How does the character of Silas Marner change and develop throughout the course of the novel?
"How does the character of Silas Marner change and develop throughout the course of the novel?"
In Lantern Yard Silas Marner was a valued man who showed a great devotion towards God and kindness towards his neighbours. Because of unfair accusations and betrayal by both God and man he lost all faith in God and in humanity, thus putting a halt to the philanthropy that he previously practised. Silas moved to a far off country named Raveloe where he lived a spider-like existence weaving in his loom, isolated from the community. It was in Raveloe that Silas first entered his selfish misanthropist way of life. Silas' devotion to God became replaced by devotion towards an inanimate object - his gold. Silas experienced a great shock when his dearest companion (his gold) was stolen. The feelings of devotion towards the hard objects disappeared when a young girl, Eppie entered his life. Eppie was the reason for Silas' redemption and his chance of becoming reintegrated into society. His selfishness turned into selflessness and he showed sociability rather than dedication to gold. This discovery of love and loves resurrection was the ultimate development and growth within him.
A respected and credulous man, Silas Marner lived an altruistic lifestyle surrounded by the security of the "little hidden world" of Lantern Yard where he lived a purposeful existence. Within this narrow congregation Silas was a good-natured, reverential and above all a "highly thought of" member of the minute community. Marner was known to be a man of "exemplary life and ardent faith" he was an integral and important member of the community, devoted and pious, he possessed an unshakable faith in both God and in humanity.
Due to his occupation as a weaver Silas did not earn an immense sum of money, but from what he did earn he donated most of his income to objects of charity or piety, this amongst other things proved Silas' benevolence towards mankind.
The downside however to Silas's good-willed and over-trusting nature was that it allowed him to become susceptible and therefore easily a victim to infidelity. Silas Marners entire outlook on life altered when his best friend William Dane, one of the two most prized people in his life subjected him to become the target of supreme envy and treachery.
Silas had an infirmity, he frequently had cataleptic fits during which he would freeze and appear lifeless. Even though people at Lantern Yard assumed that such a devoted person must have been having visitations from God, this was "discouraged by the absence on his part of any spiritual vision". Because of the fits Silas became an object of attraction in the community, however he never tried to pursue the path of vainglory. When Dane indicted Marner, saying that the cataleptic fits he experienced seemed more like a "visitation of Satan than a proof of divine favour" Silas simply accepted his opinion and "felt no resentment, only pain" at what his closest companion thought of him. Little did he know that this was the jealousy within William speaking, a starting point in Williams attempt to blacken the name of Silas Marner.
The betrayal that was to be a turning point in Marners life occurred during one of his cataleptic fits (whilst he was taking care of a dying deacon dear to the church), when Dane stole the church money and framed Silas for doing so. This was a time when it was proved that Silas had complete faith in God, for when he was questioned about the theft he purely replied, "God will clear me", this showed that Silas placed his fate in the hands of God, in whom he had put the highest trust. He had a zealous confidence in God and believed that the truth would appear and any assumptions or unjust accusations made against him would be cleared. Following the drawing of the lots, when Silas had been declared guilty, he became grief stricken. God, whom he now referred to as the "God of lies", had betrayed him, just as his dearest friend William Dane had done. Ultimately William succeeded in blackening the name of Silas, as a result of which Silas' fiancée Sarah broke off their engagement, and soon after got married to William. (This eventually caused a great change to take place within Marner, a change that would affect most of his life.)
Because of the misjudgement and treachery Silas experienced, he left Lantern Yard with a new attitude towards life. He felt that he had not only been betrayed by William and Sarah, but had been deceived by the entire of humanity as well as God.
Silas travelled to a "far off country" named Raveloe where he attempted to commence a new life with fresh ideas on life itself. He believed that "nothing could be more unlike his native town" of Lantern Yard. In Raveloe Silas lived an isolated half-life which in due course became both Godless and ...
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Because of the misjudgement and treachery Silas experienced, he left Lantern Yard with a new attitude towards life. He felt that he had not only been betrayed by William and Sarah, but had been deceived by the entire of humanity as well as God.
Silas travelled to a "far off country" named Raveloe where he attempted to commence a new life with fresh ideas on life itself. He believed that "nothing could be more unlike his native town" of Lantern Yard. In Raveloe Silas lived an isolated half-life which in due course became both Godless and soulless.
A great change took place within Silas as a result of the shock he experienced in Lantern Yard, this shock caused him to become a misanthropic, lonely person who made no attempt to interact with the community. He was no longer a respected or valued member of the community like he once had been in Lantern Yard, in Raveloe Silas was nothing more than an outlandish weaver. He believed "the future was all dark" with no "unseen love" that cared for him.
As Silas became accustomed to the seclusion of weaving in his loom he became myopic, both in sight and in opinion. Silas weaved for long hours, up to sixteen hours a day, he only left his loom to run essential errands or deliver the linen he had woven for particular people. It was as if Silas had become an insect "he seemed to weave like a spider", it looked as if he was becoming a part of the machinery that formed his loom, he was somewhat dehumanised.
The money he now made from weaving, he kept to himself, as he believed that both humanity and God himself had betrayed him. In Lantern Yard he had frequently given the money that he earned to charitable cases or "objects of pity" now however he had no reason to give his gold away. He believed the world had betrayed him and this caused him to become miserly. Silas eventually became obsessed with his gold he felt it bred the "seeds of desire". He personified the gold and silver coins and furthermore he frequently felt them and looked at "their bright faces".
Just as the reader is sure that Silas had developed into an entirely diverse person to what he was in Lantern Yard, and that he had no affectionate feelings towards anyone or pleasant memories or thoughts about his past, Silas proved to everyone that he had not completely lost all feelings, and had not become wholly cold-hearted. When Silas discovered that Sally Oates was suffering from the same disease that his mother had suffered and died from and no one could find a medical cure for it, he remembered a simple herbal treatment, which he prepared and gave to Sally, this became the first "unity between his past and present life". This act of piety on his behalf which at first had appeared to re-enter him into society ultimately further "heightened the repulsion" between him and his neighbours and therefore made his "isolation more complete". Although people of the community offered Marner money and goods to create herbal treatments for them and cure their problems just as he had cured Sally's "money on this occasion was no temptation for him".
Silas continued to instinctively weave "towards the end of his web" he kept all of the money that he earned from weaving. Every added coin "bred a new desire" he needed the gold, just as he needed to breathe. He thought the money was "conscious of him" he became an acquaintance with his money as he knew that it would never betray him, the gold and silver coins were no longer inanimate, hard objects to him, they were alive and he very much enjoyed "their companionship".
Another time when Silas established that the sap of affection within him had not utterly dried out was when his much treasured earthenware pot broke into three pieces. Rather than throwing the now useless pieces of the pot away, Silas kept them and instead placed them in view. He believed that like the money, the earthenware pot was a companion of his. This happening proved to the reader that not all of the affection within Silas had been killed off (due to the betrayal by humanity and God). It also showed that Silas still had love within him, but instead of giving his love to humans, he gave it to his inanimate material belongings.
When Silas' precious gold was stolen from him he knew no reason to continue living. For the gold had been Silas' only companion, the sole purpose for him going through the day was that he would have an opportunity to feel and look at his gold in the evening. Now that the gold had been taken from him, he knew not of what he could do to make it return. This was the first occasion that he was somewhat forced to interact with the community (for the curing of Sally Oates had been done out of choice not force). Silas' first instinct was to sit at his loom and weave; this was his "strongest assurance of reality". When Silas did not know what else to do to find his gold, his decision to tell the people of Raveloe let them know that Silas was not the callous man they had pictured him to be. The community was reassured when they realised that "folks as had the devil to back 'em were not likely to be so mushed" The fact that he was completely distraught at the thought of his gold never returning to him caused people to sympathise with him and believe he was neither inhumane nor possessed by the devil. Unconsciously there was a growth occurring within Marner; due to the loss of his gold he had made contact with people to whom he had never before spoken and had given them reason to believe he was not the unfeeling man they had thought him to be.
On one New Year's Eve, whilst Silas was following the instructions of several people in Raveloe (who had told him to stay awake and welcome in the new year, as it may help him acquire good fortune, and may help him in getting his gold back), he fell into another one of his cataleptic fits. During this outward stupor a child entered his home. As Silas returned to consciousness, and set eyes upon the young girls golden ringlets, his first thought was that his gold had been returned to him. Thus showing that he still had an affectionate longing for the money. But when he touched the golden sight, he realised it was not his money, but the soft hair of an infant girl. When however Silas realised it was a young girl his first assumption was that it was his younger sister whom he had lovingly carried for a "year before she died". This was the first time in which the child had caused Silas to remember his past happily, the first of many. The young girl (whom Silas gradually named Eppie) was the reason for the utmost development and change within him. From the moment she arrived Eppie brought out the affection and love that Silas had been trying to conceal and hold back.
Silas showed a great fondness towards Eppie from the moment he realised she was not his gold. He feed her his porridge, with some brown sugar "which he had refrained from using for himself" this showed that Silas was almost automatically no longer the selfish gluttonous man that betrayal and his money had caused him to become. Once again Silas headed to the red house (when he realised the child's mother was dead) when questioned there about giving up the child, Silas simply declared, "it's a lone thing-and I'm a lone thing" hence letting everyone know that he intended to bring up the girl as his own. At first Silas adopting Eppie caused a great surprise to the people of Raveloe, especially women, who thought of how difficult it would be for a man to bring up a young girl alone, but gradually the opinion of women changed to one of admiration.
In order for Eppie to live a happy and normal life, Silas was required to join and interact with the community; his view on this was that he wanted to do "everything as can be done for the child".
The arrival of Eppie brought Silas in to the community: he needed help and advice in bringing her up and people like Dolly gave him the help that he required. It also brought love and trust back in to Silas's life, making him realize what was really important (and what was not). Religion too came back into his life but this time unlike the very harsh, regimental and unforgiving religion of Lantern Yard the religion in Raveloe was warm, bright and full of love.
When Silas Marner found Eppie, he was straightaway touched by her, but at that time, may have considered letting her go to someone else who could look after her in a better way than himself. However as time gradually passed, Silas grew to love Eppie, and therefore could not bear to let anyone else take her from him. He loved her, admired her, respected her and trusted in her. These feelings became mutual between the two as time progressed. Nevertheless when it became known that Eppie was the daughter of squire Godfrey Cass, and Silas thought that he could never give Eppie a much wealthier home than the squires, he thought enough of Eppie to be prepared to let her go and live there. Therefore this proved that Silas was so fond of Eppie and he loved her so strongly that he was prepared to give her up for her happiness and well-being. Thus proving Silas was no longer the selfish greedy man he once had been, he was ready to give up what was most dear to him without thinking of how it may affect his life. Eppie's natural love for Silas who had brought her up was not changed by the knowledge that Godfrey was her biological father. Her feelings towards Silas simply strengthened and she had even more respect for his willingness to let her go to Godfrey, if she had wished to.
The growing love between Silas and Eppie caused Silas to change from a lonely miser who mistrusted everyone to a gentle and loving father. Eppie's love gradually increased when she realised how much she owed to Silas.
Because of Eppie, Silas eventually became less myopic, both in vision and in opinion, as Eppie's "mind was growing into knowledge, his mind was growing into memory". Finally Silas's mind was regaining the conscious state that it once had been in, his life, along with Eppie's "was unfolding too". Silas had more to think about during the day. He no longer needed to weave for sixteen hours, for Eppie required a huge amount of attention, and she did not like it when "dad-dad" worked for too long. Whilst on their regular walks in neighbouring fields Silas "began looking for the once familiar herbs again". This showed another connection between Silas' past and present life.
When Silas's money was returned to him, he did not feel the attachment or longing for it like he previously had felt. In a way it seemed as if God had taken Silas' money away from him for being such an embittered man (a punishment perhaps), and when Silas became non-miserly and cared for other human beings his money was returned to him (as a reward of some sort)
Towards the end of the novel Silas confided in Dolly Winthrop about his past life at Lantern Yard hence showing he trusted in her and thought of her as a friend in whom he could open his heart to. Dolly was the only person other than Eppie to whom Silas revealed his innermost feelings. This showed the reader that Silas had at last given up trying to become an acquaintance with material objects and had finally regained his trust in mankind. Thus portraying that Silas had once again returned to his trusting self, but at the same time was no longer the naive or susceptible man he previously had been. Which ultimately proved that the three major turning points in his life (being, betrayal by God and man, the loss of his gold and the arrival of Eppie) had resulted in Marner becoming experienced with the good and bad things about life. These experiences in his life ultimately made Silas Marner a stronger person, both physically and mentally. This also resulted in a growth appearing within Marner psychologically. Silas' confiding in Dolly showed that he was at long last ready to talk about his past life. Which established that he had finally come to terms with the betrayal that led to the tragic life he had previously led (prior to Eppie's arrival) simply because to get beyond a catastrophe such as that of Silas Marner you must confront it, which was exactly what Marner attempted to do. At long last Silas changed his outlook on life and finally decided "there's good in this world".
As of the time that Eppie was mature enough to comprehend, Silas had enlightened her with all knowledge that he had about her past. Because of this, a genuine mutual respect developed between father and daughter. A strong trust urbanized between the two, and it was as a result of this reciprocal trust that Marner once again trusted those around him.
Eppie's love taught Marner how to love the world and humanity again. As Marner taught Eppie the ways of the world, Eppie unintentionally taught Marner how to be whole again.
As Eppie grew older, Silas eventually became utterly selfless. He stopped admiring material, inanimate objects and instead focused his life around his beloved daughter. His love towards Eppie was stronger than his infatuation with gold. Eppie was the reason for the ultimate growth, both mentally and physically within Silas. Because of Eppie, Silas became stable minded, his once bad eyesight improved magnificently, and his malice, miserly ways changed completely to form a new and improved man.
The redemptive power of love, shown to Marner through Eppie saved him from being an embittered man until his dying day.
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