Silas Marner by George Eliot

Silas Marner by George Eliot

· Aim: To examine the place of superstition and religious belief in

the novel

Under the pseudonym George Eliot, Mary-Anne Evans created the

microcosm that is Silas Marner. This outstanding example of realism is

delicately woven with superstitions and religious belief, all of which

are influenced by Mary-Anne's own scandalous life.

At the age of 22 'old maid' Mary-Anne ceased attending church and

began turmoil of scandalous events that would completely destroy all

her chances of a family life and make her a disgrace to the strict

Victorian community she lived within. After being cast out by her

unforgiving father, Mary-Anne moved to London and fell into the arms

of various older married men, this was unheard of during the Victorian

era and so she soon became a sinner in the eyes of those around her.

Throughout her life Mary-Anne possessed a strong desire to do well,

however it was not until she reached 38 and an encouraging lover by

the name of George Henry Lewis (the inspiration for her pseudonym),

that Mary-Anne finally wrote her first novel, an enchanting tale

entitled 'Mill on the Floss' in which the main character remains

unforgiven by her father (a bitter memory for Mary-Anne herself). The

book was a success and George Eliot soon published more novels all of

which involved key events that mirrored Mary-Anne's own life, in Silas

Marner for example, Silas is seen as an outsider in Raveloe and soon

becomes the subject of village conversation - this was a situation

that Mary-Anne was forced to face as due to her various lovers she too

became a subject of gossip and she, like Silas, turned to is...

... middle of paper ...

...st out from her hometown for

blasphemy and Silas suffers a similar situation ("There is no just God

that governs the earth righteously, but a god of lies, that bears

witness against the innocent"), though the destruction of the strict

Lantern Yard Mary-Anne's gained a small means of revenge for her own

treatment.

Through the use of superstition and religious beliefs Mary-Anne Evans,

known to the literary world as George Eliot, transformed an otherwise

simple and almost 'fairytale' plot into a masterpiece of realism,

moral, social and philosophical values. Her expert use of language is

carefully woven in to create a microcosm with what she herself

describes as "a single drop of ink" (Adam Bede) and contributes

greatly to the superb example of pre-20th century realism Silas Marner

that greatly mirrors her own life.