Silas_Marner

English Pre 1914 Prose Coursework Examine chapter 12 of Silas Marner. How significant are the events of this chapter in the novel as a whole' Silas Marner, the novel written by George Eliot, takes place in rural England during the early 19th century. The events that take place in Chapter 12 make for a big turning point in the novel. It opens with Molly Farren on her way to the Red House with her child. She is determined to reveal Godfrey’s secret to his family but unfortunately is overcome by her need for her ‘demon drug’, opium, and collapses in the snow, surprisingly not far from Silas’ cottage. This is an example of one of the coincidences for which George Elliot is known for, as well as how Eppie manages to enter Silas’ cottage. However coincidental they are, both of these events are needed for the progression of the story. Silas finds the child lying before his fire like a heap of gold and, after taking care of the mysterious child’s needs, retraces her footsteps to discover the now dead Molly. Chapter 12 starts with Molly Farren and her child, who will later be christened as Eppie, stumbling through the snow on a cold New Year’s Eve towards the party at the Red House so she can reveal herself to the Squire as Godfrey’s wife and gain her revenge. By this, Eliot creates a very tense and suspenseful atmosphere and also a sense of urgency as Molly is very weak and a drug addict and we know that there’s only a short amount of time before she feels the need to take more of her drug. We see the theme of poverty explored through Molly; she had not always lived in the slums, it was her addiction to the drug, opium, “to who she was enslaved, body and soul” which has forced her into poverty. This is proven when she talks of her dingy rags and faded face, “once as handsome as the best”. The collapse of Molly so close to Silas’ cottage is the cause of a great deal of criticism for how coincidental it is, although it is a necessary advancement on the story so that Eppie can make her way to Silas’ cottage in preparation for the next big turning point. Meanwhile, Silas failed to notice the child enter his cottage and had conveniently left his front door. This is because he had listened to the advice of the villagers of Raveloe – which shows that he is not a complete recluse and that he is slowly starting to regain his faith in man – who told him that if he stayed up to listen to the New Year rung in, it may bring his gold back again. So he made a habit of opening the door and looking out every now and then in the hope that his gold may be returned to him as mysteriously as it had disappeared. While doing this he was unexpectedly gripped by one of his cataleptic fits and so did not see Eppie enter the cottage and lay herself down on the hearth. With this in mind, when he sits down by the fire and first notices Eppie’s curls, his mind is already prepared to identify her with his gold and, coupled with his poor eyesight, is quick to believe that his gold has been returned to him, “Gold! His own gold – brought back to him as mysteriously as it had been taken.” When he reaches down, touches her ”soft, warm curls” and realizes that she is in fact a young girl, he immediately thinks that she is his dead sister “come back to him in a dream” which stirs up memories of his life before Raveloe and everything he tried to block out. Even though Silas thinks he is dreaming at first, he is quick to care for her needs before wondering where she came from; this shows an instant maternal instinct and, as he takes care of her, he begins to believe that she has been sent to him in place of his gold. Godfrey Cass is not an evil man, but a weak one. Time and time again we see him take the coward’s way out and although he would never willingly harm another person, unlike his brother, Dunstan, who will do anything to get what he wants, he will never sacrifice himself for someone else. It is because of this cowardice that he refuses to tell anyone of his secret marriage and admit he is Eppie’s father when Silas brought her to the Red House in chapter 12. By not acknowledging Eppie as his daughter, he not only neglected his duty as a father, and your duty was taken seriously in close-knit communities like Raveloe, but he also showed a lack of human decency and kindness and later, when he wishes to accept her as his daughter, the theme of retributive justice is apparent when he is rejected by Eppie herself which is why the novel is often described as a ‘moral fable’; he once wished he was childless, and now he must be against his wishes. Silas Marner and Godfrey Cass’ stories intertwine here in Chapter 12 with the arrival of Eppie when Silas makes the transition from being pitied to being respected and happy. Their stories remain loosely connected as Godfrey continues to pay towards Eppie’s requirements, as his way of fulfilling his duty. They intertwine again when Godfrey reveals that he is the father of Eppie and wishes her to live with them and she shows an amazing level of maturity as she declined. She understood that Silas took her in and cared for her, and that if she left Silas it would destroy him. She also understands the fact that Godfrey neglected her as his child but doesn’t hold a grudge and continues to visit them. A good use of dramatic irony occurs when Silas interrupts the ball with the young Eppie in his arms, “The wide open blue eyes looked up at Godfrey’s without any uneasiness or sign of recognition,” but then turned and began to pull at Silas’ cheek – a foreshadowing of the time when she will have to choose between them. It is also used later when Silas says to Eppie that if he lost her he might “come to think I was forsaken again” when we as the reader knew that Godfrey and Nancy were on their way to try to adopt Eppie. One of the main points that Eliot has tried to prove is that love of others is ultimately more rewarding that love of money and we see this theme expressed throughout the story. She has used Eppie to show the reforming influence of a child, and she is the cure to restoring his faith in man and in God. Through her Silas became a valued and respected member of the community.