finds the money that Silas had stored and he vanishes in the darkness. When Silas came home, he was in terror of the robbery.
After having informed the towns people about the incident, Silas proceeds with his weaving. He has been discouraged and depressed. Money had become his obsession and now he has to live without it. Weeks passed and Silas began to have the hope that his money would come back to him. Just before Christmas Eve, Silas went out of his cottage and when he came back he saw a little girl sleeping near his fireplace. He immediately feeds her and later on finds her mother, Molly Farren, lying dead outside his cottage. He adopts the little girl and names her “Eppie” in memory of his sister. Godfrey, who is Eppie’s father, doesn’t reveal himself because he wanted to pursue his marriage with Nancy Lammeter. Sixteen years later, we find Eppie, who has become eighteen years of age, taking care of her father. The climax of the story comes when Godfrey and his wife Nancy reveal Eppie’s real father and demand that Eppie would be “re-adopted”. Eppie refuses to leave Silas, who now is very old. The story ends with Eppie being married to a young man named Aaron Winthrop in a grand ceremony at the centre of Raveloe.
I have found this story quite noteworthy because, although it has a simple meaning, it hides in itself things that reflect the status of our society, today. The love of money, drug abuse, and a constant search for love are just some of the things this brilliant novel de-monstrates in a simple manner that can be understood by any casual or fervent reader. This novel truly is an all-time classic that, probably, will never loose the weight of it’s significance.
