Silas And Eppie Quotes

Silas experienced an extreme obsession with gold and money he possessed, and only after it was stolen did he realize that what he needed was a loving relationship with an adopted child whom he named Eppie. The bleak addiction Silas had lead him to constantly count and feel his coins “till their form and colour were like the satisfaction of thirst to him” (17). This fixation provides a look into Silas’ current state: reclusive and isolated, and it is because of this that he depends on his money to give him joy. He uses it to fill an empty void that should ultimately be filled with a human relationship. Silas was left in a grieved state when all his money was abruptly stolen, and he would often look around his small dwelling for it; however,

During a heated argument between Godfrey and his brother, Dunstan, Dunstan made a jeering remark about telling Godfrey’s secret of marrying a drunken opiate addict to their father knowing it would ruin Godfrey’s reputation and status (24). All Godfrey has is his status and he needs to protect that; it will not help if it gets out that he married an undesirable woman, and furthermore had a child with her. This child is the same child that Silas finds in his home and immediately falls in love with; it is Eppie. It is known that Eppie is offspring of Molly’s, but that does not stop Silas’ determination to keep the “tramp’s child” (122). Silas is unaffected by the stigma of a drunk woman’s child and only cares for the relationship; it is a necessity of human nature. He cared nothing for other’s inputs nor did he care for the status of the child or it’s mother. When Godfrey did eventually reveal that Eppie was his child and tried to take her back so she could live with him and the wealthy, Eppie said, “I like the working folks and their houses, and their ways. And, I’m promised to to marry a workingman, as’ll live with father, and help me take care of him” (175). Eppie does not care about Godfrey and his status, what she cares about is the father she has come to know and build a undying relationship with, Silas. She likes the poor ways because that is what she was built on, and she refuses to change so she will have a better status; Eppie just wants to care for Silas. Silas kept Eppie regardless of labels and Eppie rejected Godfrey for her human connection with Silas; thus proving that their relationship overpowers status