“At the end of Silas Marner, there is a feeling that justice has been done, that the badhave been punished and the good rewarded.”
In the novel Silas Marner, numerous actions take place resulting in different consequences. Some are tragic, such as the death of Molly Farren, and some are beneficial, such as the return of Silas' lost money. It is remarked upon that each character's actions are linked to each other in some way, and each person's choice influenced and affected others. This creates a sort of domino-effect, as each main character influences surrounding characters in a positive or a negative way. Throughout the novel, certain characters are either punished or rewarded for their actions. This can be demonstrated through Silas Marner, Dunsey Cass and Godfrey Cass.
Silas Marner is first introduced as a lonely weaver living in the fictional village of Raveloe. He is described as being something akin to a recluse, as he doesn't go to church, he doesn't interact with any of the villagers and he spends his days weaving and counting his money. His comes across as being very suspicious and little children are scared of him. Eliot uses anthropomorphism to emphasise Silas' persona. Before Eppie entered his life, he was a miserable lonely man. Eliot compares him to insects such as a spider; he spins his linen like a spider would make its web, and he is described as having large blurry eyes, like that of an insect. Silas feels as though his life has fallen apart, as he was excommunicated from his initial home by his so-called best friend William Dane. Silas was accused of stealing money from the church and was determined guilty. Although Silas was completely innocent, he still refuses to interact with anyone in Raveloe, as he has lost trust in people. One evening Silas' money gets stolen from his house, by Dunsey Cass. This happens because Silas leaves the house to quickly run an errand in town and he leaves his