Silas Marner Study Guide

Silas Marner

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Silas Marner is the story of a weaver, the eponymous Silas, who is falsely accused of theft by fellow members of a small Calvinist congregation. Exiled from the small Northern English town, Silas experiences many difficult years before coming into the guardianship of a young orphan who helps him to right his life and put the events of the past behind him. Silas eventually finds happiness caring for his adopted daughter.

Silas Marner Characters

Table of Contents
  • Silas Marner : a weaver who is betrayed at Lantern Yard by his treacherous friend William Dane, moves away to Raveloe, becomes a miser, and accumulates a small fortune, only to have it stolen by Dunstan Cass. Despite these misfortunes, he finds his faith and virtue by the arrival of young Eppie (daughter of Godfrey Cass).
  • Squire Cass , Lord of the Manor of Raveloe.
  • Godfrey Cass : eldest son of the local squire, who is being constantly blackmailed by his dissolute brother Dunstan over his secret marriage to Molly. When Molly dies, he feels relief, but in time realizes he must account for his deceit to those he has wronged.
  • Dunstan Cass : second eldest son of the local squire. He constantly blackmails his older brother. He has a rotten heart, and steals Silas' gold after accidentally killing his older brother's horse Wildfire .
  • Molly Farren : Godfrey's first (and secret) wife, who has a child by him; an opium addict. She dies in the attempt to reveal their relationship and ruin Godfrey, leaving the child, Eppie, to wander into Silas' life.
  • Eppie (Hephizibah): daughter of Molly and Godfrey, who is cared for by Silas after the death of her mother. Mischievous in her early years, she grows into a radiant and beautiful young girl devoted to her adoptive father.
  • Nancy Cass (née Lammeter) : Godfrey Cass' second wife, a morally and socially respectable young woman.
  • Priscilla Lammeter , Nancy's plain sister.
  • Aaron Winthrop : son of Dolly, who marries Eppie at the end of the novel.
  • Dolly Winthrop : mother to Aaron, wife of Ben; godmother to Eppie. Sympathetic to Silas.
  • Ben Winthrop , wheelwright
  • Mr Snell , landlord of the Rainbow Inn, Raveloe.
  • William Dane : William Dane is Silas' former best friend at Lantern Yard. William ultimately betrays Silas by framing him for theft and marrying Silas' fiancée Sarah.
  • Sarah : Silas' fiancée in Lantern Yard, who subsequently marries his treacherous friend William Dane.
  • Mr. Macey : the clerk at the local church, a tailor.
  • Solomon Macey , Mr Macey's brother, a talented violinist.
  • Mr Crackenthorpe , rector of Raveloe and a Justice of the Peace.
  • Bob Lundy , butcher of Raveloe.
  • John Dowlas , farrier of Raveloe.
  • Jem Rodney , a local poacher, initially suspected by Silas of stealing his money.

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