In part two of Silas Marner Essay

The readers are also told that that Godfrey is in fact, secretly married to Molly Farren, with whom he was a child. Dunstan is the only other person who is aware of this situation and blackmails Godfrey, threatening to inform the Squire, ‘how his handsome son is married to that nice, young women, Molly Farren, and was very unhappy that he couldn’t live with his drunken wife. ‘ (Chapter 3 pg 22) Godfrey fears the Squire finding out because he worries about losing his position of the upcoming squire, and also Nancy Lammeter, since he ‘must irrevocably lose her as well as his inheritance. ‘ (Chapter 3 pg 24) So although we are told that Godfrey is, ‘open-faced’ and ‘good natured’, he also could be considered as a very self – centered and self – serving character. He doesn’t face up to the consequences of his actions, and has secrets which he is not prepared to reveal incase they affect his current life style. Inside, he is very conniving and two faced. When Silas turns up at the Red House on New Years Eve, seeking a doctor, holding a little girl and revealing how a woman is injured in the snow outside, Godfrey knows straight away who it is and is shocked and afraid. He is worried that Molly will reveal his secret to the villagers. ‘There was a terror in his mind at that moment†¦ the women might not be dead. ‘ (Chapter 13 pg 99) He is more concerned with finding her dead than the possibility of saving her, because it will leave him free to marry Nancy, and his inheritance will be safe. Yet again to the villagers, Godfrey appears to have the best interest of the women in mind, by making sure she is not injured and to be assistance. However his inner thoughts betray his shallowness and his ultimate self – interest. ‘Deeper down†¦ there was a sense that he ought to except the miserable wife and fulfill the claims of the helpless child. But he had no moral courage enough to contemplate the active renunciation of Nancy as possible as him†¦ ‘ (Chapter 13 pg 101) Equally, his treatment of Eppie is also self – serving. Godfrey has the opportunity to claim her, but chooses not to. Silas says, ‘fill anybody shoes, they’ve got a right to take her from me,’ (Chapter 13 pg 102). His other opportunities include: Marrying Nancy (which he does); Starting a fresh, (which he does); having Eppie in the open, but still wedding Nancy, (Which he does not do) Godfrey is anxious but ultimately his attitude is that his life will be better in the future with Nancy if he leaves his secret behind, ‘if she is [dead]†¦ I shall be a good fellow in the future. ‘ (pg 101) Whereas Silas embraces Eppie, ‘It’s a lone thing†¦ and I’m a lone thing. ‘ (pg 102) This turns out to be a fundamental change in the lives of the two men. After 16 years, Silas’ life has changed enormously since taking on Eppie. He isn’t as shallow, and always worrying about money because he has a loving daughter who loves him. His work has slowed down, and he now socializes with the villagers, and has fashionably taken up smoking a pipe! More importantly, his faith has been restored, and is very content because he believes he has everything. Silas did not highly enjoy smoking†¦ but a humble sort of acquaintance in what was held to be good had become a strong habit of that new self which has been developed in him since he had found Eppie. ‘ (Chapter 16, pg 124) In comparison to Silas, Godfrey’s life hasn’t turned out so positively. He feels discontent that he hasn’t achieved anything in his life, because the use of ‘squire’ has stopped and he feels that he is less than his father. Unfortunately Nancy and he remain childless, and he has no heir. ‘I wanted to pass for childless once, Nancy – I shall pass for childless now against my wish’ (Chapter 20 pg 151) Godfrey finally admits to parentage because he wants to adopt Eppie, to be able to make her an heir, and continue the family name within the Red House. He wants his child to become a ‘lady’ and have a better life. Once more, even though this change may benefit Eppie, ultimately Godfrey’s reasons are self serving. Eppie’s response to Godfrey’s offer isn’t as he expected. She declines his offer, as she wants to remain with her ‘father’ that brought her up from a small child. She ‘doesn’t want to be a lady. ‘ Eppie wants to live in a way she is accustomed to, with different friends on the same social group as her own. Marrying Aaron would be forbidden if she was a lady, as he isn’t upper class. On the other hand, Eppie isn’t familiar with Godfrey, and doesn’t see him as a ‘father’. Eppie would be lost without Silas, as they do everything together they ‘drink from the same cup. ‘ Eppie fears of Silas going back to his old ways if she leaves him and wants to stay loyal to him, as he was the one who took her in as his own. ‘I cant feel as I’ve got any father but one†¦ I’ve always thought of a little home where he’d sit in the corner, and should fend and do everything for him: I cant think of no other home. ‘ (Chapter 19, pg 150) With the arrival of Eppie, both men’s lives have been changed in very different ways. Silas is content with his life, his faith has been restored and his social life is better than ever. Whereas, Godfrey is disappointed with the arrival of Eppie, as he had all he ever wanted until she arrived, and his secret had been kept safe until then. Silas’ life in Lantern Yard consisted of faith, love, trust and relationships. After being framed and removed from the church, he decides to move to Raveloe, where he isolated himself from the community. Then his gold was stolen from his home, by Godfrey’s younger brother Dunstan. While Silas is out, Eppie then appears on his doorstep on New Years Eve, after her mother left her while she was injured. Silas takes her in and cares for her as if she’s his own blood, believing she is a ‘gift from god’ to replace his gold. From the up bringing of Eppie, he manages to bring himself out of isolation and regain his faith, relationships, respect and love. Eppie was beneficial to Silas in more ways than one. In Godfrey’s life, though, his secrets are hidden from the beginning until Eppie arrives. When he realized it was Molly outside Silas’ house, he was more concerned with finding her dead than alive, to prevent his secrets from being published. The main opportunity was to claim Eppie, but at first, he thought that his life in the future would be better with Nancy if Eppie was remained unclaimed. Unfortunately Nancy is unable to have children and produce an heir for him. This is when Godfrey realizes, as her biological father, that she could be that upcoming heir he desperately needs, to prevent his name leaving the Red House as a ‘Squire’. Godfrey puts forward an opportunity to Eppie, for her to move in with himself and Nancy, as, ‘he would provide her with a better future. ‘ Eppie’s response isn’t as he expected – she says no! The reason is that Eppie doesn’t want to lead the life of a lady, and have to change the social group of which she is part. Eppie wants to remain with Silas and look after him until the end, just like he has cared for her. This choice of Eppie’s, has rewarded those who nurtured her – in this case, Silas. Overall, George Eliot wrote this book as a very moralistic novel. Silas deserved to be loved by Eppie as he provided her with a loving home, family and religion; all out of the goodness of his heart. So when Eppie decides she wants to stay with him, it rewards him and returns his gratitude. On the other hand, all of Godfrey’s choices were self – serving. In the beginning he had an opportunity to claim Eppie from Silas, but failed to, supposing that his life will be improved with Nancy, without the difficulties of Eppie. Later on in the novel, he recognizes he made the wrong decision, as Nancy is unable to produce any heirs to take his place. Once more his actions are convenient for him because, he now realizes that Eppie could take that that position. In spite of this when Eppie declines his offer, he deserves it, as in the past he has been a selfish coward. Therefore it proves that life can change, because of the path you choose to lead!!   Kate Martyn English Coursework! 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.