Silas Marner by George Eliot - A short summary

A Short summary Chapters 1 to 6

Silas Marner a linen weaver  lived and worked near the village of Raveloe.  he had come to Raveloe from Lantern Yard.  Fifteen years before he was a pale young man with large, shorts sighted brown eyes.  he lived alone and never spoke to anyone.  Occasionally, he was taken ill with a kind of fit and be unconscious of anything going around him.  Once he lived in a town and had been an important member of a religious sect in Lantern Yard.  His close friend Williams thought himself wiser and better than his  fellows.  Silas had been engaged for some months to marry Sarah.  one day after Silas had had one of his fits at a prayer meeting, William said that this might be caused by the evil in his soul.  Then Silas was falsely accused of stealing the funds of his congregation while administering help to the sick deacon.  The money is discovered in Silas' house.  Silas' best friend framed him and he was pronounced guilty. Sarah his beloved broke her engagement and married William.  Heart broken Silas left and settled down in Raveloe.  his only comfort was his work of weaving.  He was rejected and neglected by the community.  He starved for human companionship and love.  His only happiness was counting his gold coins, his earnings of fifteen years.  His god and only family was his Gold.

Dunsey Cass who is Square Cass’s younger and thoughtless son, an alcoholic.  Godfrey his elder brother quite opposite to Dunsey Cass. Godfery once had loaned his father’s money. But Dunsey did not care to pay it back. Dunsey black mailed Godfrey, his secret marriage to an opium addicted Molly Farren. So, Godfrey compelled to sell his beloved horse Wildfire to recover the money and allowed Dunsey to sell the horse. He feared that if Dunsey revealed his secret, it would jeopardize his chance of marrying the kind, gentle, Loving Nancy Lammeter.   Dunsey sold the horse to Mr.Bryce. but Dunsey accidentally killed the horse as he jumped over a stake in the horse hunt. he managed to escape  and came near to Silas’s cottage. Dunsey sneaked and took all his gold and escaped. Silas found his gold had vanished; He ran to the town to report the crime he accused Jem Rodney. The villagers discussed the robbery, and occupied in gathering and discussing news about it.  they visited the stone-pits and found a tinder - box with a flint and steel half sunk in mud.  People began to think that it was connected with the robbery.

Godfrey was worried about Dunstand and wildfire and he set off to Batherely to get news.  He was angry with himself for trusting Dunstand.  He met Mr.Bryce and soon discovered that Dunsey had killed the horse by wildly jumping over a fence with stake in it, on top of a hill with a ditch in front of it.  Also Mr.Bryce said after the death of the wildfire Dunsey disappeared , nowhere to be seen. He must have gone to whit bridge as he was fond of it.

Questions and Answers

Chapter 1

1.  Describe Raveloe in your own words?

• Raveloe lay in the rich central plain in the middle of England in a small valley sheltered by woods.  In the middle of the village was a fine old church with its churchyard and rectory, and two or three large farm houses where the most important farmers lived.

2. Which line in the first paragraph tell us about the special layout of the village confirms that Ravloe provides itself in preserving its class distinctions?

• Raveloe lay in the rich central plain in the middle of England in a small valley sheltered by woods.

3.  What was the nature of Silas?

• Silas lived alone never spoke to the villagers.  He was a linen weaver.  He was taken ill with a kind of fit and be unconscious of anything going on around him.  He was a good and humble weaver.

4.  Describe Silas' appearance?                                                         

• He was a pale man with large short-sighted, brown eyes.  
• For fifteen years Silas Marner lived, lonely and unloved life.  His body grew smaller and more bent and though he was not yet forty years old, the children called him "Old Silas Marner."

                                                                    5.  Narrate Silas' story?

• He had lived in a town and had been an important member of a small religious sect.  His close friend William was very strict,selfish and thought himself wiser than his fellows.  Silas was a happiest man with a woman he loved.  Then he falsely accused of stealing the funds of the church congregation while helping the sick deacon.  All evidences were against him, his pocket knife was missing and the bag full of money was taken from his house.  Silas' best friend William had framed him.  He borrowed his pocket knife shortly before the crime.  But Silas could not prove anything.  his engagement to Sarah, his beloved was broken and she married William.  heart broken Silas left Lantern Yard and came to Raveloe.

Chapter 2

1.  How does Silas feel happy in Raveloe?

• Silas had no friends or habits to help him in his life.  His only comfort was weaving, his simple cooking and house keeping.  He was paid well in gold and silver for his work for he was the only weaver in that place, and he grew to love the bright coins for their own sake.

2.  Why and how did he love the gold coins?

• After the work he shut fast the windows and doors and would take the leather bag from his hiding place and count and touch and turn the coins with great delight.  For fifteen years Silas Marner lived a lonely life and his only companions were the god coins.

3.  Why did children call him "Old Silas Marner".

• For fifteen years Silas Marner lived, lonely and unloved life.  His body grew smaller and more bent and thought he was not yet forty years old the children called him "Old Silas Marner."

Chapter 3

1.  Who was the important man in Raveloe?

• Squaire Cass, who lived in the large, red house opposite the church.  He had two sons, Godfrey and Dunstan.

2.  Describe the nature of the two sons of Squire Cass?

• Dunstan usually called Dunsey, lived at home and did no work.  He was not so nice he had a spiteful nature and was too fond of drinking and betting.
• Godfrey, the elder was a fine, good, kind young man and everyone hoped he would marry Nancy Lammeter but Godfrey lately hadn't looked so well and happy as he used to.

3.  Describe the misunderstanding between the brothers in detail?

• Godfrey had loaned Dunsey his father's money, but Dunsey did not feel important enough to pay back. This created a poisonous environment between them.

4.  What was Godfrey's secret that Dunsey black mailed with?

• Dunsey blackmailed Godfrey to pay the money himself to their father, in exchange for silence about Godfrey's secret marriage to an opium addict, Molly Farren.

5.  What did Godfrey do to his horse Wildfire?

• Godfrey was compelled to sell his beloved favorite horse, Wildfire to recover his father's money and even allowed Dunsey to sell it as he wished.

Chapter 4

1. What did Dusney do to the horse to get the money?

• Dunsey sold the horse to Mr.Bryce for 120 pounds, who promised to pay on the delivery of the animal, but instead of delivering the horse, Dunsey accidentally killed the horse as he jumped over a stake in the horse hunt.

2. How did he steal Silas' god coins? describe the incidence.

• Dunsey had been thinking about Silas Marner and his money and decided to sneak into his cottage.  He knocked loudly at the door, but after minute, he tried the door, it was unlocked,  he entered the cottage.  He looked around and noticed that under the loom, the bricks had been too carefully covered over with sand.  In a moment he lifted the bricks and saw two leather bags in the hole, roused to his feet and with the bags, quickly closed the door and stepped forwards in the darkness.

Chapter 5

1.  Why did Silas return home unusually?

• He had been to the village to fetch something he need for his loom in the morning.

2.  What did he prepared for his supper?

• It was a nice piece of meat he had been given that day by a satisfied housewife for whom he had woven some cloth.

3.  How did he discover his loss of Gold? and describe his reactions?

• He sat down by fire to warm himself and tend his cooking.  As soon as he was warm he began to think of his beloved money bags.  He roused and placed his lamp on the floor near his loom,swept away the sand, and removed the bricks.  The sight of the empty hole filled his with terrible fear.  He  could not believe his gold was gone.  He put the light into the hole and passed his trembling hands.  He trembled so violently that he dropped the lamp.  He searched everywhere in the cottage but at last he had to face the truth that his gold was gone for every.

4.  What was his first action for his stolen gold?

• He looked for marks of feet outside but it was raining heavily and all marks were washed away.  Then he ran fast to a small hotel called "The Rainbow" where the villagers talk and drink together.

5.  Describe the situation of Silas at the Rainbow hotel?

• It was Mrs.Osgood's birthday dance.  Silas appeared and informed that he was robbed.  Silas suspected Jem Rodney as he had been to his cottage twice.  But Jem Rodney refused his accusation.  Mr.Snell asked Silas all details, Silas told and the crowd said Jem Rodeny had been sitting there drinking  and could not have done it.  Silas realized that he had been wrongly accused him.  Silas lost Two Hundred and Seventy Two pounds Twelve and six pence.  They supported Silas and came forward     to take him to the policeman.

Chapter 6

1.  What were the villagers excited about?  What was their guess about the robber?

• They were excited about the robbery, and occupied in gathering and discussing news about it. and in visiting the stone - pits.  They found a tinder - box with a flint and steel half sunk in mud.  People began to think that it was connected with the robbery.

2.  Describe the meeting?

• A meeting was held at "The Rainbow" Mr.crackenthorp the Rector, leading helped by Squire Cass and other villagers.  They recalled that a peddler who had come and visited the town recently carried the tinder box, but Silas disappointed them by remembering that the Peddler had not entered his house.  He had gone away before Silas was opening the door.

3.  What does Godfrey lean about Wildfire and Bryce?

• Godfrey was worried about Dunstand and Wildfire and he set off to Batherley to get news.  He was angry with himself for trusting Dunstan.  He met Mr.Bryce and soon discovered that Dunsey had killed the horse by  wildly jumping a fence with stakes in it, on top of a hill with a ditch in front of it.  Also Mr.Bryce said after the death of the Wildfire Dunsey disappeared.  Nowhere to be seen.  He must have gone to Whit bridge as he was fond of it.

4.  what was Godfrey's decision?

• Godfrey decided to confess everything to his father.  He thought how best he could tell his story and hoped that his father's family pride would make him keep his marriage secret rather than turn him out of the house and start everybody to talk about him.