One of the most astounding facts about George Eliot is that “he” is actually a woman, whose real name is Marian Evans. She was born during the era of Victorian literature, and she grew up with a wide variety of people, including her family, who have all played an influential role in her life. Besides people and her family, her love life was also a very influential factor in her style of writing and the content of her works. These works reflect her Victorian style and influence on society. George Eliot, a writing pen name, was born on November 22, 1818 under the name Marian Evans. She was born the youngest child of three with her father, Robert Evans, and her mother, known as Mrs. Evans. While growing up, Eliot lived with her older brother, sister, and her father. Being the youngest child she always felt like the third wheel in the family, or in other words, an ‘outsider’ but she was very close to her family. As a child. When Eliot went to school at the age of nineteen, she became aquatinted with a woman named Maria Lewis. Maria Lewis was a great friend to Eliot and a great influence on her as well, which leaded her to publish the novel.
These were the ideas that Eliot was first introduced to in her writing. Religion presented certain resentment in her life. Religion being the biggest influence her father and Lewis had on her works, which she would later write about the negative affects of religion, the complete opposite of what her father and Lewis had taught her.
George Eliot wrote the novel after the industrial revolution, she wrote the novel and set it in 1805 (pre-industrial revolution) Raveloe was untouched by social events. Eliot set the novel before the industrial revolution because she wanted to show how life was like then. She lived with a divorced man, and was criticised for not having any children and was also treated as an outsider.
Silas Marner is divided into Part One and Part Two, separated by 16 years in time. The flashback in Chapter 1 travels an equal 16 years in time, creating a fundamental symmetry. I felt that the gap between the two parts is too long I would like to watch Silas being transformed by his love for Eppie, not just be told about it. Yet in Chapter 14 Eliot does show the first stages of the process in detail
This novel is divided into two parts in another, more important way. While Silas follows a cycle from misery back to happiness, Godfrey Cass follows an opposite path, from a life rich with possibilities to an unfulfilled existence. Eliot shifts back and forth between these two plots continually. Silas and Godfrey rarely meet face to face, yet they are linked- through Dunstan, who cheats Godfrey and robs Silas, and later through Eppie, who Godfrey abandons and Silas adopts.
Some readers feel the novel is split in two, that Silas' half is like a simple folktale with its happy ending, while Godfrey's half is a complex psychological study with a sad, realistic conclusion. The reason for the flashbacks between the two story parts is so we feel sympathy for Silas as his sad life unfolds.
Eliot uses intrusive narration in this novel. As an Intrusive narrator she comments on and evaluates characters and actions; establishes what counts as facts and values in the narrative. Silas Marner is written in third person omniscient narrative, which is an all seeing/all knowing narrator. There are many advantages of using omniscient narrator, which are all effective to the reader. The omniscient narrator knows everything, may reveal the motivations, thoughts and feelings of the characters, and gives the reader information, which is also like a third party. It gives an overview to bring us closer to the characters and events, it gives us a full picture of what’s happening, gives us an insight of characters minds and dilemmas. These points make omniscient narrative very effective to use.
Silas Marner is seen as an outsider. There are many things which make Silas an outsider, the main things, which portray Silas as an ‘outsider’ are, he lives away from the village of Raveloe, he lives in the isolated part of the town where no one else but him self lives (recluse), his background is no known by anyone in the village, he’s shy and lacks confidence, he’s alienated and ignored by villagers, he doesn’t mix with the villagers or blend in with them, and he’s a social misfit.
He has a brief history that makes him an outsider in Raveloe, which changed his life. Back in Lantern yard where Silas used to live before moving to Raveloe, one night while he slept, his best friend into the room and taken away the deacons money bag then in a move to win the affections of Silas’ sweetheart, he had blamed Silas the theft on Silas. The weaver was convicted, his faith shattered and his ‘trust in a man…Cruelly bruised’. Silas had left his home in Lantern yard and now found himself a lone alienated prosperous village of Raveloe
Silas's outsider status makes him the local point for the themes of community, religion, and family that Eliot unveils in the novel. As an outcas who eventually becomes Raveloe's most opened citizen, Silas serves as a study in the relationship between the individual and the community. Additionally, the unlikely domestic life that Silas creates with Eppie presents a powerful portrait of family and the home
Silas has knowledge of medicinal herbs and is subject to occasional cataleptic fits, many of his neighbours speculate that he has otherworldly powers. This is one way villager’s see him as which is an outsider.
In the novel Eliot uses many images and metaphors to compare Silas with. Silas in particular is often compared to animals and plants, and these pictures/images are used to trace his progress from his isolated and lonely figure. As Silas sits alone weaving near the beginning of the novel, Silas is compared to a spider, solitary and slightly ominous. Just after he is robbed, Silas is compared to an ant that finds its usual path blocked, an image described as him searching for a solution in his life. Later, as Silas begins to reach out to the rest of the village, his soul is likened to a plant. Finally, as he raises Eppie, Silas is described as "trembling" and "unfolding" into full consciousness," imagery evoking both the metamorphosis of an insect and the blooming of a flower. This nature imagery also emphasises the pre-industrial setting of the novel this reminds us that life was bigger and harder to go through with before the industrial revolution. The term used to compare characters to nature I called ‘pathetic fallacy’. Pathetic Fallacy is the literary term for mood setting weather.
In Chapter 12 something important happens which would change Silas’s life.
Molly, like Godfrey, lacks strength. In this scene, her weakness is shown in many ways. The falling snow literally makes her slow down and get lost. The snow also symbolises her weakness, which makes it hard for her to get anywhere in life. Her addiction to drugs is another weakness. She turns to it when she's in pain and needs comfort. She hesitates, knowing it will hurt her baby, yet she gives in to her selfish craving. The drug, however, makes her even weaker, and the snow soon completely numbs her. Sadly Molly doesn’t survive in the snow and she passes away, Eppie on the other hand see’s bright light and runs after it waiting to see what it is.
The bright light is from Silas’s cottage which is brightly lit. There is a comparison, a couple of chapters ago Dunsten Cass was attracted by a bright light shining from Silas' cottage. In this parallel scene, the baby also is drawn by the firelight into Silas' home. Silas was out on a simple errand before. This time, he's left the door open because he has fallen into one of his mysterious fits. Ironically, he was looking out the door, hoping his gold would come back to him, just as the child is heading toward the cottage. Eppie has a sort of blonde hair, this symbolises the gold, which Silas is waiting to come back to him, but instead another sort of ‘gold’ is headed for his cottage.
The symbolism between light and dark plays an important factor in this chapter. A good example of light being represented is,
‘Attracted by a bright light, the little girl follows it straight to Silas's cottage and through his open door. The light enchants her and she is immediately comfortable in front of the fireplace’. Light and warmth are associated with the girl and another example of light being used to emphasis goodness is,
‘it seemed as if there was gold on the floor in front of the hearth. Gold!-his own gold-brought back to him as mysteriously as it had been taken away! He felt his heart begin to beat violently, and for a few moments he was unable to stretch out his hand and grasp for the restored treasure. The heap of gold seemed to glow and get bigger beneath his agitated gaze’.
His tenderness for the girl is genuine. An example of ‘dark’ being shown is, when Silas’ gold was stolen which was based on a dark night scene. As you can see from this, light represents the good and happy things that happen, the dark represents bad things to happen, bad people or bad conditions. Many good events occur involving light i.e. Eppies blonde hair and many bad things occur whilst involving the darkness i.e. the night.
Religion plays an important part in this incident of Eppie, Silas feels as though Eppie was brought to him through a far off life like heaven, Silas feels that the child is a ‘message come to him from that far-off life’. Through religious beliefs any event involving the light can be seen as good, and any event involving evil can be seen as the ‘dark’.
In chapter 14 many things turn Silas, he has no been accepted in the community. Silas thinks that his gold is returned to him, but to his amazement, he finds that the gold is not his money but the golden hair of a sleeping child. He actually marvels at the sight of the little blond girl, for he thinks that she looks like his sister, and loves the sight of her. His tenderness for the girl is genuine. He has changed dramatically since the arrival of Eppie, she is described as a replacement for his gold and has adapted well in Silas’ life. Silas sees more happiness and joy with Eppie in his life than he ever had. Unlike the gold, which he admired and worshipped by himself, Eppie is full of love and warmth, and has such a warming affect on Silas that he becomes friendlier and kinder. Silas is able to express his affection for his adopted daughter and have his love returned to him, unlike the gold. The quote below suggests it,
‘The gold had kept his thoughts in an ever-repeated circle, leading to nothing beyond itself; but Eppie was an object compacted of changes and hopes that forced his thoughts onward, and carried them far away from their old eager pacing towards the same blank limit - carried them away to the new things that would come with the coming years.’
Silas takes Eppie with him wherever he goes. The villagers witness a change in Silas when he is with Eppie, and they, too, change their attitude about him. Smiles and cheerful inquiries now admire Silas. The elderly people of Raveloe admire Silas for rearing Eppie by himself as an older man. Even the kids who had been so scared of Silas before, now approach him happily; he is not the mean, scolding man
h e once was when he is with Eppie. ‘There was love between him and the child that blent them into one, and there was love between the child and the world’.
Since Silas’ life has evolved since the arrival of Eppie, this contrasts to earlier descriptions, ‘to carry Eppie beyond the Stone-pits to where the flowers grew’ before Eppie changed Silas’ life, flowers unfolded instead of spider webs.
