“He had clung with all the force of his nature to his work and his money”
Silas' fits and his medicinal knowledge are used to accentuate Silas’ image of being visited by Satan, and are quite a regular occurrence. Although Eliot also says:
“Yet few men could be more harmless than poor Marner”
Showing us that he is not in league with the devil.
When Silas heals Sally Oakes, the villagers are wary of Silas and how he healed Sally with his herbal concoction. The people of Raveloe are wary of people like Silas with unconventional skills and strange knowledge of healing; this is why the people of Raveloe assumed that Silas was in league with the devil.
Eliot uses the knowledge people of Raveloe, ignorant of new things and wary of strangers, to explain how in such a tightly-knit community the people have no reasonable answer or knowledge of this and so eventually turn to religion in order to explain this and any other mystery that presents itself to them.
Eliot uses Silas’ weaving and his medicinal knowledge in Raveloe to further show Silas' eccentric skills. The image used for the weavers in Raveloe is described by Eliot as,
“Remnants of a disinherited race.”
This perfectly describes the role of someone like Silas who is a weaver and who has the knowledge which no one else in Raveloe has. Once again, the people are shown to be ignorant and because of this, the number of weavers becomes scarce over time. attitudes of the people of Raveloe, not wanting to study for a complicated, odd job, and justifying Silas’ odd skills by saying he must be in league with the devil.
Furthermore, the children refer to him as:
“Old Master Marner”
This is used by the author to further emphasise how little the people know about him, and how his loneliness in the house has caused him to age prematurely and appear frightening to the people.
In chapter 3 we are introduced the richest people in Raveloe, the Cass family-Dunstan, Godfrey and the Squire. We see how Dunstan Cass blackmails his brother over an unknown marriage with Molly Farren, a drug-taking, drunk. He is able to manipulate weak-willed Godfrey into selling his horse in order to settle his debts with his father. Godfrey wants to hide the marriage, as he wants to inherit the Squires land. The people of Raveloe do not know this, but rumours indicate that problems within the Cass family are deteriorating. This new plot shows the reader just how lonely the family are. They have no love in their house, and no female figure before Nancy. This is significant as it shows how the females are a way of overcoming loneliness for the men in Raveloe.
We see this in Dolly Winthrop, Eppie, Nancy and the possibly late Mrs. Cass?
Although this is true, Nancy makes Godfrey lonelier before they are married, this is because Godfrey hasn’t told anyone about the other marriage and cannot court another woman while he is married. Although he still has a desire to marry Nancy, he tries to avoid Nancy, in person and in thought. This explains Godfrey’s behaviour during the party, trying to also avoid anyone who will talk about her. This is hard for Godfrey at the New Year Eve party, where all the guests comment on Nancy’s good looks. Godfrey is seen to be restraining himself on commenting on Nancy, in fear that by acting too eager he will increase the probability of having to marry too soon, when he already has a wife.
The rector at the party shows us Godfrey’s anxiousness towards Nancy when he says:
“When anybody pretends this has been a severe winter, I shall tell them I saw the roses blooming on New Year's Eve -- eh, Godfrey, what do you say?”
Eliot then shows us that:
‘Godfrey made no reply, and avoided looking at Nancy very markedly.’
This shows how Godfrey has a strong will, as he is not giving in to his temptations, but waits for his marriage to end, trying to be as polite as he can.
The paths of the Cass family and Silas meet in chapter 4, when Dunstan steals Silas’ money. This part of the novel is the beginning turning point of Silas’ metamorphosis from a lonely miser to a part of Raveloe. Eliot is trying to develop our understanding of the meaning of the gold to Silas, so that when it is stolen, the contrast is all the greater. Eliot uses chapter 5, to show us how Silas returns home looks over his gold before eating dinner. By doing this, Eliot shows us how Silas’ life and daily routine revolve around his gold, and when it is stolen his reaction is magnified-his only joy and purpose in life has been taken away. Eliot also uses this chapter to show us the foundation of Silas’ transition from a miser. She makes us understand how it takes something life altering for Silas to get him to start socialising within the community- even if it begins with an enquiry at the local tavern.
Silas feels anxious on entering the tavern, as he feels out of place and would not enter such a crowded, social place unless in a situation like this, where he confronts a known poacher, Jem Rodney.
This quote shows how Silas feels inferior on entering the pub, filled with local men whose wives buy his linen- though it is important for Silas to start his ‘investigation’ somewhere.
“The Rainbow, in Marner's view, was a place of luxurious resort for rich and stout husbands, whose wives had superfluous stores of linen; it was the place where he was likely to find the powers and dignities of Raveloe, and where he could most speedily make his loss public.”
This shows how the loss of his money brings him into the closely-knit society in Raveloe where newcomers are rarely witnessed and newcomers are not easily welcomed. In Silas’ case he is known to the people, but still feels like a visitor as he has never socialised in Raveloe.
Eliot shows us how the men of Raveloe socialise, in different areas of the tavern; their high spirits and cheerful banter, perhaps only a façade produced by the alcohol and arguments about village events is and seen on the exterior, contrasting Silas’ silent homely lifestyle.
Silas’ entrance during the conversation about ghosts, adds to his eeriness around the village. The talking quickly stops as the man stare at the unexpected small, pale figure before them. For a moment Silas appears to be angry, when confronting Jem Rodney about the theft, but soon returns to his harmless self, and we can see that he doesn’t seek vengeance for his theft, he simply wants the actual gold back. We see this in the novel when Silas says to Jem Rodney:
"If it was you stole my money," said Silas, clasping his hands entreatingly, and raising his voice to a cry, "give it me back -- and I won't meddle with you. I won't set the constable on you. Give it me back, and I'll let you -- I'll let you have a guinea."
Eliot shows Silas as tired, confused and overcome by the day’s events, and so the villagers are sympathetic towards him. The men are helpful and suggest that there must be some clues to track down the thief. Mr. Dowlas and Mr. Snell go out into the dark to help Silas.
After the, during the New Year’s party, Godfrey’s wife arrives on Silas’ doorstep with an infantile Eppie. Molly dies in the snow after taking some drugs in the cold winter night.
Eliot uses Eppie’s golden hair as a visual parallel with Silas’ gold. This accounts for his love and protection over Eppie, she has replaced his gold and now he feels good about life. Silas continues his transition from a lonely man to a loving father, from the day he claims Eppie, until she grows up.
Even though Silas has changed into a friendlier caring man Eliot shows us a glimpse of the ‘old’, lonely Silas, when he and Eppie are talking about Aaron and a future marriage. Silas doesn’t want to be alone without Eppie, in fear he will need something like gold to love instead, and return to his old self. We can see how strongly Silas feels about this in the novel when he says:
“O’er young to be married. We'll ask Mrs. Winthrop”
This shows how he needs Eppie and how he feels secure and trusts the decisions of Dolly Winthrop, an important new ‘friend’ for Silas. She invites him to church after receiving visits from Mr. Macey, Aaron and Dolly herself, this shows how Silas slowly becomes part of the community. The villagers see Silas as a good man, bringing up a child by himself. They offer him advice on children, and Dolly helps him with trying to punish mischievous Eppie, though Silas has trouble due to his immense adoration of his daughter. Silas is still in transition because of the child.
“Notable mothers, who knew what it was to keep children…………………were equally interested in conjecturing how a lone man would manage with a two-year-old child on his hands, and were equally ready with their suggestions: the notable chiefly telling him what he had better do, and the lazy ones being emphatic in telling him what he would never be able to do.”
As time goes by in Raveloe, Eppie matures and Silas grows older. Eliot shows us how Eppie and Silas’ moods change as they grow older. Silas feels a threat of loneliness as he grows older and Eppie wants to marry; while Eppie grows more responsible and independent- she wants to move on in life, while Silas wants life to remain as it is, with him being happy and satisfied. This contrasts Godfrey’s feelings at the time. He becomes even lonelier through knowing that Eppie brings happiness to Silas, who in Godfrey’s mind doesn’t deserve her, even though he raised her.
Eliot uses the effect of Eppie’s absence in the Cass family, to show us Nancy’s feelings towards welcoming his child. She is portrayed as being ‘kept in the dark’, not having known about Eppie, therefore not being able to make any decisions about her. This brought about more loneliness for Nancy, who tries to make Godfrey feel better and Godfrey who is tormented by not having Eppie in his family. He feels that his duty is to now acknowledge her, trying to reclaim her from Silas, who has cared for her since she was two years old.
All of the points raised by Eliot are used to express the different forms of loneliness that can be seen through Silas and Godfrey. The gold and Eppie are used as ‘instruments’ through which loneliness can be brought about. The gold keeps Silas isolated until Eppie arrives and subsequently Godfrey becomes lonely as he can see the joy she brings to Silas, and the child he has missed out on. This is why the issue of loneliness in Eliot’s novel can be complicated or in-depth at times, and obvious in others, accentuating the overall importance of loneliness in the novel.