CSP
Character of Silas Marner in Silas Marner
Silas Marner is the main person in the novel Silas Marner written by George Eliot. He lives a quiet and lonely life. He is kind and honest but has many troubles in his life. He works as a weaver and lives in a small village called Raveloe.
In the beginning, Silas lives in another town named Lantern Yard. He is happy there and has a strong belief in God. He also has a close friend named William Dane. Silas trusts him. But one day, someone steals money from the church. People think Silas did it. They find some proof near his bed, but Silas is not the thief. William Dane lies to the people. He wants Silas to look guilty. The people do not listen to Silas. He is very hurt. He says, “There is no just God that governs the earth righteously, but a God of lies.”
After this, Silas leaves Lantern Yard. He feels lost. He moves to Raveloe. He does not trust people anymore. He starts working as a weaver. He stays alone in a small house near the village. People think he is strange. They are afraid of him. He does not talk much. He does not go to church. He only cares about his work.
Silas begins to collect gold. He earns money through his work. He does not spend it. He keeps all his gold coins in a box. At night, he looks at them and touches them. The gold becomes like a friend to him. It makes him feel safe. He does not have any family or close people. The gold gives him comfort. He does not know that he is becoming too attached to it.
Then, something bad happens again. One night, Dunstan Cass comes to his house. Silas is not there. Dunstan finds the box and steals all the gold. When Silas comes home, the money is gone. He is in shock. He cries and says, “I’m robbed! I’m robbed!” The gold was the only thing that gave him peace. Now it is gone.
After this, something new happens. A small girl comes to his house. Her name is Eppie. She is very young. Her mother, Molly, dies in the snow outside his house. Silas finds the child near his fire. She has golden hair. When he sees her, he feels something different in his heart. He thinks the child came from heaven. He decides to take care of her.
The child changes his life. Silas becomes warm and kind again. He begins to speak to people in the village. He goes out with Eppie. People in Raveloe start to like him. They help him raise the child. He also starts going to church again. Eppie gives him a reason to live. He forgets his gold. His love for the child is stronger than his love for money.
He says, “I’ve come to think there’s no harm in this world but what’s inside ourselves.” These words show that he learns to live with love and trust again. Eppie grows up and loves Silas as her father. She does not want to leave him. Even when her real father, Godfrey Cass, wants to take her, she chooses to stay with Silas. She says, “I can’t think o’ no happiness without him.”
Silas feels happy now. He has love in his life. He is not alone anymore. He has a family. He learns that love is better than money. He also learns to forgive. He thinks about his past in Lantern Yard. He does not feel angry now. He tells Eppie everything. He says it is good that she came into his life.
Silas also becomes strong in spirit. He does not blame others anymore. He learns to be kind and patient. He teaches Eppie good values. He gives her a happy home. His life is simple but full of love. He forgets the pain of the past. He finds peace in his old age.
In the end, Silas Marner is a changed man. He starts as a lonely and hurt person. But later, he becomes happy and kind. Eppie gives him new life. She is like a light in the dark. Silas learns that love and care are more important than money. His journey is sad in the beginning, but it ends with joy and peace.
Silas Marner’s story teaches us that people can change. Even if life is hard, love can bring hope. Silas loses trust in people, but he finds it again. He loses gold, but he finds a child who becomes more precious than anything. His heart, once full of pain, becomes full of love. This makes his life meaningful again.