Silas Marner

I recently read "Silas Marner" for the first time. It's not the smoothest book to read because it was written so long ago and in old English. But I puttered my way through it, mostly skipping descriptions of buildings and landscape, but dutifully reading the dialogue between the characters.

As I neared the end of the book I realized I had heard the story before. After desperately trying to remember when or how, I figured out I had watched an episode of "Wishbone" years ago that featured the Silas Marner story.

Now Wishbone is a Jack Russell terrier who assumes one of the characters of the story. And since this was my first and only episode of "Wishbone" I had ever and was ever going to see, it took some time to figure out that the dog was actually portraying a main character.




Most of the characters in "Silas Marner" are not agreeable people. Silas himself is good character, though keeps to himself and hoards his gold at the beginning of the story. At least he isn't actively hurting anyone besides himself with his miserly ways. After his gold is stolen he adopts a small girl who wandered into his house. Raising this girl brings out his compassionate side and he learns to accept the world around him.

Godfrey Cass was difficult to like at anytime during the story. He is the son of the wealthiest man in town and likely to be heir to that title. Where I think he should be a good example to the town because of his good circumstances, it turns out he's lazy, selfish, far too concerned with his standing in the community, and hiding a secret. He's already married to another woman.

He knows it was a mistake, mostly because his wife is an opium addict, but instead of facing his decisions and consequences, he hides and disguises them. After the wife freezes to death while sleeping in the snow (which I guess can happen when you're high on opium), Godfrey's small daughter, who he barely even recognizes, wanders into Silas' home and gets adopted by Silas because Godfrey is too concerned about what people will say about him when they learn the child is his.

Godfrey is now free to marry the other women he's been courting and never tells of his previous marriage and daughter. He doesn't claim his daughter until he feels like it's of a benefit to himself. He doesn't honor his wife's name or tombstone ever. What a jerk.

This bothers me to no end. On a side note of bad timing comes the discovery of Tiger Wood's affairs. An affair that lasted several years with several women. And he's sorry he hasn't made good choices? And he's sorry he's hurt his family? Several years of subterfuge, dishonesty, lying, cheating, and pretending, cannot be covered by an "I'm sorry I made a bad decision." One bad decision? Give me a break. You're a moron. I even liked the guy for all his hard work, his dedication to the game, and his being a celebrity who hasn't made a complete mess of his life. Maybe I'M the moron for expecting that.

Anyways, the only character I truly enjoyed is Eppie, Godfrey's unowned child who is adopted by Silas. She grows up as a joy to her father and one of the few sensible characters of the book. When given the choice of becoming a "lady" and leaving her father or staying with her father and being a "working-man's wife" she chooses to continue loving her father and her fiance.

Finally someone willing to honor their responsibilities and love for others instead of gamble it away for money, position, and community praise.