How is ‘Silas Marner’ by George Elliot a novel concerned with justice and redemption?
...rner is then left to develop as a person alone. ‘His life, before he came to Raveloe, had been filled with movement, the mental activity, and the close fellowship…’ and now Marner is left alone, ‘then there were the calls of hunger; and Silas, in his solitude…activity of a spinning insect.’ This probably had a strong influence towards Marner and he had to find some sort of friend. This is where money comes in. The only contact Marner seemed to have with the people of Raveloe is that of selling his linen. Since Marner had nothing to spend the money on he began hoarding it, eventually loving it so much he couldn’t bare to be parted from it. His life became controlled by money. In one way this could be a sign of justice that because Marner had to leave behind his while life he has been given money as a consolation and replacement. On the other hand this could be injustice because Marner becomes so obsessed with money that he forgets everything else. ‘He loved guineas best, but he would not change the silver – the crowns…he loved them all.’ ‘The greatest man in Raveloe was Squire Cass.’ Squire Cass’ two sons Godfrey and Dunstan have a big part in the theme of justice and redemption in this novel. To begin with Dunstan is blackmailing Godfrey, as he knows about the secret wife and how Godfrey is in some sort of money trouble, ‘I tell you, I have no money: I can get no money.’ This has a big sense of both injustice and justice about it. Firstly injustice as Dunstan is blackmailing Godfrey, that is not fair, however, there is perhaps good reason for it as Godfrey does have a lot to hide and why should Dunstan keep it secret for nothing? Of course Dunstan and Godfrey get into an argument and again threaten one another. Following on from that is yet another plot of injustice in spite of this there is chance for redemption. After the argument, Dunstan ventures to Marner’s cottage and unknown to Marner, Dunstan steals Marner’s money. A theme of injustice, after all what has Marner done to offend Dunstan? This strikes Marner as the end of the world ‘again he put his hands to his head, and gave a wild ringing scream, a cry of desolation.’ Marner had already lost his whole previous life and now what seemed the centre of his new life had been taken away from him to. Redemption finally comes into play, as Marner has no one to turn to about this robbery he decides to seek help from the villagers. Marner enters the local pub and throws accusations around of people he thinks have stolen his money, namely Jem Rodney, (of course we as the reader know this is not the case!) ‘Jem Rodney, if it was you stole my money…give it me back.’ This is Marner’s prime opportunity for redemption as he is communicating with the villagers. He can set free and make up for all what has happened in the past and maybe rebuild a new life, without hoarding away huge amounts of money, he could love and cherish people instead of gold and silver. Another event takes place shortly after he above that gives Silas another chance of redemption, along with Silas; Godfrey is offered redemption as well. The occasion which this takes place is that of a little girl arriving at Silas’ home. The story behind this young child is very unusual to say the least: Godfrey’s surreptitious wife is a drug addict and as she is arriving in the village to reveal herself to everyone she falls in the snow and unfortunately meets her death. She does however have a child with her, Godfrey’s daughter. The little girl stumbles into Silas’ cottage at the same time Silas is having a fit, Silas mistakes the little girl with blonde curly hair for ‘gold – his own gold – brought back to him.’ As Silas comes round he warms to the child and begins to take care of her. As news gets round of a dead women in the village Godfrey soon hears and knowing it is his wife is forced, by his own conscience, to go and see for himself that his wife is dead. Godfrey approaches the women and sees that it is definitely she, this is unbeknown to everyone else that it is Godfrey’s wife. I would guess this is a huge sense of relief to Godfrey as now the wife is dead and Dunstan has disappeared, this is a sense of justice towards Silas and Godfrey as Dunstan is getting his just desserts for being lying, thieving and untrustworthy, ‘Dunstan darted to the spot…what could be there but money,’ shows him thieving from Silas Marner. However there is the small matter of the child, which is Godfrey’s. This would be a huge power of redemption for Godfrey, taking in the child and being a father. Nevertheless Godfrey decides against this option and ‘the battle of redemption’ so to speak is over between Godfrey and Silas, Silas being the victor. I think though that Godfrey feels slightly guilty about giving his child away and does offer Silas money, personally I see this as a sign of guilt. Silas keeps the child and has taken the sign of redemption and in some ways this is very in the line of justice as now throughout the novel Silas has lost a lot he now has gained a lot. This child, Eppie, has given Marner a new out look on life and a connection with all the villagers. Silas has to start venturing out of home again and start going to church again, ‘the first time for Eppie’s christening…and on this occasion Silas, making himself as clean and tidy as he could, appeared for the first time within the church, and shared in the observances held sacred by his neighbours.’ All this leads to him regaining his life back. Silas eventually plucks up the courage to go back to Lantern Yard, to see what has become of everyone and the place in which he used to love so much. With the help of an older Eppie the two of them journey to the place that was once Lantern Yard, but Lantern Yard no longer exists, ‘Lantern Yard’s gone it must have been here…the house with the o’erhanging window.’ The previous quote shows Silas’ dismay to where his old home used to stand. There is a large factory on the site where the village once was. This is justice for what the people of Lantern Yard did to Silas many years ago. For making an innocent person leave their while lives have gone and replaced with a factory whilst Marner has a new, possibly even better life. On the return of Eppie and Silas, Godfrey and his partner ‘Nancy Lammeter’ have been told they cannot have children ‘to which she had looked forward…which fill the mind of a loving women when she expects to become a mother…lest she should in this way be cherishing a longing for what was not given.’ Godfrey comes clean to Nancy about Eppie being his child, ‘Eppie is my child,’ shows this well, and again they go to Eppie and ask her to live with them, ‘Mrs Cass and I, you know, we have no children…we should like to have Eppie and treat her in everyway as our own child,’ says Godfrey. Following on from this Eppie says ‘Thank you ma’am – thank you sir. But I can’t leave my father.’ Eppie says no and that she wants to stay with Marner. This is another chance of redemption for Godfrey and Nancy that again is failed; on the other hand it is another type of justice for Marner. Towards the end of the novel it is found out that Dunstan Cass has been found dead after sixteen years, ‘my brother Dunstan…we’ve found him, found his body’ says Godfrey Cass. This is again justice to Silas Marner as Dunstan stole his money. Silas is then given back his money and Godfrey in a way shows a sense of redemption because he is giving back the money his brother stole and feeling guilty about it, ‘ Well Marner…it’s a great comfort to me to see you with your money again, that you have been deprived of for so many years. It was one of my family that did you wrong…I feel bound to make it up to you in every way,’ shows this very well. This leads to the end of the novel that sees Eppie mar...