Silas Marner

Molly is outside, heading toward the dance. She is “carrying her child in her arms” (121). The little girl is the daughter that Molly shares with Godfrey. Since Godfrey has told Molly that he will never publicly acknowledge their marriage, she intends to appear at the dance and reveal the secret to the high society of Raveloe. Molly blames her addiction to opium for her problems rather than Godfrey, but she resents his status and his wealth. She believes that he should support his wife and daughter. She has spent the day walking to reach the dance. As the snow falls and the evening draws in, she tries to comfort herself by taking a draft of opium. She feels sleepy and lies down on the ground, still clutching her daughter. The little girl wakes up as her mother falls unconscious. She sees a light in a nearby house and walks inside. She sits in front of the warm fire.

Recently, Silas’s paranoia has inspired him to leave his door half open as he weaves. He hopes that he might see something through the door that could lead to the return of his gold. As he stares out the door, he does not see the child approach him. Instead, he falls into one of his cataleptic fits. He is hidden behind the door as the little girl walks inside. When he recovers, he closes his door. Years of weaving have left Silas with “blurred vision” (125). He does not see the girl in front of his fire. When he sees something, he initially hopes that it might be his gold. When he reaches out, however, he touches only the child’s golden-blonde hair. He examines the little girl, who reminds him a great deal of his sister, who died when she was young. He is overwhelmed by memories until the child wakes and calls for her mother. Silas feeds the girl and then notices her boots. He follows the trail of her footsteps through the snow until he comes across Molly’s dead body.

The dance at the Cass house continues. Godfrey admires Nancy from the side of the room. He sees Silas enter carrying a small child, which he then recognizes as “his own child” (129). He asks other guests what the weaver wants as Squire Cass angrily demands answers from the unannounced guest. Silas claims to be searching for a doctor for the dead woman outside. Godfrey immediately knows that the woman must be his wife, Molly, and he worries that his secret will be revealed. Silas refuses to leave the girl in the Cass house, insisting that she must stay with him since she walked into his house. Mr. Kimble, the acting town doctor, offers to help. He accompanies Silas and Godfrey to the body, with a local woman named Dolly coming along to serve as nurse. Mr. Kimble is not an actual doctor, though he provides healthcare for the local people. Godfrey feels “painfully preoccupied” knowing that Molly’s death will enable him to marry Nancy (132). If Molly survives somehow, his secret will be revealed. Kimble says that Molly is dead; Godfrey privately confirms to himself that the dead woman is in fact “his unhappy, hated wife” (133). Asking Silas about his connection to the now motherless child, Godfrey hears Silas talk emotionally about his immediate connection to the little girl. Since the theft of his money, he has been lost and depressed. He believes that he and the girl can now be happy together, acting as a family unit. Godfrey gives Silas some money to help take care of the girl before leaving with Kimble. As they walk, they discuss Silas’s odd connection with the girl. Godfrey thinks about Nancy, free of his previous sense of dread. He can now keep his marriage a secret and also ensure that his young daughter is taken care of. He convinces himself that she will be “much happier” without him as a father (135).

Molly is buried in an anonymous ceremony. Her death will have lasting consequences in Raveloe. People are surprised that Silas takes in the “tramp’s child,” and their attitudes toward him soften (136). In particular, Dolly helps him to raise the little girl even though Silas is determined to be self-sufficient. The little girl amazes him, as though his lost gold “had turned into the child” (138). At Dolly’s suggestion, Silas has the girl baptized. He names her Hephzibah, the name of both his deceased mother and sister. The biblical named is shortened to Eppie. Silas is baptized at the same time. He becomes a member of the community rather than the solitary figure he was before. Eppie’s relentless curiosity about the world inspires him. She convinces him to take time away from his work. As she grows up, he grows up as well. This period of growth sparks a period of remembrance in Silas’s life. When she is three years old, Eppie develops a “fine capacity for mischief” (143). Dolly tells Silas not to indulge her, but also not to be overly severe. He tries to punish her by placing her in the coal-hole—a “black naughty place”—but she enjoys the experience too much for it to be a punishment (146). As a result, she goes largely unpunished. Silas takes her with him everywhere he goes. She becomes a fixture in the local community, as does her adoptive father. Silas strives to give Eppie a sense of community. He no longer lives an isolated, miserly lifestyle, and Eppie provides the pleasure and security he once took in hoarding his gold.

Godfrey watches Eppie grow up “with keener though more hidden interest” (149). Occasionally, he sends her a gift, but he takes care to ensure that no one could ever suspect that she is his daughter. He has no guilt, as he believes that Silas is taking care of her well. Dunsey fails to return to the house. His absence—added to the death of Molly—makes Godfrey feel confident that he can marry Nancy. As he spends more time with Nancy, people notice a positive change in his character. Privately, he assures himself that he will make sure that Eppie never wants for anything.