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The Relationship Between Parents and Their Children in Silas Marner by George Eliot

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The Relationship Between Parents and Their Children in Silas Marner by George Eliot "A child more than all other gifts

That Earth can offer to a declining man

Brings hope with it and forward looking thoughts." William Wordsworth

The novel Silas Marner was written by George Eliot in 1863. George Eliot's real name was Mary Ann Evans and she was farced to change it because of the role of women at that time. If the book were published under a female name it would be ridiculed and would not sell. This is …show more content…

Molly decides to take the child to Godfrey and demand shelter and money but dies on the way to let the tiny child wander into the warmth of Silas Marner's cottage. Silas takes the child and looks after it, nursing it and returning to his old self, before he was banned from Lantern Yard. Godfrey marries Nancy Lammeter but fails to have children with her. He goes to claim Eppie but Eppie decides to stay with Silas, so concluding the fairytale with happiness for the "goodies" and death and misery for the "baddies" when Dunstan Cass is found at the bottom of a lake with Silas' money.

Some of the Victorian values that would have influenced George Eliot are the traditional family values and the role of women in families and society. Women were expected to stay at home and look after the family. They were not expected to work or do anything to displease their husbands. At the time, George Eliot was writing her book, the industrial revolution was also taking place and economic and class values were changing. England was going through a series of tumultuous cultural, social and economic transformations.

This could be reflected in the seemingly robotic work Silas does. He weaves continually only to save every penny into a box under his floorboards for him to count and worship.

Silas first sees Eppie asleep by his fire and he sees not a

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