The History and Literary Context of Silas Marner

The History and Literary Context of Silas Marner

Silas Marner was written in 1860 by Mary Ann (Marian) Evans, better

known under the pen name of George Eliot. She used this name for

several reasons; for one, she'd had affairs with a variety of

unsuitable men, which was greatly frowned upon in those days, and she

rightly thought this could affect her career as a successful novelist.

For another reason, women authors were looked down upon by critics and

indeed, society, so she felt sure she would have a greater chance of

success under a male name. Other women writers like the Bronté sisters

have done similar things.

Whilst she was young she was a firm Christian, as was expected. It was

only later that she began to question her faith, when she met the

unconventional Charles Bray and his wife Caroline. Eliot's father was

horrified when he discovered this, having an evangelical outlook on

life. He broke contact with Eliot entirely, ashamed that one of his

children should turn out to be a non-believer. However, when her

mother died in 1836, Eliot returned home to look after her father

although she wouldn't give up her education and learnt German and

Italian.

Because of her linguistic skills, Eliot's first publication was a

translation of Strauss' Life of Jesus, under her real name. She still

was not writing novels until she met George Lewes. Lewes was married

and with children, but he and Eliot grew gradually closer until they

finally decided to elope. As Lewes was already married, he and Eliot

could not be officially joined in matrimony, but they lived together

like man and wife, and Eliot even went under the name Lewes. Their

relationship was censured by many, and Eliot hardly left the house,

becoming...

... middle of paper ...

..., and soon many people

from all over Raveloe were coming to Silas to have him cure their

rheumatism and other ailments, adding more darkly "that if you could

only speak the devil fair enough, he [Silas] might save you the cost

of the doctor." So witchcraft was still in people's minds. Drugs were

also used in that time, and Godfrey Cass's wife, Molly, was addicted

to opium, the drug which finally killed her.

The life that George Eliot was depicting in Silas Marner was one in

which poverty and wealth lived side by side, and people accepted that

that was how things were. Religion was very important to all, whether

it was non-conformist or Anglican. By the time George Eliot wrote

Silas Marner she had lost her Christian faith, and this could have

inspired her to write about somebody who also loses their faith

although, unlike George Eliot, Silas regains his.