Write a short note on Godfrey Cass in Silas Marner.
Godfrey Cass in Silas Marner is the eldest son and heir of Squire Cass, the most important man in Raveloe. Unfortunately, while not an evil person, Godfrey is a selfish, weak-willed man who does not want to own up to his misdeeds. He has been spoiled by his father and so lacks resolution and strength of character.
Godfrey secretly, in a moment of weakness, marries an opium addict named Molly. He is afraid his father will disown him if he finds out he made such a match. This is typical of Godfrey, who wants to have his pleasures without being held accountable for them. Molly, abandoned by Godfrey, has a child and wanders on a cold night into Raveloe determined to reveal Godfrey's secret marriage, but dies near Silas's cottage, where her two-year daughter Eppie wanders. Godfrey knows the child is his, but is afraid to reveal this truth. This...
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allows his evil brother Dunstan, who also knows the child is Godfrey's, to blackmail him. Godfrey's weakness also allows the malicious Dunstan to torment Godfrey in smaller ways.
Godfrey is a study of man whose irresolution and selfishness make him miserable. He regrets his marriage, as he wishes he could marry Nancy. As the narrator relates,
The yoke a man creates for himself by wrong-doing will breed hate in the kindliest nature; and the good-humoured, affectionate-hearted Godfrey Cass was fast becoming a bitter man ...
Godfrey does marry Nancy after Molly's death, and he does, at least to a small circle, own up to being Eppie's father. However, he largely keeps his parentage a secret, deciding (probably) that he will remember her instead in his will. He tells Nancy,
I shall put it in my will—I think I shall put it in my will.
But as we can see by the "I think" in this statement, Godfrey remains irresolute even at the end of the novel.
Ultimately, Godfrey is a good-hearted person whose lack of a good upbringing brought him trouble and heartache.
Provide a brief description of Godfrey from Silas Marner.
Godfrey Cass is one of the most interesting characters in Silas Marner. He is full of potential but constantly stymied by his own irresoluteness and cowardliness. Godfrey is a trusting person. He is usually honest and open with others. The main exception for this is his own father. Although this makes him likable, it also leads to several negative character traits. He starts off the story as a good-natured and humorous man. However, after other characters take advantage, intentionally or not, of his good nature, Godfrey begins to grow bitter.
Godfrey is a man with several flaws. Taken each on their own, his flaws are nothing significant. However, when taken all together, Godfrey shows himself to be a weak and ineffective person. He is the spoiled son of a powerful man. While earnest in most matters, he attempts to hide his embarrassments from his father, including his marriage to Molly. He even rejects his own daughter, Eppie, in her time of greatest need in order to keep her a secret from his family. It is Godfrey's weakness that allows his younger brother, Dunstan, to blackmail him with the information about Molly and Eppie. If Godfrey could be more courageous and own up to his past, he likely could have weathered the trouble the revelation of his secret family would have caused. Instead, he allows Dunstan to manipulate him.
When Godfrey ends up with Nancy, his life seems to take a better turn. Although things seem to be getting better for him, Godfrey still holds onto his selfish nature. He continues to deny Eppie, although he privately feels sympathy for her. This shows that he knows what the right thing to do is, but is too afraid of making personal sacrifices for it. The most he ends up doing for his daughter is considering leaving her something in his will.