CBSE Class 12 English Silas Marner Notes

About The Author

Marry Anne Evans was born in 1919 at Warwickshire, England. She was known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She is the author of seven novels, including Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Middlemarch (1871-72), and Daniel Deronda (1876), most of them set in provincial England and known for their realism and psychological insight. She used a male pen name, she said, to ensure her works would be taken seriously. Female authors were published under their own names during Eliot’s life, but she wanted to escape the stereotype of women only writing lighthearted romances. An additional factor in her use of a pen name may have been a desire to shield her private life from public scrutiny and to prevent scandals attending her relationship with the married George Henry Lewes, with whom she lived for over 20 years. The young Evans was obviously intelligent and a voracious reader. Because she was not considered physically beautiful, and thus not thought to have much chance of marriage, and because of her intelligence, her father invested in an education not often afforded by women. From age five to nine, she boarded with her sister Chrissey at Miss Latham’s School in Attleborough, from age nine to thirteen at Mrs. Wallington’s School in Nuneaton, and from age thirteen to sixteen at Miss Franklin’s School in Coventry.

Summary

The novel tells the tale of Silas Marner, a linen weaver, who, despite many misfortunes, eventually finds his way back into faith, virtue and love.

LANTERN YARD

Set in the early years of the nineteenth century, the novel introduces Silas Marner to the reader as a linen weaver residing in a stone cottage near the village of Raveloe. The simple rustic society of the village fears Silas, thinking he is connected with the devil. Silas too is aloof and does not care to socialise with the village people. He does not come and go anywhere, not even to the church. He stays indoors and weaves all day, feeling content by the gold he earns from it. To the people living in Raveloe, Silas Marner appears to be a suspicious character. He is described as one with on odd physical appearance : crooked body, strange and frightening eyes, pale face and much older looking. Since he has good knowledge of medicinal herbs and has occasional cataleptic fits, many of his neighbours think that Silas has other worldly powers. Silas has not always been a resident of Raveloe. He has been here for last fifteen years.

Before coming to Raveloe he lived in Lantern Yard, a slum street in an unnamed city in Northern England. There, Silas Marner had been a member of a small Calvanist congregation. He was a Godfearing, virtuous man with a good reputation. He was betrothed to a young woman named Sarah. However, one day, he was falsely accused of murdering the very ill deacon, whom he was watching over and stealing the congregation’s funds. The congregation was presented with two clues : a pocket knife and the very pouch, which formerly contained the money. Silas immediately realised that William Dane, another member of the congregation and his best friend, had framed him. The knife did belong to Silas, but he had lent it to Dane shortly before the crime was committed. Despite being innocent, Silas Marner was proclaimed guilty of the crime. In one night, Marner lost his reputation, friendship and his faith in God. Weeks later, word arrived that Sarah had broken the engagement and was set to marry William Dane. Marner left Lantern Yard after that and moved to Raveloe.

RAVELOE

Mr. Squire Cass, the town’s leading landowner has two sons, the good natured, but weak willed, elder son, Godfrey Cass and the dissolute, black sheep of the family, younger son, Dunstan (Dunsey) Cass. Dunsey, being always attracted to wealth and, a man with no conscience, steals Silas Marner’s gold, which he earned as a linen weaver in Raveloe. Since it is common for Dunsey Cass to disappear without a word, nobody suspects him or links the theft to him when Dunsey absconds with Silas’ gold. A deep gloom sets over Silas, even though the villagers try to help him.

Godfrey Cass also hides a secret; he is secretly married to Molly Farren, a woman of low birth and an opium addict. Though Godfrey and Molly are estranged, his secret marriage prevents him from marrying the love of his life, Nancy Lammeter. Nancy is a women of high social and moral standing.

On a cold winter’s night, Molly grabs her two-year old daughter and makes her way to Squire Cass’ New Year’s Eve party. She plans to out her secret marriage with Godfrey Cass and ruin him. However, on the way, Molly takes opium and lies down to rest. Finding herself free from her mother’s clutches, the child wanders away. She follows a bright light coming from Silas’ cottage, crawls in through the door and straight in front of the fire place. Silas follows her track in the snow and traces them back to Molly. She is still lying in the snow, dead. Silas goes to party for help. There, Godfrey recognises his daughter in Silas arms, but decides to stay quiet. He secretly hopes that the dead woman Silas discovered is Molly. In order to get confirmation of Molly’s death, Godfrey rushes out in panic and arrives at the scene. He is relieved to get confirmation from Dr. Kimble that Molly has been dead for hours. Her death ends the secret marriage between Godfrey and Molly, leaving Godfrey free to marry Nancy Lammeter. Therefore, he resolves not to disclose his secret to anyone.

Silas decides to keep the child and raise her as his own daughter. He names the child Eppie (short for Hephzibah). He feels that his ‘stolen gold’ is returned to him in the form Eppie with her golden hair. Godfrey Cass provides financial aids to Silas to help him care for Eppie. However, it is Mrs. Dolly Winthrop, Silas’ neighbour, who helps Marner in bringing up Eppie by providing him with support and advice whenever he needs it. Mrs. Winthrop also assists Marner to gradually find a place in the village society.

SIXTEEN YEARS LATER

Eppie is now a young woman and has grown up to be the pride of the village. Her bond with Silas has strengthened even more with time. Godfrey and Nancy, on the other hand are childless. Dunstan Cass’ skeleton is finally discovered at the bottom of the stone quarry near Silas’ home. Dunsey must have possessed Silas gold when he fell into the quarry because the skeleton is found clutching the same pouch, with the gold intact. Silas’ gold is duly returned to him. This revelation shocks Godfrey Cass and stirs his own conscience; he confesses to Nancy about being married to Molly and Eppie’s biological father. Godfrey fears that Nancy might refuse to accept Eppie because of the formers principles. Nancy, on the contrary, acts with love and sympathy and agrees to bring Eppie home. On finding out about her past and that Silas is not her real father, Eppie does not yearn for her biological father. Instead, she decides never to leave Silas, even after Godfrey reveals himself to be her real father. He and Nancy offer to raise Eppie as a gentleman’s daughter.

Eppie, however, refuses to forsake Silas. Silas and Eppie revisit Lantern Yard. Silas wants to know the answers to his questions about the theft which have been haunting him all these years. In other words, Silas wants to find closure. When they arrive at his old neighbourhood, he is shocked to find that it has “swept away”. In its place, stands a large factory. The ambience of present Lantern Yard is grim, full of unhealthy people. No one knows what happened to the old inhabitants. On returning to Raveloe Silas feels like he has come back to his home. He decides to make peace with the fact that he may never come to know the answer to his questions. He agrees with Dolly when she says it does not matter because he was right all along. Silas Marner chooses his happier existence in Raveloe with Eppie by his side.

CONCLUSION

The story ends with Eppie marrying Dolly Winthrop’s son Aaron, they both move into Silas’ cottage, recently renovated to accommodate Aaron. Silas Marner and his extended family is seen celebrating the joyous occasion.