CREATING OPPORTUNITIES, CHANGING LIVES
What a week that has been. This week reminded of the book that I still think about titled SILAS MARNER written by George Eliot. The book tells a story of weaver Silas Marner from Raveloe, English Midlands. After being framed by a friend in Lantern Yard, Silas Marner fled to Raveloe to start afresh. When he arrived in Raveloe, the reception was not that appeasing because people in Raveloe find Silas strange and unapproachable because of his epileptic condition although they appreciated his weaving trade. This made him a loner. Marner, for his part, is content to live a life of almost total solitude in his simple cottage beside the Stone-pits.
Marner had one joy in life: gold. The gold coins that he earns at his loom represent for him all the meaning that he has lost, and the faces printed on the coins serve as his only company. He spends as little as he can in order to save more coins, which he hides in two leather bags in a hole in his cottage floor.
One day his money his only companion disappeared, stolen. The same night while in a epileptic fit, a toddler walked in his cottage. When he woke up, he saw a toddler sleeping on the floor next to the fire with beautiful curly blonde hairs. At first he thought some brought back his stolen gold but when touched the golden hair he realized that it was not indeed his stolen gold coins. Because it was snowy that evening he followed the footsteps of the toddler as she walked in his cottage. The footsteps led him to the body of the toddler mother that was half covered by snow.
Silas decided to keep the toddler. The community later changed their perception of Silas and the fact that he was raising the toddler that seemed fatherless because only the toddler's late mom knew the father, the community started showing interest in Silas' life. He decide to name the toddler Eppie after his own mom and sister.
Sixteen years later. Eppie was 18 years old and something good happened to Silas Marner in sixteen years. His gold was found in the Stone-pits after it dried up. The money was found next Dunstan's skeletons. Dunstan was the unrully younger son of Raveloe Squire Cass. Silas's gold coins were stolen by Dunstan.
Dustan had an older brother Godfrey, according to the story Godfrey was the father to the toddler. The toddler's mother was on her way to reveal Godfrey's secret child to Squire Cass but because the toddler's mother (Molly) was addicted to opium. She drinks her drug just outside of Silas Marner's cottage and slips into an opium stupor. Her two-year-old daughter, seeing the lights in Marner's cottage, toddles over to the weaver's door. His door is open. She enters and falls asleep on his hearth, next to his fire.
Sometimes later, Godfrey now married to Nancy the doctor's daughter tried to convince Silas to give up Eppie because he is indeed the biological father. Eppie refused but agreed to Godfrey to support her in any way. Eppie gets married the following summer to Aaron Winthrop (Silas' neighbor son), and the Casses (Godfrey and Nancy) furnish the entire wedding. "Oh father," Eppie says to Silas, "what a pretty house is ours! I think nobody could be happier than we are!"
The End.
It is Eppie's remarks that I liken to this week. "WHAT A PRETTY WEEK WE HAD! I THINK NOBODY COULD BE HAPPIER THAN WE ARE". We have created so many opportunities and we have changed so many lives. May this be our motto.
Silas Marner used his weaving skill/talent to build his humble cottage (Eppie's opportunity to keep warm after leaving her mother's dead body in the snow). Silas decided to keep the toddler (changed the toddler life).
Get the full summary of Silas Marner on https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/silas/summary/
Thank you so much for reading with us...I hope you have enjoyed it...
You are welcome to leave a comment/question. Please do get in touch with us.
Please do scroll down to leave your comment or question.
