Trace and explain the changes that take place in Silas Marner's life and character from his being a "young man of exemplary life and ardent faith in Lantern Yard" to him being a respected and accepted member of Raveloe's village community. What influences

   In Lantern, his life revolved around the church and now that had been taken away from him he had no social life. He found it hard to make friends and resorted to not making any. In Raveloe he stayed in his house all day and became a recluse, only leaving his small cottage to gather food or firewood. In Raveloe no one knew Marner’s past, therefore no one understood him. Marner felt secluded and isolated from the folks of Raveloe and couldn’t communicate with them. Marner didn’t like the scenery in Raveloe. Whereas in Lantern widespread hillsides were in view, Raveloe was a low, wooded region. He felt “hidden from the heavens by the screening trees and hedgerows”. This probably made marner feel even more isolated, since he couldn’t see very far out. Marner hated Raveloe.

   I think Silas Marner felt extremely betrayed by his friend in Lantern, William Dane. Being kicked out of the church and having people turn against him and not believe him infuriated him and God giving him no help just added to it.

      Before Silas Marner knew of and cared for Eppie, he had no one. His need for human love had been obliterated and the only thing he could trust to not break his heart was his gold. When Eppie came onto the scene in Raveloe, he had someone to love. Being a baby, Eppie couldn’t emotionally hurt him the way people had done before. Silas didn’t have to worry about being betrayed by a baby! I think Marner did want someone to love but couldn’t trust adults. Marner felt the need to care for Eppie as she had no one, and with care brought love. Once Marner loved Eppie as his own, he had that love for humans back. He had a person he could talk to, help and sympathise with. Communication was gained again and once Marner had communicated with one person he could communicate with others. And since Dolly had come to help Marner look after Eppie as a baby, he had another person to talk to. Once Marner had love for another in his system he could begin to trust others and this is what brought him out of being a miser and a recluse. Eppie made a big change to Silas.

   I think Godfrey and Nancy have an interesting effect on Marner. While on one hand they make it seem that life is unfair as they nearly take Eppie away from him and try and tear his heart apart, they also prove to him that in the end if you are honest to yourself and people around you you will benefit and those around you who lied cannot take things away from you. They showed him that it doesn’t matter what social status or position you have, things can still work out better for you than them. Although people may try to be devious and get what they want if you do not play up to it and be honest you will advantage. Mrs Winthrop showed Silas that people do care about him and do genuinely want to help him. She proved that people do care and want to help you. she gained his trust, something that no one had done since Lantern Yard. In Lantern people just displayed that if you opened your feelings and trusted them they just take everything away from you.

   In Victorian times, life revolved around labour and work. You earnt money through your skills. This affected Silas as his main skill was weaving and that was his life from Lantern Yard, something when in Raveloe he didn’t want to be reminded of.

   Eppie didn’t follow Victorian values of staying with her biological parents and trying to get the best life for herself. Eppie did what we’d do nowadays, which is following your heart. Perhaps books have made an impact on people and changed our views and the way society works. Through this novel we need to question whether Eppie’s ‘real’ parents are the ones that brought her up or her biological ones.

   In Victorian times the Squire was the center of the village, nowadays we have many leaders and not just one person rules. But the book is still relevant as people don’t change, people still have the same personalities as the Victorian age, therefore if you understand the book you can relate to it. It was hard for Marner to say that Eppie was rightfully his as those times Eppie would’ve been seen as Godfrey’s child.

   I think the morality George Eliot is trying to impose is that every person needs to care and love someone to be able to grow as a person. I think she thinks of a good life as living in a pretty village with people you know and care for around you and knowing that they won’t go behind you’re back.