Silas Marner
By
George Eliot
Revision Notes
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1 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.
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2 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.
Table of Contents
Context ................................................................................................................................... 6
Life of George Eliot (1819-1880) ........................................................................................................ 6
George Eliot’s Writings ...................................................................................................................... 6
The Industrial Revolution ................................................................................................................... 6
The Victorian novel ............................................................................................................................ 7
Summary ................................................................................................................................ 8
Chapters ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Chapter 1......................................................................................................................................... 8
Chapters 2-10 .................................................................................................................................. 9
Chapter 11....................................................................................................................................... 9
Chapters 12-13 .............................................................................................................................. 12
Chapters 14-15 .............................................................................................................................. 12
Chapters 16-21 .............................................................................................................................. 12
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Characters............................................................................................................................. 13
Silas Marner ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Eppie ................................................................................................................................................ 14
Godfrey Cass .................................................................................................................................... 14
Nancy Lammeter .............................................................................................................................. 15
Language .............................................................................................................................. 15
Important quotations explained ...................................................................................................... 15
Themes, Motifs, and Symbols ................................................................................................ 18
Themes............................................................................................................................................. 19
A fairy tale ..................................................................................................................................... 19
Magic ............................................................................................................................................. 19
Coincidence ................................................................................................................................... 19
Mystery ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Money ........................................................................................................................................... 19
The community ............................................................................................................................. 20
The significance of a child ............................................................................................................. 20
The children .................................................................................................................................. 21
Religion and duty .......................................................................................................................... 21
The omniscient narrator ............................................................................................................... 22
Motifs ............................................................................................................................................... 22
3 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.
The Natural World ........................................................................................................................ 22
Domesticity ................................................................................................................................... 22
Class .............................................................................................................................................. 23
Symbols ................................................................................................................................ 23
Silas’s Loom ................................................................................................................................... 23
Lantern Yard .................................................................................................................................. 23
The Hearth .................................................................................................................................... 24
Sample Answer ..................................................................................................................... 24
Explore how Eliot contrasts the progress of Godfrey and Silas in the novel. Remember to support
your ideas with close reference to the novel. ................................................................................. 24
4 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.
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Context
Life of George Eliot (1819-1880)
George Eliot was the pen-name of Mary Ann Evans. Her mother died in 1836 and from then
until his death in 1849, she was her father’s housekeeper. After that, she moved to London.
Although she was influenced by the Evangelical preacher, Rev. John Edmund Jones, when
younger, she moved in intellectual circles in London that sought to question conventional
beliefs.
However, it was not just in this or in taking a male pen-name that she was unconventional.
In 1854 she started to live with G H. Lewes. They remained unmarried because he had an
estranged wife. After his death, she married John W. Cross, who was an old friend, in 1880.
George Eliot’s Writings
George Eliot is best known for her novels but published a variety of work, including articles,
poetry and satirical writing.
Her major novels:
 Adam Bede 1859
 The Mill on the Floss 1860
 Silas Marner 1861
 Romola 1863
 Felix Holt: The Radical 1867
 Middlemarch 1872
 Daniel Deronda 1876
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution took place between the 1790s and 1860s. A time that saw
traditional agriculture and manufacturing methods completely changed as a result of more
modern technologies. Obviously such huge changes had a massive impact on the social and
economic conditions of the time and hence Society changed as a whole. It was possible for
people to become very rich but it was also possible for them to lose their livelihood.
When Silas Marner arrives in Raveloe, he and his skills are viewed with suspicion: "... even a
settler, if he came from distant parts, hardly ever ceased to be viewed with a remnant of
distrust, which would have prevented any surprise if a long course of inoffensive conduct on
his part had ended in the commission of a crime; especially if he had any reputation for
knowledge, or showed any skill in handicraft. All cleverness, whether in the rapid use of that
difficult instrument the tongue, or in some other art unfamiliar to villagers, was in itself
suspicious." (Chapter 1).
Raveloe is contrasted with Lantern Yard. When Lantern Yard is gone, it is replaced by a
factory.
6 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.
It is tempting to say that George Eliot is celebrating the permanence of the rural community
but this comparison is not the real core of the novel.
The Victorian novel
Queen Victoria reigned for over 60 years and there were many important novels written
during this time. These novels often included:
 the difficulties faced by the poorer people of the time
 the challenges that the Industrial Revolution brought
 the portrayal of town and country life
 a moral lesson, celebrating things like hard work, resolution and love, as well as good
fortune - the moral statement in Silas Marner is quite a complex one
 a strong narrative voice - there are often comments that give historical perspective
 satire, irony and humour
 ghost stories and Gothic tales were very popular so the fairy tale feel of some
aspects of Silas Marner and the mystery and suspense attached to some aspects of
the plot would not have been strange to Eliot’s audience
7 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.
Summary
Chapters
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Chapter 1 - Introduction and Lantern Yard events, which were fifteen years earlier
Chapter 2 - Silas’s early life in Raveloe
Chapter 3 - Introduction to the Cass family; Godfrey gives Dunstan the horse to sell
Chapter 4 - Dunstan steals Marner’s money (after the horse is killed)
Chapter 5 - Discovery of the theft
Chapter 6 - The Rainbow – conversation
Chapter 7 - Investigation of the theft
Chapter 8 - Godfrey worries about losing Nancy and decides to tell his father about
the rent money
Chapter 9 - Godfrey tells his father about the rent money
Chapter 10 - The villagers support Silas; Christmas party at the Squire’s house
without Dunstan, who has disappeared
Chapter 11 - New Year’s Eve Party – introduction to Nancy
Chapter 12 - Molly, Godfrey’s wife dies; Silas finds Eppie asleep by his fire
Chapter 13 - New Year’s Eve Party – Silas interrupts the party with news of Molly. He
adopts Eppie
Chapter 14 - Silas learns to look after Eppie – and to live again
Chapter 15 - Godfrey looks forward to marrying Nancy. He will only help Eppie from
a distance
Chapter 16 - Sixteen years later – Nancy and Godfrey are childless; Eppie plans to
marry Aaron Winthrop and to continue living with Silas
Chapter 17 - A fuller picture of Nancy and Godfrey
Chapter 18 - Dunstan’s body and Silas’s money are found. Godfrey tells Nancy that
Eppie is his daughter
Chapter 19 - Nancy and Godfrey offer to adopt Eppie but she wants to stay with Silas
and Aaron
Chapter 20 - Acceptance by Nancy and Godfrey
Chapter 21 - Contented acceptance by Marner that Raveloe is his life and home,
after he and Eppie visit the much changed area that was Lantern Yard
Conclusion - Eppie and Aaron’s wedding
Chapter 1
Silas Marner, a weaver, comes to Raveloe after he is accused of theft by the "narrow
religious sect" in Lantern Yard, where he has been living. It is clear that it is in fact his friend,
William Dane, who is guilty, and William has also stolen Sarah, Marner’s fiancée, from him.
The rest of the chapter is devoted to establishing our sense of the rural community into
which Marner has moved and of his strangeness to its inhabitants. There are various
reasons for that strangeness:
 he suffers from occasional fits and Jem Rodney saw him in the throes of one
 he lives in an isolated cottage
 he is a weaver and such technical skill is viewed with suspicion by the country people
 he has "large brown protuberant eyes"
 naturally enough, after his experiences in Lantern Yard, Marner does not readily
trust other people
8 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.
Chapters 2-10
Fifteen years later, Marner is still an outsider. This was made worse when he was able to
help Sally Oates with the knowledge of herbs he had gleaned from his mother. His refusal to
help anyone else only made people treat him as someone almost alien.
Dolly Winthrop has tried to draw him into the community but his refusal to go to church
seals his exclusion. However, when all the money that he has made by his weaving is stolen,
the community are sympathetic, and as Christmas approaches, many acts of kindness are
extended to him. That money had been really important to him. He spent as little as he
could on everyday life, and rewarded himself each evening by counting the money that was
hidden.
The thief is Dunstan Cass, the Squire’s younger son and immoral in all kinds of ways.
Godfrey loves Nancy, but, unknown to his father, he has married Molly and has a little girl.
Molly is an opium addict and Godfrey does not know how to tell his father about his
marriage which would cost him Nancy.
Dunstan finds out about the marriage and blackmails Godfrey. He gives some of his father’s
rent money that he has collected from a tenant, and, of course, Dunstan has no intention of
repaying it. He agrees that Dunstan should sell his horse. Despite receiving an offer for the
horse, Dunstan continues to ride it and kills it when jumping.
Dunstan is forced to walk back. As he approaches Marner’s cottage, he thinks about the
weaver’s well known savings. He plans to try to persuade Marner into handing over
a "loan", but ends up stealing it. He then disappears.
Godfrey is forced to tell his father about the money. He does not tell him about the
existence of a wife so he awaits the New Year party in a state of mixed emotions - longing to
see Nancy but knowing he cannot marry her and fearful that his secret will be revealed.
Chapter 11
This chapter gives us an understanding of Nancy Lammeter’s character and the difficulties in
her relationship with Godfrey.
Nancy is described as an attractive girl and she has a warm personality but she holds strong
moral views. She has said she will not marry Godfrey unless he changes his behaviour. She
likes being Squire Cass’s chosen bride for his eldest son but she is also ready to state
strongly that she values the work at home, for instance baking before the party. She does
not value social trivia very highly.
She is an interesting contrast with her blunt and plain sister, Priscilla. Priscilla is willing to
indulge Nancy’s wish to wear matching clothes in order to show they’re sisters, but not to
have them chosen to suit her since she knows that Nancy is the one who stands a chance of
making a good marriage.
When Nancy tears her dress, it creates the opportunity for a conversation between her and
Godfrey which at least makes the way open for them to possibly get back together: "I
9 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.
should be glad to see a good change in anybody, Mr Godfrey," she answered, with the
slightest discernible difference of tone, "but it 'ud be better if no change was wanted."
The chapter ends with the dancing that causes this discussion, but also captures strongly the
feel of a rural celebration, with the affluent guests and the observers.
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10 Silas Marner – GCSE Revision Notes – English Literature.