George Eliot's Silas Marner

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In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge transforms from a notorious miser to a humbled, kind-hearted soul as a result of three spirits who apprise him of life's true meaning. Mirroring Scrooge's evolution, in George Eliot's Silas Marner, Silas also transitions from a recluse in society to a rejuvenated man because of a little girl who crawls into his heart. Initially, Silas is lonely man who finds solace from his past with money and solitude. When Eppie enters Silas' home, he begins to understand that there is more substance to life than hoarding gold. Furthermore, after many years as Eppie's guardian, Silas is finally able to experience true happiness and the invaluable joy of love. After an unfortunate series of events that shaped Silas into a withdrawn and jaded soul, he cannot trust anyone or anything beyond the guineas in front of him. For example, Silas conducts day-by-day activities "in solitude . . . [and] his life [is] reduced to the mere functions of weaving and hoarding." These menial tasks engage Silas' mind and keep him from thinking about his troubles and worries. In addition, by placing value on money and weaving, he convinces himself that there is little time to "[seek] man or woman, save for the purposes of his calling or in order to supply himself with necessaries." As a result of his hermit-like behavior, Silas becomes a lonely and depressed outcast of his community. Moreover, Silas judges his happiness by "his guineas rising in the iron pot, [while] his life narrow[s] and harden[s] itself more and more into a mere pulsation of desire and satisfaction." This cycle thrusts him further into an impenetrable state of mind that will seemingly be his downfall if he continues in this manner. Fortunately for Silas, a life-changing event causes him to reevaluate his miserly goals and aspirations. The simultaneous occurrence of the stealing of his gold and the arrival of Eppie contribute to the beginnings of a positive change in Silas' demeanor and spirit. In his delirium over losing his money and upon finding Eppie on his hearth, Silas rambles that "the money's gone I don't know where, and this is come from I don't know where." Little does Silas know that Eppie will be more valuable than all of his precious treasures. The presence of Eppie in Silas' life allows his "mind [to] grow into memory, [and] as her life unfold[s], his soul, long stupefied in a cold narrow prison, unfold[s] too, and trembl[es] gradually into full consciousness.

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