Examine the theme of 'just rewards' in George Eliot's 'Silas Marner'

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English Coursework

Examine the theme of ‘just rewards’ in George Eliot’s ‘Silas Marner’

        ‘When God Almighty wills it our secrets are found out’ (Ch.18 pg.162) is one of many sayings on the theme of just rewards in George Eliot’s ‘Silas Marner’. It is clearly put across that just rewards are found within the novel. The rewards differ strongly from each character. For example the bad get punished, the good get reward and everyone gets just rewards. But do some characters get punished more than others? In my essay I intend to examine the theme of ‘just rewards’ in George Eliot’s ‘Silas Marner’.

        In the novel ‘Silas Marner’ we see different characters being rewarded. One of those characters whom get rewarded is Marner himself. Marner is rewarded by having a young child turning up on his door- step, while he is having a cataleptic fit. I know this because the book says “I’ve a right to keep it” (Ch.13 pg.115). This example highlights that after the theft of his gold, made Marner bitter and isolated. So when Eppie arrives on his door-step, he accepts responsibility of her.

        This also helps Marner to become a joyful man who is accepted and admired by the community of Raveloe, for the way he brings Eppie up. We also can tell that Marner doesn’t want to afflict anyone in anyway. He is also shown as a loyal, caring weaver. This is shown by “Silas was both in sane and honest” (Ch.1 pg.15). I choose this quotation because it shows us that Marner is caring and loyal, who doesn’t want to harm a soul, within the religious society. So that is why in the industrial revolution Marner doesn’t want to be involved in the community, which is why he is shown as an outsider. This is seen in the time of Eliot because people who didn’t want to mix with people were shown as strange. Eliot just wrote about reality and how different people were treated.

        One the other hand we don’t only see Marner being rewarded, we also see him wrongfully him being punished. Silas was betrayed by his best friend, William Dane. William set up Marner with the church money in Lantern Yard, back fifteen years before Marner moved to Raveloe. For example “William in the nine years that we have gone in and out together, have you ever known me tell a lie? But God will clear me” (Ch.1. pg.18). The writer says this to suggest that William may have been jealous of Silas because Marner was engaged to a young servant, who William had liked. He may have also been jealous because the members of their religious group thought highly of Marner’s good life.

        The next character that appears to be receiving their rewards is Godfrey Cass, the eldest son of Squire Cass. In the book we are told that Godfrey is expected to inherit the red house from his father. But when we examine how Godfrey is reward, we discover that he gets punished. The punishment Godfrey receives is through crimes his brother, Dustan commit and through Eppie, Godfrey’s secret daughter. The crime done was a secret wife and child. This is apparent by the book saying “A movement of compunction, helped by those small indefinable influences which every personal relation exerts on a pliant nature, had urged him into a secret marriage, which was a blight on his life” (Ch.3 pg.31). This quotation shows us that Molly, Godfrey’s wife, tells us how Dustan manipulated them into marriage. Molly once used to be a young beautiful bar maid who Godfrey fancied. The reason why this can be seen as a punishment because in the industrial relation, it was expected that if you were going to inherit your fathers home, then your father would chose who you married. The person that you were expected to marry had to be the same social equivalent as yourself.

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        On the other hand we see Godfrey receiving his rewards by his daughter being adopted by Marner. The reason for this is because Molly died in the snow on New Year’s Eve, when she was going to tell Squire Cass, what Godfrey had done. This is shown by “It can to me; I’ve a right to keep it” (Ch.13 pg.115). The writer says this to suggest that now Molly is dead and Eppie has been adopted, Godfrey can live a free life again. Godfrey can only now live a free life, is through Marner adopting Eppie. Godfrey can also live ...

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