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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How long before the story begins had Silas Marner arrived at Raveloe?

2. What sets Squire Cass apart from the other landowners in Raveloe?

3. Who is appointed deputy-constable in the investigation of Silas' stolen gold?

4. What does Silas Marner decide to do after returning from the village and while waiting for his supper to cook?

5. Dunsey blackmails his brother with what information in Chapter 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the conversation of the townsfolk differ from the feelings of Silas Marner regarding his stolen treasure?

2. Silas Marner’s departure from his home and his travels to Raveloe is compared to the divinities of old in what way?

3. What is the overall feel of the conversation at the Rainbow before Silas Marner’s arrival?

4. Why is Godfrey Cass waiting to see his brother, Dunsey in the first scene where we meet them in Chapter 3?

5. Did Silas Marner suspect the possibility of being robbed? Why or why not?

6. The absence of Dunsey and the news of the death of Wildfire drives Godfrey to what decision?

7. What seems to be William Dane’s motivation in framing Silas Marner as a thief after nine years of friendship?

8. What does Eliot accomplish by taking an entire chapter to set the scene at the Rainbow before Silas Marner’s arrival?

9. How does the sale of Wildfire take place?

10. Why was Dunsey able to get away without immediate consequences after “staking” Wildfire during the hunt?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Summarize the response of Squire Cass when Godfrey confesses the situation about Dunsey, the horse Wildfire, and the lost money.

Essay Topic 2

In Part 2 of the novel, we see Godfrey Cass happy with everything except his lack of children. How does Eliot use Godfrey’s this as a symbol of the consequences of his failure to do what was right?

Essay Topic 3

In many ways, Silas Marner is a simple protagonist who does very little aside from enduring through the trials he is put through. Select three other characters besides Marner that Eliot uses to move the plot forward and write about how each of them impacts the story.

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