Download Silas Marner Study Guide
Topics for Further Study
(Novels for Students)
Does Godfrey Cass, Eppie’s biological father, have the right to take her from Silas Marner, her foster father? What moral issues does this matter raise? How is this issue relevant in the early 2000s?
Bearing in mind that Eliot has sometimes been criticized by feminists for being too conservative in her representation of women, discuss the characters Nancy Lammeter, Dolly Winthrop, and Eppie. Are they presented as dependent on men? How do they go about fulfilling their needs and desires? How do they support others?
Discuss how Silas Marner rears Eppie. What principles does he follow? Does he follow Dolly Winthrop’s advice? What role does punishment have in childrearing?
Write a detailed analysis of the scene in Chapter 6 in which the male villagers meet at the Rainbow. Who are the main characters, and what do they discuss? What does this scene reveal about village life in Raveloe? Why is the scene placed at this point in the narrative?