Free Essays on The Women Of Silas Marner

Silas Marner In George Elliot’s novel, Silas Marner, the author illustrates three different types of women through her characters. There is Nancy Lameter-Cass, who concentrates on her role as a dutiful wife and on her husband’s happiness, her sister Priscilla, unmarried and managing her father’s farm she has the unconventional role and is an outcast in Ravloe, and Dolly Winthrop, who plays a good mother figure not only in her own family and to Eppie but in the community as well. Nancy Lameter concentrated on Godfrey Cass even before they were married. Although Nancy tells Priscilla that she never means to be married, she thinks of being the Squire’s wife, and treasures the dried flowers Godfrey gave her. Now that they are married she occupies herself with thoughts of Godfrey and his state of mind. Nancy had one child, but after the infant died, she decided that having no children was harder on Godfrey than her, "It was very different-it was much harder for a man to be disappointed in that way: a woman could always be satisfied with devoting herself to her husband, but a man wanted something that would make him look forward more-and sitting by the fire was so much duller to him than to a woman"(158). In this novel the character of Nancy depicts the dependent and dutiful wife. Priscilla is the opposite of her sister Nancy. Priscilla Lameter remains unmarried and runs her fathers farm, being as independent as a woman could be in the time period. Priscilla "likes to see the men mastered"(98), and is often referred to as an Old Maid. Priscilla’s being unmarried makes her the outcast in Ravloe. She never regrets her choices in life, only her sister’s. Dolly Winthrop is not only a mother figure in her own family but throughout the town; after Silas found Molly Dr. Kimble addresses Godfrey "†¦Let somebody run to W... Free Essays on The Women Of Silas Marner Free Essays on The Women Of Silas Marner Silas Marner In George Elliot’s novel, Silas Marner, the author illustrates three different types of women through her characters. There is Nancy Lameter-Cass, who concentrates on her role as a dutiful wife and on her husband’s happiness, her sister Priscilla, unmarried and managing her father’s farm she has the unconventional role and is an outcast in Ravloe, and Dolly Winthrop, who plays a good mother figure not only in her own family and to Eppie but in the community as well. Nancy Lameter concentrated on Godfrey Cass even before they were married. Although Nancy tells Priscilla that she never means to be married, she thinks of being the Squire’s wife, and treasures the dried flowers Godfrey gave her. Now that they are married she occupies herself with thoughts of Godfrey and his state of mind. Nancy had one child, but after the infant died, she decided that having no children was harder on Godfrey than her, "It was very different-it was much harder for a man to be disappointed in that way: a woman could always be satisfied with devoting herself to her husband, but a man wanted something that would make him look forward more-and sitting by the fire was so much duller to him than to a woman"(158). In this novel the character of Nancy depicts the dependent and dutiful wife. Priscilla is the opposite of her sister Nancy. Priscilla Lameter remains unmarried and runs her fathers farm, being as independent as a woman could be in the time period. Priscilla "likes to see the men mastered"(98), and is often referred to as an Old Maid. Priscilla’s being unmarried makes her the outcast in Ravloe. She never regrets her choices in life, only her sister’s. Dolly Winthrop is not only a mother figure in her own family but throughout the town; after Silas found Molly Dr. Kimble addresses Godfrey "†¦Let somebody run to W...