Despite Marner not wishing to have any human communications, he had one thing, which is cherished more than anything. This was his gold sovereigns. After that he didn´t trust anyone and even lost his religious belief. Therefore when he came to Raveloe he threw himself in to his work. Now future, past and present had little meaning for him. When he was paid in gold for his first piece of weaving in Raveloe he enjoyed the field and the look of it and comforted himself with his new love. Silas started loving gold so much that after that day he believed it to be his friend and everyday he counted his beloved money:
He loved the guineas best, but he would not change the silver -
the crowns and half-crowns that where his own earnings, begotten
by his labour; he loved them all. He spread out in heaps and bathed his hands in them; then he counted them and set them up in regular piles, and felt their rounded outline between his fingers and thumb.
These coins are the most important thing in Marners life, he loved them and was obsessed with them. ‘ It was pleasant for him to feel them in his palm and look at their bright faces, which where all his own.’ All Marners earnings where saved and every evening he would count them and plays with them. Marner’s life revolves around these coins he loved them deeply; he protected the coins, like a parent figure. The coins are like his children.
However, all of this was to change one very snowy night when Eppie came into his life. Feeling very cold outside, she saw a cottage from which some light was coming and attracted by the glowing warmth she walked herself by the fire and fell asleep in front of it. When he saw the golden hair of the child Silas was greatly affected by it and it had a healing affect on him. He was also attracted by her because he thought that this was his long-dead sister. Because of Eppie Silas drew closer to the village community around him: 'That little child had come to link him once more with the whole world´. Eppie became Silas´s 'new treasure´ which was to become far more valuable to him than his lost gold.
Eppie´s pleasure took him outside the house and out of himself. Long lost memories started to return and Eppie gave him a new life with Silas taking a lot of care of Eppie. He decided to bring up Eppie with love. Eppie also started going with Silas when he delivered his weaving. And when children started meeting with Eppie they were no longer afraid of weaver. Silas no longer hoarded his money but spent it on a proper purpose.
The death of Eppie´s mother had a great effect on people´s lives. Silas insistence on keeping the child influenced the villager´s feelings in favour of him who saw it as some recompense for his stolen savings. Dolly started to help Silas a lot in bringing up the child. Dolly asked Silas to have the child christened and to bring her to church. Silas agreed although he did not know what that meant. He could not connect his past non-conformist beliefs with the established church of Dolly´s religion. But for the sake of Eppie agrees to set foot in a church for the first time in his life. Silas now has more contact with the villagers because of his church attendance, as well as with looking after Eppie´s needs. Silas started discussing with Dolly how to punish Eppie when she become naughty but he could not bear to do it. Once Silas was forced to give punishment when Eppie cut herself free from the loom with the scissors and disappeared. Silas became very upset. After a frantic search he found Eppie playing in the puddle on the edge of the pond. His relief was enormous. Afterwards, to show her his displeasure, Silas shut Eppie in the coal-cupboard for a few moments before taking her out. But after a while she herself went there thinking it was a game. From that day Silas was committed to bring Eppie up with love but not with punishment. Everyone´s experience of bringing up children gave them links with Silas. People liked the way of how she was growing and she became a popular child. She has given a new future to Silas and he was now a respected number of Raveloe society.
The story moves forward sixteen years and Silas is seen leaving church on Sunday with Eppie. His rehabilitation and acceptance by the Raveloe community seems complete. During this time not only Silas but also the villagers had changed and Squire Cass was dead. Silas had been able to discuss with Dolly the false accusation against him in Lantern Yard. They agreed that it was a test of Christian faith which he had passed through taking such good care of Eppie. However, Silas´s life was once again being threatened when Godfrey Cass claimed his daughter back. But Eppie didn´t want to go back to Godfrey because she just recognised one father that was Silas. When Godfrey and Nancy return home they realise that Eppie will never be their daughter who preferred Silas´s good treatment to her real father´s wealth.
Silas wanted to attend to what he now saw as the unfinished business at Lantern yard. He wanted to sort out things with the man who was minister at that time. When Silas went with Eppie back to the industrial town he was confused to see the changes there. They both didn´t like the cramped living conditions. Silas went on making enquiries but became resigned to never knowing whether his name was cleared. Dolly was a firm believer in the will of heaven. Through Dolly´s help and the gift of Eppie, Silas, too came to trust again:
Since the time the child was sent to me and I´ve come to love
her as myself, I´ve had light enough to trusten by; and know
she says she´ll never leave me, I think I shall trusten till I die.
The traditional time of year for weddings in Raveloe was Laburnum and Lilac time. Eppie´s wedding was in that season. She had often thought, though with certainty that she could never have a perfect wedding dress but Nancy provided for her. On the wedding day Godfrey was not in Raveloe for 'special reasons.´ The village had accepted his kindness to Silas and Eppie an attempt to make up for the wrong his brother had done to the weaver in stealing his gold. Mr Macey explained how right he always had been about Silas, and the return of his money. The villagers while waiting for the feast consider the blessings that Silas had brought on himself by taking Eppie in. His patience had been rewarded; his gold restored, his daughter preferring him to her blood father and now Silas had son to help care for him in his retirement. The once outcast weaver was now a respected and well-loved family man:
The garden was fenced with stones on two sides, but in
front there was an open fence, through which the flowers
shone with answering gladness, as the four united people
came within sight of them. ' O father´, said Eppie, 'what
a pretty home ours is! I think nobody could be happier
than we are´.
When Silas Marner first lays eyes on Eppie, she is on the floor asleep. He notices her beautiful gold hair. When he was a child, Silas Marner’s sister died who was similar to Eppie. He felt reminded of her when seeing the child. ‘ Could this be his little sister come back to him in a dream ?’ This reminded his a strike of reality for Marner, reminding him how to love another person. His sister who was not yet mentioned in the novel is used to show Marners strong memories of love towards another being. At the moment he sees her, he gives unconditional love to Eppie.
This love is very similar to the love and mother would give to her baby. Marner is not receiving any money or materials to help bring up the child, he love is true and pure and his emotions are strong and caring for Eppie and her well-being. He almost sees Eppie as a symbol of his younger sister and he wishes to do for Eppie, as he would have wished to do for his little sister. He has learned to love again and is oblivious in doing so.
Godfrey Cass is another strong parental figure in the novel. He is the son of squire Cass and is also Eppie’s biological father. Dunston is Godfreys brother whom black mails him. This is because no one knows about his brothers secret marriage or birth of his daughter Eppie; except Dunston. Godfrey feels ashamed and humiliated by the marriage and therefore decided to hide it from his family. Molly Farren, the woman whom he married was beautiful and he married her because of the chemical attraction. She later became and drunk and drug addict, this makes him want to hide her and their marriage. Molly Farren is a lot pressuring him into telling his family of her.
Life is not so easy for Godfrey. He is in love with his soul mate, Nancey Lammeter. Every one admires Nancey she is the perfect match for him also. She is highly regarded, ‘ like a pink and white posy.’ The squire Cass even wants the pair to marry. He states, ‘ I shouldn’t wonder if she is madam Cass one day.’ If Godfrey tells of his secret marriage to Nancey, he feels he will loose his father’s inheritance and his love Nancey.
Eventually Godfrey runs out of his money supply to give to Dunston to stop his black mailing and Molly then decides that she will tell the Squire herself. Dunston has still no money so he travels to Raveloe, to try and find some. Here he finds Marners collection of gold sovereigns and steals them. On his flee he falls down a pit, and the money disappears along with him.
Molly sets off on her travels to tell the Squire along with the child. She is high on her drugs and the freezing cold over whelms her and she dies. Eppie is left alone. This is where Marner finds her.
During this time, Godfrey hopes Molly will die. When she does not return he goes to the cottage to only see her dead, so therefore he was free to marry Nancey. Godfrey never tells of his double life because he was a scared coward. The author seems to criticize people like Godfrey Cass who live by deceit, hoping things will happen by chance. Deep down Godfrey is weak and selfish. He shows no care or compassion for what could have happened to Eppie. When he hears that his child has come to live with Marner, he tricks himself into believing this would be best for her, therefore he regually sends money. He also does this because he does not wish for his new wife to find out about the child, he pays for her to stay away, despite this his past catches up with him!
Eppie grows up to be a delightful child. One day, Godfrey and Nancey find out they can never have a child, so Godfrey tells Nancey about Eppie and they decide to claim back his baby. But Godfrey had neglected his parental duty, he is now using the concept of duty to get Eppie back.
Eppie and Silas became very close as she grew up, they have a speacial and unique bond. She turned Marner ito a sincer, loving and caring man and rekindled his faith in God. Eppie decideds she will marry, to a local boy. Silas is happy because he gained a daughter and now a form of son. Eppie assures Silas that her a her new husband love each other and will stay together eternally, she says, ‘ I do not want change, I should like to go a long, long while just as we are.’ This says that Eppie will not move away.
On Godfrey’s proposal to take Eppie back to be his and Nanceys daughter, it was not well planed. They thourght, ‘ surly the weaver would wish whats best for the child he had taken to much trouble with, and would be glad for such a fortune to come to her.’ This was not the case because Silas and Eppie had strong bonds that where to special to be destroyed by finance and inanamte objects.
This shows that Godfrey was too selfish and self centered to realize what a strong relationship Silas and Eppie had. ‘ it had never occurred to him that Silas would rather part his with life then with Eppie.’
Godfrey finally suffers for all his years worth of mistakes, realizing that he cannot separate them, they have the same bond as all GOOD fathers have with their children, with deep compassion.
The novel shows the need to love and feel compassion, with out it life appears to have no meaning.
What we understand by the term ‘Parental Duty,’ is to support a child, not just financially but emotionally and to bring up the child in a kind and understanding manner, making sure that the child has respect for other people also, growing up to be a considerate and gracious person.