George Eliot
Silas Marner by George Eliot is a charming novel of a simpler time in a rural English village.
Marner, a skillful weaver, is wrongly accused of theft and feels compelled to leave his village. He moves to a neighboring village where he develops a reputation as a miser. Bereft of companionship and embittered by his lot in life, his only pleasure consists of stacking up his gold coins and watching them grow. But when he gets robbed of his coins and sinks to his lowest point, a young child enters his life. Marner adopts the little girl, showering her with love and affection.
The two form an inseparable bond based on mutual love and appreciation. The girl, Effie, recognizes the role Marner played in saving her from an orphanage and workhouse; Marner recognizes the role she played in saving him from living the rest of his days as a miserly recluse. He emerges as a sympathetic character who has been redeemed by giving and receiving love. There are twists and turns in the novel, most notably those involving the girl’s real father and his connection with the thief who robbed Marner.
Eliot skillfully captures the nature of rural life in England. Her use of vernacular to portray character is very effective. The characters come alive with their quibbling and bantering back and forth. The rural population with its simplicity, honesty, and genuine goodness is contrasted with the upper classes, some of whom are not above lying, deception, and thievery. Even though her characters are flawed, Eliot paints them with a tender brush.
Eliot clearly delineates class divisions, but she does it with compassion, humor, and irony. Her intrusions into the narrative where she comments on characters or events are done with an astute lens into the foibles of human nature. Her exploration of what motivates humans to behave the way they do is rich with insight. The novel illustrates the importance of belonging to a community from which one can garner support, friendship, and guidance. It also illustrates the truism that happiness does not come from wealth but from the bonds we form with one another.
A simple novel, told with honesty, grace, and eloquence. Recommended.