Sin, punishment and redemption in Silas Marner

Silas Marner is one of the best novels by George Eliot, and we can see the life of a weaver named Silas Marner in this novel. The protagonist has endured significant hardships in life and has had to confront numerous challenges. He could not marry the girl he loved, and due to a false accusation of theft, he had to leave his area and move to another place. In this way, we can see the sorrows, pains, and also the joys of Silas Marner’s life from the beginning to the end of the novel. One of the central themes of this novel is sin, punishment, and redemption.

If we look at the character of Silas Marner, we can see that he does not have any significant fault. We do not know that he has committed many sins. Rather, what we see is that a great injustice has been done to him. A false accusation of theft was brought against him, and he was falsely convicted as guilty. No concrete evidence of theft was found against him, but still, he had to be punished—and it can be said that he was punished severely. As a result of this punishment, he had to leave his community on the one hand, and on the other hand, his fiancée refused to marry him and chose to marry his close friend instead. As a result of all this, Silas Marner suffered a severe blow in life, and it does not seem that he was ever able to overcome this trauma throughout his life.

If we were to find fault in Silas Marner, we might say that he had only one fault, and that was that he was a bit miserly by nature. Being a little bit miserly is not such a bad thing, but anything in excess is harmful. He used to work hard but saved money like a miser. As a result, a kind of abnormality developed in him, and when he lost his gold coins—or when they were stolen—he became even more depressed. What happened as a consequence of his miserliness was that Silas Marner got hurt, and he did not try to make his own family. He could have gotten married and started a family, but his mind never returned to that path.

Another important character in this novel is Godfrey Cass. He was a man from an aristocratic family, and he secretly married a woman who was not in a socially privileged position, keeping the marriage a secret. They had a child together, and his first wife, Molly Farren, was a drug addict and of a low caste. On the other hand, Godfrey Cass kept this a secret and planned to marry Nancy Lammeter, who was a woman from a noble family. When his first wife, Molly Farren, thought about revealing their relationship, she died, and by a twist of fate, Eppie appeared at the doorstep of Silas Marner. Though Godfrey Cass arrived at the scene, he did not admit that Eppie was his daughter or that Molly Farren was his first wife. As a result of this refusal to acknowledge them, Eppie started growing up with Silas Marner. Godfrey’s biggest wrongdoing was that although his wife was a drug addict, he did not try to raise his own child. Out of fear of society, he kept the matter hidden, and although he later tried to get Eppie back, he never succeeded.

The worst character in this novel is perhaps Dunstan Cass, who was the younger brother of Godfrey Cass. Dunstan Cass committed numerous sins. First, he knew that Godfrey Cass had secretly married Molly Farren and even had a child with her. Therefore, he always threatened Godfrey Cass that he would reveal the secret. His second crime was that he stole the gold coins that Silas Marner had saved through hard work. Dunstan Cass died while fleeing, and the real story was revealed many years later.

If we look at redemption, we will see that Silas Marner suffered the most, but he is the happiest person in life. The main reason for his redemption is that despite all the suffering in his life, he did not become a bad person. When Eppie appeared at his doorstep, he raised her with all his heart and soul. We all more or less understand that raising a child alone as a man is almost impossible. Though he was not Eppie’s biological father, he tried to raise her with the utmost care. As a result, he survived and became happy.

Later, Godfrey Cass tried to redeem himself, but he did not get Eppie back. What we can understand from this is that God might have forgiven Godfrey Cass’ sins—but not entirely. As a result, his greatest punishment was witnessing his daughter call another man her father—and not just call him that, but truly believe he was her father. His own daughter did not recognize him as her father, and that became his lifelong punishment. Godfrey Cass may have gained many things in life, but he never had a child of his own.

Dunstan Cass did not receive redemption because he was completely evil. He had no intention or desire to become a better person, and that is why he did not receive redemption. As a result, he suffered in life. From this, we understand that if we become completely evil, we will not receive any redemption from God.

Relationship between Silas Marner and Eppie

Silas Marner is one of the best novels of George Eliot. The central character of this novel is Silas Marner, and various events of his life are portrayed here. This novel demands the readers’ attention for multiple reasons, and it has become one of the classics in English literature. However, the aspect that attracts readers the most is the beautiful relationship between Silas Marner and his adopted daughter, Eppie. Silas Marner found Eppie by chance, and it can be said that she appeared in his life suddenly. After that, he raised her with care and love.

Eppie’s biological father is Godfrey Cass, who belongs to an aristocratic family. He secretly married Molly Farren, a woman from the lower class of society and also a drug addict. A child was born from this secret marriage, and that child was Eppie. After Eppie’s mother died, it can be said that Eppie appeared at Silas’ doorstep. So, Silas named her Eppie. In this way, Silas found her.

Silas Marner was a benevolent father, and he made an impossible task possible. Very few men can raise a child because we know that the task of raising children is primarily considered to be the responsibility of mothers. The same applies to all animals, meaning mothers raise the children. On the other hand, Silas Marner did not have a wife, and he had to struggle a lot to raise Eppie. He took care of Eppie from her childhood, and we can understand very well that he never avoided his duties. With endless patience, he raised and nurtured Eppie, and later, Eppie grew into a fine young woman who was admired by everyone. Seeing that Eppie had grown into a fine young woman, Godfrey Cass became restless to take her back into his life. At the same time, when Godfrey Cass’ second wife, Nancy Cass, saw that Eppie was a good girl, she did not object to taking her. The full credit for Eppie becoming such a good young lady goes to Silas Marner. It must be said that Silas Marner truly made the impossible task of raising a child alone possible. Eppie is a good girl. Even though she does not have a mother, she has still grown up to be a good young lady. At the same time, she loves her father with all her heart. Later, when she comes to know that Silas Marner is not her biological father and that her real father is Godfrey Cass, who is rich and wants to take her back into his life, she still does not abandon Silas Marner. Yet, if she had abandoned Silas Marner at that time, no one would have blamed her because she had found her biological father, and going to one’s real father is not blameworthy. Moreover, if she had gone to Godfrey Cass, she would have received many privileges. Instead, she chose to live a simple life. Another admirable quality of Eppie is that she was determined to marry Aaron Winthrop and did so at the end of the novel. Although Aaron Winthrop came from an ordinary family, Eppie did not show any disregard for this.

Throughout the novel, we can see that Silas Marner and Eppie have a very close relationship, and such a beautiful bond is rarely seen between a father and daughter. Both of them benefited from this relationship. Silas Marner had lost everything in his life, but in this one area, he found victory. By raising Eppie, he was able to overcome his loneliness and become a happier person. On the other hand, Eppie was an unfortunate child whose mother was a drug addict and whose father abandoned her right after her birth. So, even though Eppie was unfortunate, she still found shelter, happiness, and love in life. She was not to blame for her birth. Her mother suffered the consequences of her addiction, and her real father, Godfrey Cass, was also punished for neglecting her. However, despite such an unfortunate background, Eppie chose the right path and lived her life as an obedient daughter to Silas Marner. That is why she is truly happy.

What we see from the father-daughter relationship between Silas Marner and Eppie is that if people are truly genuine and honest at heart, they are never alone. They can form relationships with others, and those relationships can become even stronger and more beautiful than real-life biological family bonds. So, although there was no biological connection between Eppie and Silas Marner, their relationship as father and daughter was stronger and more genuine than many biological father-daughter relationships, and it brought happiness to both of them.

Industrial Revolution in Silas Marner

Silas Marner is one of the best novels written by George Eliot. In this novel, we can see that Silas Marner is an ordinary weaver. He used to live in a village. He experiences various events in his life. In all these events, he sometimes suffers in life and sometimes becomes happy. The novel primarily portrays all these aspects of his life. Here, we can see the social situation of the early nineteenth century. 

Silas Marner used to live in a small town in Northern England, which was probably not very much different from a village. A false accusation of theft was brought against him, and as a result, he was forced to leave the area. Then, through various ups and downs, he found an orphaned child whom he raised as his own, and his life became beautiful again around that little girl.

This novel was written at a time when the Industrial Revolution was just beginning in England. As a result, several significant changes took place in society and the economy of England. When we talk about the Industrial Revolution, we often think about economics, trade, and politics, but George Eliot focused more on the lives of ordinary people. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, what happened at that time was that many people were migrating from villages to cities in droves in the hope of getting a job. They used to work in agriculture before, and they did not earn much from it. Sometimes, crops would be damaged by natural disasters, and they would face losses. Sometimes, the price of crops would be very low. Because of all these reasons, what happened was that when the Industrial Revolution came, they started crowding into urban areas, leaving agricultural work. As a result, new small towns started to develop in England. So, that was a very unstable time. On one hand, rural English life was coming to an end, and on the other hand, urban England was flourishing. This was the situation at that time.

As a result of the Industrial Revolution, many people started dreaming of getting rich quickly. It seemed that moving to the city would bring wealth. Just like in our time, we often hear that money ‘flies in the sky’ in Dhaka, and if you come to Dhaka, you just have to catch it. Many people in rural Bangladesh hear and believe such things. They come to Dhaka with big dreams but end up pulling rickshaws or living in slums. We often hear these stories from others or from relatives in the village. We can see this kind of problem in both Dunstan Cass and Godfrey Cass in different ways. Dunstan Cass runs away with Silas Marner’s gold in the hope of making money.

On the other hand, Godfrey Cass secretly marries a girl who belongs to a poor family. He keeps his marriage a secret, and they have a child named Eppie. The unrest between them symbolizes the Industrial Revolution in one way. During the time of the industrial revolution, many people wanted to become rich in just this way. They wanted to become wealthy and make money at any cost—through trickery, manipulation, or cunning. As a result, many people were harmed. For example, Silas Marner’s gold was stolen, and Godfrey Cass’ first and secret wife, Molly Farren, eventually died, leaving Eppie to grow up as an orphan. In this way, a kind of unrest was going on at that time, which is reflected in this novel.

As a result of the Industrial Revolution, people used to live in overcrowded conditions in those newly developed towns. In many cases, these towns did not have many facilities. They were somewhat similar to the slums we see in present-day Bangladesh. Towards the end of the novel, Silas Marner and his daughter possibly form an idea about city life based on these observations.

One negative side of the Industrial Revolution was that people began to value money more, and moral values declined. That is why we see that Silas Marner’s friend brought a false accusation of theft against him. As a result, Silas Marner was forced to leave his community. His best friend even married his fiancée. In this way, Silas Marner lost everything. Unfortunately, in this way, there was indeed a decline in morality, and it seemed that England was undergoing social deterioration. However, this kind of social degradation can happen in any situation, and it is neither impossible nor unrealistic.

It may be difficult to fully understand how much George Eliot was influenced by the Industrial Revolution when writing Silas Marner, but it seems that she was probably not very much in favor of it. 

William Wordsworth’s relationship with nature

William Wordsworth is regarded as one of the top three poets in English literature, along with William Shakespeare and John Milton. He is the pioneer and founder of the Romantic Movement in English literature. Few poets have devoted their lives so entirely to the promotion of poetry. Wordsworth is particularly renowned for emphasizing the significance of nature in his works. To him, nature did not merely represent the natural world but much more than that.

Wordsworth’s poetry is significant because it presents a constant portrayal of nature. Nature is not just a part of life but has its own existence and life. Nature is not just trees, water, and picturesque landscapes, but also has a spirit and an existence of its own, apart from human beings. Wordsworth believes that people should not forget this aspect of nature and should communicate with it by considering it as their own counterpart.

We all know that nature can inspire poet to write poetry. However, Wordsworth believes that nature can have a highly active influence on a poet’s life rather than having a passive one. According to him, it can help to create powerful emotions in the mind of a poet and when the poet think of it can create powerful poetry. Wordsworth believes that it has happened to him that after experiencing a beautiful event or scene in nature, he returned home, recollected the emotion in tranquility and composed very good poems. In fact, Wordsworth thinks that nature can play a very active role throughout the entire poetic process.

Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” is an excellent poem that mainly deals with memory and nature. This poem is a reflection of the change of emotion in the poet. Five years ago, he visited the place, and he visited there again. He notices a significant change between these two visits. When he first visited, he experienced and made some wonderful memories in his youth. He did not think much about the relationship between humans and nature; rather, he just experienced and enjoyed the beauty of nature in that place. However, after five years, he comes to understand that there is a certain kind of bond and emotion attached to the place in his mind. He is also aware that during his current visit, he will discover new aspects upon seeing the place again. He has described things in a very simple yet beautiful manner and believes that people should foster a relationship with nature.

Wordsworth’s poem “It is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free” is a remarkable piece of poetry. In fact, it is a sonnet and perhaps the best sonnet written by him. It is an emotional poem in which he reflects on nature in a very calm and peaceful manner. It was a beautiful evening, and the place was very quiet and peaceful, like a nun. The poet realizes that the beauty of the place evokes a sense of heavenly bliss in his mind, and he perceives nature as divine. In this poem, the poet finds a relationship between nature and God, and he believes that nature is an essential component of God.

Wordsworth brought a new trend to poetry and had a significant influence on the Romantic poets who followed. While some of them appreciated his ideas, others did not. Byron, Shelley, and Keats were among the other Romantic poets who contributed their own styles. Coleridge, a close friend of Wordsworth, also differed with him regarding the role of nature in both human life and poetry. However, it is undeniable that William Wordsworth was a pioneer in emphasizing the role of nature in both human life and poetic expression.

How creatively did we spend our time during power outages in childhood?

I was born in Bangladesh in the late 1980s. However, when I was old enough to understand my surroundings, I became aware of several issues. Frequent power outages were one of them. They occurred so often and lasted so long that people would sometimes find themselves without electricity for half the day. When the power finally returned after an hour or two, people would sarcastically say that the electricity had not gone— it had just decided to take a little vacation.

Back in those days, we did not have IPS systems or rechargeable lights. Therefore, to cope with the darkness at night, we had to rely on kerosene lamps and candles of various shapes and sizes. I have heard numerous stories of people who studied by the flickering light of a lamp or candle and later went on to secure top government jobs.

However, we often spent our time during power outages in more creative ways. Family members, especially the younger ones, would split into two teams and hold singing competitions either on the balcony or up on the rooftop. When one group finished a song, the other would start with a new tune, beginning with the last letter of the previous song’s final word. Meanwhile, the male members would go outside to socialize with friends, chatting about everything from global politics to the prices of daily essentials.

I can still clearly recall how we would place our hands next to a candle or lamp to create different shapes—dogs, rabbits, turtles, birds, and many more—projecting their shadowy dances onto the wall whenever my mother lit a candle during load-shedding at night. This form of art is referred to as “hand shadow puppetry.”

You know, back in those days, most of us—especially the younger crowd—would pour melted candle wax on our hands and then attempt to put out the flame with our thumb and index finger. We genuinely believed we were doing the most courageous thing imaginable. Now, looking back on those moments, I cannot help but giggle at how wild we were.

When the power came back, my siblings and I would compete to see who could blow out the candle first. On moonlit nights, we would gather on the rooftop, share stories, reminisce about our carefree childhood, and burst into laughter over our silly past adventures.

Power outages at night in the village, especially during the winter season, gave us experiences that no amount of money could buy. The entire village would be submerged in darkness, and it felt as if we were wrapped in a cozy blanket of silence. We could only hear the chirping of crickets and the flickering of fireflies dancing in the jungle. Sitting on the steps of the paved wharf, soaking in the serene atmosphere, was the kind of experience that money simply cannot buy.

The women in the family would gather in the courtyard to gossip while the young men perched on the railing of a pole built across the canal, chatting away until the power was restored. Even though I will never get those days back, but I can cherish the memories for the the rest of my life.

Birthday celebration by middle-class people in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, most people are quite conservative. Their religious faith or beliefs often influence the celebration of various festivals or events. Birthday celebrations have not been spared from this influence. There might be a debate about whether celebrating birthdays is permissible in religion. However, in this article, I will not speak from a religious perspective but rather from a social point of view. Like in the rest of the world, birthdays are celebrated in our country too. The extravagance of a birthday party depends on a family’s socioeconomic status. Since I come from a middle-class family, I will focus on how people in this social class typically celebrate birthdays.

Since most people in this social class can hardly make ends meet with their limited income, throwing a birthday party seems like a far-off dream. Yet, they are sometimes compelled to do it just to fulfill their children’s requests. To do so, they buy a cake as cheaply as possible, prepare some food items at home, and invite a few neighbors. They try to keep the celebration as simple as possible. Those who are financially solvent tend to arrange it in a more grandiloquent manner.

In rural areas of Bangladesh, well-off families often celebrate their children’s birthdays in a more religious manner. They frequently invite orphans from local madrasahs and organize Quran recitations and prayers as part of the festivities. They also hire a professional chef to prepare delicacies—polao, chicken roast, beef curry, and salad—for hundreds of people. To accommodate this grand feast, they typically set up a tent in the courtyard. The tradition of celebrating birthdays by cutting a cake is not very common. In most cases, the birthday program ends before sunset.

However, in urban areas, we see a completely different scenario. Here, middle-class families who are doing well financially often host birthday parties at home. They start the preparations a few days before the birthday. When the day finally arrives, preparations begin very early in the morning, with the female members and the family’s servant spending a busy time in the kitchen preparing food for the guests. This includes grinding spices, slicing onions, washing and rinsing rice, and many other tasks. To avoid these hassles, some people hire a chef to cook the food items. The variety of dishes usually depends on their financial ability, with around 5 to 6 items being the norm. Older siblings often take responsibility for buying the birthday cake and home decoration items. The cake is adorned with flowers or fun designs featuring the popular words “Happy Birthday to You,” along with the name of the birthday child. One of the rooms is decorated with cartoon-themed decorations and colorful balloons. They even buy funnel-shaped paper caps for the birthday baby and the other kids attending the event.

Though the main event starts in the evening, guests begin arriving early. The main event begins with the cutting of the cake. At that time, everyone gathers in a circle around the birthday child and sings the traditional birthday song, “Happy Birthday to You,” in chorus. The birthday kid blows out the candle while their parents, holding their little one’s hand, cut the cake. Then, they feed the child a small portion of the cake as part of a celebration. The most interesting thing is that kids and youngsters pop balloons after the celebration. Someone might even pop a party popper to commemorate the special occasion as a modern addition to birthday parties. Then, the cake is cut into pieces and given to each guest. After that, the main dish is served.

People with a bit more wealth often host their birthday parties at a restaurant or a community center. It costs them more money but takes the stress out of preparing everything at home. The restaurant arranges the food items depending on how many guests are expected to attend the party. The meal usually starts with some starters, like soup, wontons, and other light food items. Then comes the main course, which typically features fried rice, chicken fry, Chinese vegetables, and either beef or chicken curry. There is a designated area where decorations are made with various decorative items to make the place feel festive.

From my point of view, any event feels like a social gathering for middle-class people. On the contrary, for upper-class people, it is more of a chance to show off or a business meeting among partners or tycoons. 

It is hard to preserve independence with dignity than achieving it

Independence is achieved in exchange for the relentless struggle of countless people and the shedding of immense blood. Great awareness, diligence, and perseverance are required to protect the independence achieved after such sacrifice and hardship.

To stay outside the authority or rule of others is called independence. It is a valuable asset of national life. Achieving independence is considered the result of hard work and unlimited sacrifice. This independence is achieved through many sacrifices and the loss of many lives. It is because powerful rulers never give independence to a subjugated nation. We cannot see the true form of this hard-earned independence if we confine it to achievements only. We must uphold the honor of our independence, and keeping that honor is the most difficult and important task. The days that follow the arrival of independence, after a long struggle and immense self-sacrifice, are considered to be even more terrifying and critical. Therefore, we need more strength to protect the independence because there is no absence of enemies inside and outside an independent country. The struggle to protect a country’s independence from internal and external opposition is indeed a difficult one. The former enemies of an independent nation harm the country secretly. Defeating them is a very difficult task.

If this continues, frustration will arise in public life, enthusiasm for work will decrease, and the path to national progress will become full of obstacles. Then, the question of upholding the importance, significance, and true spirit of independence becomes a major concern. Therefore, to protect independence, all the people of the country have to work tirelessly in the fields, factories, and everywhere with endless efforts and responsibilities. We have to bring about financial prosperity to the country by developing the country in industry and commerce. We have to make our country self-sufficient in food production by developing agriculture. If the country’s economic backbone is strong and if the country is self-contained in food, then we can observe motivation and awareness among ordinary people. Then, there is no fear of the country’s independence being endangered. However, doing that work with people is not that easy.

In 1971, freedom fighters of our country achieved independence at the cost of three million lives. Can we defend this independence with proper respect? After achieving independence, immorality, the tendency of excess spending, anti-social activities, and terrorism in educational institutions are increasing in different sectors of Bangladesh. If this situation continues for a long time, will it really be possible to protect our independence? If we are not aware enough and strong from the economic and political perspectives, it will be very difficult to protect independence.

No one in this world wants to live without independence. As a result, every person has the desire to achieve independence, but we must not forget the importance of protecting it as well. We cannot truly protect the independence without the collective effort of all.