What changes does Eppie make to Silas' life?

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What changes does Eppie make to Silas' life?

In order to understand the changes that Eppie made to Silas' life we must first understand the kind of man he had become. We can do this by examining why and how he has been mentally hurt in his early life.

Silas originally led a very religious life in the church, he was happy and contented. Silas had friends and a fiancée whom he loved. This all led to disaster as his best friend William also loved his fiancée. Silas has a disorder which causes him to have cataleptic fits at irregular times. One day Silas had a cataleptic fit while he is caring for the senior Deacon in the Church. William then betrayed Silas by coming into the room of the Deacon and stealing the Deacon's money by prising open the safe with Silas' knife. Then, when Silas comes out of his fit, he finds the Deacon dead. He calls for help. Later the Church discovers the money has gone and Silas' knife was used to open the safe. Silas is charged with robbery and humiliated in front of everyone, including his fiancée, Sarah. 'The lots declare that Silas Marner was guilty' (9.13). Silas is cast out from the church and told never to return. He is aghast and feels that he has been let down by God, 'But you may prosper, for all that: there is no just God that governs the earth righteously, but a God of lies, that bears witness against the innocent' (2.14).

Silas goes home and sits in self-pity too sad to weep and trying to decide whether or not to go and persuade Sarah that he was innocent. Marner then goes back to weaving but does not leave his room, the minister and the deacon brought him a message from Sarah renouncing their engagement. Silas never saw any one but did come to hear that his Sarah was getting married to William. Marner left immediately, his life in tatters and forever stained with this misfortune.
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On his travels Silas comes upon a small village called Raveloe and settles down just outside the town beside the stone pits, making a living from weaving. He came into Raveloe but once a week to buy food, cloth, and sell his wares. Silas lives a life of solitude and loneliness for fifteen years talking too few people and not socialising at all 'minds that have been unhinged from their old faith and love, have perhaps sought this Lutheran influence of exile' (2.15). The town's folk come to see and think of him as a reclusive man, someone ...

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