Plot
- Silas Marner, a weaver, is falsely accused of theft by his friend William Dane in Lantern Yard and loses his faith. He moves to the village of Raveloe, lives alone and hoards gold.
- Dunstan Cass, the squire's son, steals the gold and disappears. His brother Godfrey is secretly married to Molly, who is addicted to opium.
- On New Year's Eve, Molly dies in the snow, and her toddler wanders into Silas's cottage. Silas brings her up as Eppie, with help from Dolly Winthrop, and finds new love and faith.
- Sixteen years later, Dunstan's skeleton and the gold are found in a drained pit. Godfrey admits Eppie is his daughter, but she chooses to stay with Silas, and marries Aaron Winthrop.
Themes and context
- Love versus greed, community, faith, redemption, family and class.
- Published in 1861 and set in the early 1800s, as the Industrial Revolution changed rural life. George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans.
Form
- A moral fable-like novel with an all-knowing narrator who comments on characters.
Key terms
- Redemption
- Being saved or restored, as Silas is through Eppie.
- Hoard
- To collect and keep, as Silas does with gold.
- Pen name
- A name an author writes under.
- Omniscient narrator
- A narrator who knows everything about all the characters.
Quick questions on Silas Marner
- Who falsely accuses Silas of theft?
- William Dane: Silas loses his faith.
- Where does Silas move to?
- Raveloe: He lives alone and hoards gold.
- Who steals Silas's gold?
- Dunstan Cass: He disappears that night.
- Who is Eppie's real father?
- Godfrey Cass: He was secretly married to Molly.
- How does Eppie arrive at Silas's cottage?
- As a toddler, after her mother dies in the snow: It happens on New Year's Eve.
- Who helps Silas bring up Eppie?
- Dolly Winthrop: She is kind and practical.
- What happens to Silas's gold?
- It is found with Dunstan's skeleton in a drained pit: By then Silas values Eppie more than gold.
- Who does Eppie choose to stay with?
- Silas: Love matters more than money or class.