Godfrey Cass and Nancy Lammeter in Relation to Silas Marner
This essay is aimed at exploring the influences that religion, society
and community have on Silas Marner, Godfrey Cass and Nancy Lammeter.
George Eliot wrote Silas Marner between 1860 and 1861. The novel is
set at the beginning of the 19th century and at that time religion and
social classes were far more important than they are today. The novel
looks at the different responses each character has to afflictions
they are faced with and explores the origins of folk myth in a rural
community.
One of the main characters of the novel is Silas Marner; he lives in
an industrial Northern town, in the close community of Lantern Yard -
a narrow group of Congregationalists. The church and community are a
very important part of Silas's life, as the religious sect of Lantern
Yard has developed its own system of belief.His strong faith means
that Silas is greatly influenced by his religious beliefs and the
community he belongs too. Silas has a fiancée called Sarah and
although further on in the novel he appears to lack feeling, this is
evidence that he was able to love and allowed another to share in his
life. Although now marriage is not viewed as a permanent bond, the
period in which Silas's life is based means that he would have
regarded it as a lifelong commitment and a divorce would have been
unthinkable. Nevertheless, his loyalty and innocence are questioned
when his so called best friend, William Dane (who Silas admired and
trusted so much) accuses him of stealing money from the church. This
is the first of Silas's afflictions...
... middle of paper ...
...s can go back
into the past, fore even Lantern Yard has disappeared, when Silas
returns there at the end of the novel. As Eppie and Aaron get married
Silas uses the wedding ring he had removed from Molly and gives it to
Eppie. This is a clear reference to the sentiment and love that now
fills his heart.
The characters, Silas Marner, Godfrey Cass and Nancy Lammeter cannot
be fully understood without an awareness of the time and place in
which the novel is set because many of their responses to difficult
situations were based on their upbringing and religious beliefs. The
three main characters represent the different layers of the community
and social classes. This novel is about human companionship, and
proves that human love, especially the love of a child, is worth far
more than gold.
In the Story “The Rise of Silas Lapham,” written by William Dean Howells, Silas’s desire to conform to the standards of society is the root of his company’s downfall but the rise of his understanding and morals. The society Silas is trying to feel accepted by is very judgmental and vain and do not care about others therefore making it very tough for the Laphams to be accepted or even feel somewhat normal where they are living. Persis is a significant character in the novel because in the end she is why Silas does the things he does because she bestowed good morals in him. The last attempts to fit in with the community is the building and destruction of the house. These are all very significant events to the story leading up to Silas last decisions.
Throughout Hawthorne’s short stories which examine secret sin based in Puritan societies, the protagonist, Mr. Hooper, a preacher in Milford, describes to his wife “Do not desert me though this veil must be between us here on earth” (32). Hooper who has arrived at a point where his community and wife have abandoned him while on his deathbed realizes that he is deserted because of his secret sin. This description of utter loneliness is in contrast with Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hooper, who once was a prominent priest in the Milford area. Hawthorne’s depiction of Mr. Hooper’s secret sin, taking form in the black veil alters his life indefinetely. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short stories, the author identifies secret sin as the cause of isolation, relationship struggles, and the community’s behavior.
“No one man for any considerable period can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the truth.” (Hawthorne 211). In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a comparison of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester represents strength while Arthur represents weakness.
“By the sympathy of your human hearts for sin ye shall scent out all the places--whether in church, bedchamber, street, field, or forest--where crime has been committed, and shall exult to behold the whole earth one stain of guilt, one mighty blood spot” (Hawthorne pg. 21). “Young Goodman Brown”, an American short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, does well to blend together a dark, mysterious storyline with a lesson fixated upon the battle between good and evil. Hawthorne was born into Salem, Massachusetts, a small village whose citizens had once accused and executed each other for being “witches.” During these times, the conflict between good and evil and its effect upon one’s overall happiness took its toll upon the lives of the Puritans of
The portrayal of Hester Prynne in the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, has led to many different opinionated views. Many debate whether or not Hester Prynne should be portrayed in an angelic or sinful light. The author and critic, D.H. Lawrence, focuses on Hester’s sin itself, and focuses on having the reader view an alternate perspective of Hester, seeing her not as the victim, but as the criminal, as she should be viewed based on traditional Puritan values. Lawrence achieves the perspective that Hester should be viewed in a sinful light through his rhythmic and fluid syntax, negative and hateful diction, as well as his sarcastic and critical tone.
Nathaniel Hawthorne (born July 4, 1804, Salem, Mass. — died May 19, 1864, Plymouth, NH) is an American novelist and short-story writer who was an expert of the allegorical and symbolic story. One of the best fiction essayists in American writing, he is best known for "The Scarlet Letter" (1850) and "The House of the Seven Gables" (1851). "The Birth-Mark" is a mental thriller short story composed by Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Reference book Britannica. 2016) It was distributed first in 1843 in the March version of The Pioneer literary journal. It was distributed again in 1846 in an accumulation of short stories titled Mosses from an Old Manse. "The Birth-Mark" is Hawthorne 's initially distributed work of fiction. Some consider it to be an impression of Hawthorne 's own life, as it was distributed amid his marriage to Sophia Peabody and mirrors the fears and goals of a love bird couple. The story highlights mental subjects of the quest for
Upon first inspection, Hester Prynne and Huckleberry Finn may not appear to have much in common. Hester Prynne is an ostracized woman and mother in 17th century Puritan Boston, while Huck Finn is a 14 year old boy essentially running away from home in the antebellum south; their stories are vastly different from one another. However, there are certain similarities between these two characters and their circumstances. Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn share a common trait; a protagonist that rejects society and who must learn to coexist with the moral and religious influences that bolster it. Though Huckleberry’s rejection may be more external and obvious than Hester’s, both characters go against
Both works revolves inner workings of Puritan societies, and how their values conflict greatly with human nature and end in large amounts of pain and regret. Miller and Hawthorne’ s opinions on hypocrisy in society, treatment of the outsider, and Puritanical ideals about sin and forgiveness all can be seen by what they wrote in their own respective works.
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.
In the book, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author introduces the comparison of both sins committed by Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester is a woman, who has committed adultery. Because of this, she is forced to wear a scarlet covered “A” to bear the shame of her crime. Arthur Dimmesdale is a Puritan minister who preaches the teachings of god and is completely adorned by the people of Boston. Arthur commits the crime of Adultery when he has an affair with Hester and, later, feels the guilt of it. Both Hester and Arthur commit the same sin, but the way they deal with the shame and guilt is totally different and shows how both of them change throughout the story.
Georgiana's behavior in the 19th century from Nathaniel Hawthorne “The Birthmark”. By the 19th century standards she is expected to live by a certain way and do certain things to satisfied her husband. Georgiana lived up to her expectations as a women and as a wife.
Written in the 1840’s, “The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows a man’s battle with human perfection. In the story, Aylmer has a beautiful wife named Georgiana. Aylmer feels his wife is beautiful but not perfect. The one thing standing in the way of her being perfect is a small crimson colored birth-mark on her face (Hawthorne). Superficially, the story appears to be about a scientist’s obsession with removing the birth-mark from his wife’s face. However, after reading closely, Hawthorne presents several different themes such as the mind vs spirit vs body, and God vs Man/Science.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “ The Scarlet Letter’’ is a classical story about sin, punishment and revenge. It all began with a young woman named Hester Prynne who has committed adultery, and gave birth to a child in a Puritan society. Through the eyes of the puritans Hester has gone against their religious ways. Hester must now wear the symbol of the letter “A” on her clothing for the rest of her life as act of shame. Hester Prynne faces a long journey ahead and her strength enables her to continue on.
Plot Summary: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are the March sisters. Their father is off to war and they rely on their mother, Marmee, to see them through the hard times of the Civil War. In the first part of this book the reader is introduced to the characters. Meg is the sensible one, Jo is the tomboy , Beth is the sweet one, and Amy is the artistic and feminine one. The girls are all generous and even give their own Christmas dinner to a poor family. Meg has her first dance and brings Jo along. At the dance we meet Laurie, the mysterious grandson of the Old Mr. Laurence living next-door. His real name it Theodore, but he prefers Laurie because he was teased in school by the girls. The girls all spend a lot of time at the Laurences home, all excepting Beth. Because she is afraid of Old Mr. Laurence, she stays away. Mr. Laurence asks if he could have Beth over to play for him. When she does, it creates a lasting bond between them. Old Mr. Laurence loves her playing so much that he gives her a small piano that had belonged to his deceased granddaughter.
they turned out rather ill. “I’ve been to good a father to you all –