Duty In Silas Marner Duty Is Peremptory And Absolute. How Far Would You Say Duty Was Important In George Eliot's 'Silas Marner'

Authors Avatar

        Silas Marner         07/05/2007

Duty In Silas Marner

Duty Is Peremptory And Absolute. How Far Would You Say Duty Was Important In George Eliot’s ‘Silas Marner’

        In George Eliot’s novel ‘Silas Marner’ there is much evidence to justify the significant importance of duty. Duty has various meanings, but in the instance of George Eliot’s novel it is an obligation. An example of this is portrayed by Silas and Eppie. Another example is Godfrey’s obligation to Molly, Nancy and Eppie. In the novel the characters can be divided into two groups. There are those who honour duty and those who neglect duty. There are two main outcomes, one positive and one negative. Those who honour duty are rewarded, and those who neglect it are punished.

        Throughout the entire novel there are characters who neglect duty. The Cass family neglect duty quite a lot, as Godfrey, the Old Squire, and Dunsey all neglect duty. The community at Lantern Yard neglect their duty, especially William Dane.

        Godfrey neglects his duty towards other characters. He is obliged to Molly but fails to honour his duty, due to dishonesty and hypocrisy and stopped caring for her. Godfrey is unable to live up to his duty towards his second wife Nancy. He lies to her about his past for sixteen years. He doesn’t tell her about his child (Eppie) nor does he tell her bout his previous marriage. He says, ‘When I married you, I hid something from you… Eppie’s mother – that wretched woman – was my wife: Eppie is my child.’ He also neglects his duty towards Eppie as he doesn’t claim her when Molly dies.

        Old Squire Cass is another character who doesn’t live up to his duties. There is a moral obligation between him and his two sons (Godfrey and Dunsey). As a father he neglects his duties, and doesn’t treat them in a proper way. He refuses to listen to them and is a very obstinate man. He is portrayed to be a heartless man, as he also doesn’t fulfil any sort of moral obligations towards his employees or even any members of the society. This is shown when Godfrey asks Dunsey for the Squire’s hundred pounds; ‘I must hand over that rent of Fowler’s to the Squire… for he’s threatened to distrain for it’

Join now!

        Dunsey is the main culprit for neglecting duties towards anyone. He portrays no sense of duty for his father, his brother, or the society. He never helps his father in any way. He always threatens his brother (Godfrey) and used this as a mean of obtaining money. An example of this is, ‘I might get you turned out of house and home… I might the Squire how his handsome son was married.’ He neglects duty towards society as he steals all of Silas’s gold, which Silas spends fifteen years of his life working for, and hence has an emotional attachment ...

This is a preview of the whole essay