Who is the Cass family in Silas Marner?
The Cass family is one of the most prominent, wealthy families in Raveloe and are revered throughout their society.
Squire Cass is the head of the household and is considered Raveloe's greatest man. Squire Cass is a wealthy landowner who lives in a massive red house—where he holds dances and extravagant parties. He is portrayed as an authoritative, short-tempered man who has raised two unremarkable sons. Squire Cass is unaware that his son Godfrey is married to Molly Farren and therefore forces him to become engaged to Nancy Lammeter.
Godfrey Cass is the eldest son of Squire Cass and is depicted as a weak, timid man who lives a lie and makes several poor choices. He is Eppie's biological father and refuses to acknowledge this fact until she develops into a young woman. Years after marrying Nancy Lammeter and the discovery of Dunstan's body, Godfrey attempts to adopt Eppie, who...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
chooses to remain withSilas Marner.
Dunstan Cass is the youngest son of Squire Cass and is depicted as an unscrupulous alcoholic who is willing to blackmail his brother; eventually, he dies in the Stone Pits after stealing Silas Marner's gold.
How does the Cass family's story blend into Silas Marner?
On Chapter 3 the story of the Cass clan comes to play in the story of Silas Marner when they introduce them and their roots. We know that they are a well-known clan who once enjoyed the pleasures of wealth and a good name, and that they are the proprietors of the Red House, which is considered in Raveloe as a place of high distinction within the parameters of the townsfolk.
The introduction of the Cass clan is necessary to the novel because it shows us that the Class clan has several weaknesses that actually may foreshadow an important crossing into the path of Silas Marner.
Among the weaknesses of the Cass clan are the brothers Godfrey and Dunsey. Godfrey, who needs desperately to marry for money, erroneously married a drug-addicted woman and hides it from his father who would kill him if he found out. Dunsley is money hungry and evil. We also know that Silas is hiding gold and that he is alone and quite vulnerable for people of this nature.
Hence, by letting us understand in full the nature of the Cass clan is how Elliot introduces their storyline into Silas's.