Summary:
Describes the interweaving of the character's stories in the novel Silas Marner, by George Eliot. Details Eliot's technique of connecting what appears to be completely irrelevant and disconnected stories by evolving two plots into one.
The novel starts of with the story Silas Marner, of how he arrives in the village of Raveloe. This is followed by a description of Lantern Yard, where Silas lived previously, and was expelled, accused of theft. This is quite ironical, as robbed later on in the story, which also happens to be the point where the stories start interweaving. Further, Eliot begins to introduce the villagers of Raveloe, their relationship and their problems. After that, the Cass family is introduced, Each character separately, one by one, Starting with Squire Cass and ending with Godfrey Cass, but the character we are probably most interested about in this theme, is probably Dunsey Cass.
After further examination, a more knowledge of the book, what had earlier seemed to be irrelevant, and totally disconnected stories, in chapter 4, we begin to see how exactly does Eliot try to bind the stories together. We can see that she that she very intentionally (but without the reader spotting it) evolved the two plots into one.
The interception of the stories is in chapter 4. It starts with an idea of theft of Marner's wealth, arriving in the mind of Dunsey Cass. This happens straight in the first paragraph of chapter 4. At this stage, it is only a thought, that appeared in Dunsey's evil mind, but the more that he thinks about it, and after a series of catalysing events, the thought becomes closer to turning into reality. When Dunsey finds himself standing in front on Marner's abandoned cottage, there is no turning back, and Dunsey is convinced to Steel Marner's money.
When Dunsey entered the empty cottage, he immediately implanted the of Marner's death being the only possible explanation of Marner's absence. The next logical idea that popped in his mind, was that there was no legal inheritor of Marner's wealth ("Who had the right to Marner's money"") and therefore, it is justifiable for Dunsey to keep the money- guided by the saying: "Finders, keepers."
Then, with a mind of a thief, ("his mind was as dull as mind of a possible felon usually is.") he didn't have much trouble locating the hidden money ("There were only three hiding-places where he had ever heard of cottagers' hoards being found: the thatch, the bed, and a hole in the floor."). As Marner's cottage had no thatch, Dunsey head towards the bed, but on the way, a pile of carefully spread sand struck his eyes. The hideout was revealed. He lifted the two loose bricks in the ground, and pulled out the two leather sacks, full of guineas. Dunsey replaced everything (naturally except the money) as it was, an because he slowly realised that Marner might not be as dead as he thought, he headed for a quick silent escape, a disappeared into the darkness.
This is how the two stories are brought together. Eliot uses the image of weaving many times in the novel. The first image is the one of Silas actually being a weaver.
This is the complete article, containing 498 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
