“The author’s portrayal of Godfrey robs him of any sympathy that may arise out of Eppie’s rejection of him.” How far would you agree with this statement?
...ght. The squire can bee seen as a lazy and arrogant old man. George Eliot also writes, “the Squire, whose memory consisted in certain strong impressions unmodified by detail” implies his arrogance and stubbornness. As seen in the quote, “I shall do what I choose… and I shall let you know I’m master; else you may turn out and find an estate to drop into somewhere else” – here he threatens to throw Godfrey out of the Red House if he refuses to adhere to the Squire’s wishes when Godfrey pleads with his father not to mention marriage to Nancy. The Squire it seems does not have as much money as he once did and has spoiled his sons—not, out of affection, but simply out of neglect. The Squire is the only role model Godfrey has had while growing up, and Godfrey’s shortcomings can be seen as stemming at least in part from his father’s. George Eliot although strict, tries to be sympathetic to Godfrey’s character by comparing him to his father and his brother. With the comparisons in mind, Godfrey can be seen as somewhat decent as he tries to do well, once in a while. Raveloe’s considerable distance from the main road has developed the village into a rather superstitious place, however despite this, Godfrey still resists the other villager’s accusation of the peddler shows his decency. His marriage to Molly is the only one significant act he has done. However he only did it out of pressure and is still indirectly unwilling to accept his responsibility towards Molly and his daughter, who will be known as Eppie. George Eliot contrasts Godfrey’s passivity with Dunsey’s active malice and with Squire’s violent temper. Like Godfrey, the Squire is lazy and fails to heed his troubles until they are impossible to ignore. The Squire makes rash decisions in fits of anger that he refuses to revoke even when he is clear headed. Godfrey, however reacts in the exact opposite manner, as he is continually unwilling to own up to the greater consequences of his actions, and is thus left in limbo. Godfrey can be a viewed as a passive character in “Silas Marner.” His inactions towards his responsibilities in the novel create a tension between the characters and sets the motion of the novel. This is ironic since; Godfrey is the main driving force of the novel even though the title is “Silas Marner.” In chapter 13, we see Godfrey’s true colours. Even though his love for Nancy and his intentions of marrying her are sincere, one cannot simply ignore his wife, Molly and his baby daughter. Molly’s “premeditated act of vengeance” due to an incident whereby “Godfrey, in a fit of passion, had told he that he would sooner die than acknowledge her as his wife” sets the motion for the next few chapters. When Silas appears at the Red House with Godfrey’s baby and declares that there is a dead woman nearby, Godfrey panics as he is certain that it is Molly. “Godfrey felt a great throb: there was one terror in his mind at that moment: it was, that the women might not be dead.” It is obvious that Godfrey is indirectly at fault for molly’s death, but he wishing for her to be really dead is selfish and cruel. George Eliot is always uncompromising in her moral judgments. Here, she presents Godfrey’s cruelty as the result of his dishonesty and cowardice – he is just being human. This selfishness is simply the result of Godfrey being “a man whose happiness hangs on duplicity,” who repeatedly shirks the demands of his conscience. Godfrey seems to be rewarded for his duplicity, as his wishes are coming true, only to pay its price later on. His selfishness is further developed when he does not come forward to claim his daughter. The events left Godfrey with “a strange mixture of feelings, a conflict of regret and joy.” However, he immediately clears his conscience and justifies his actions. “As for the child, he would see that it was cared for: he would never forsake it; he would do everything but own it.” – this is true as the novel further developed but is only short lived. This is rather ironic since he has already forsaken her by not claiming her and what is more repulsive is that he is doing it because it benefits him, it is obvious he does not care for her. “The father would be much happier without owning it.” To make things worse he refers to his daughter as a thing, simply calling he...