‘Silas Marner’ – Chapter 9
BY ELLIE AND CHLOE
Narrative point of view and style
 Omniscient narrative – “Every one breakfasted at a
different hour in the Red House, and the Squire was always
the latest...” This gives the reader an insight into the family
dynamics of the Casses.
 Subjective; reveals the author’s point of view: “...Fleet, the
deer-hound, had consumed enough bits of beef to make a
poor man’s holiday dinner.” This portrays the wasteful
aristocratic lifestyle.
 Dips down into first person – “Favourable Chance, I
fancy,...” The personal pronoun, “I”, creates an intimacy
with the reader, as though the author is disclosing her
innermost opinions.
Imagery and symbolism
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“Godfrey waited...until the ale had been brought and the door closed...” The
“closed” door gives a sense that he is being caged in the room with his father.
“...[Godfrey] had entangled himself still further in prevarication and deceit.”
The verb, “entangled”, brings spider web imagery to mind, interlinking the
dual plots of ‘Silas Marner’.
Agricultural imagery: the antonymous idea for “Chance” is described as
“the orderly sequence by which the seed brings forth a crop after its kind.”
This is a metaphor for the usual cycle of hard work followed by success, i.e.
Marner’s dogmatic regime.
Language devices
 Metaphor: “...the sweet flower of courtesy is not a growth of
such homes as the Red House.” The Cass family is indirectly
contrasted to the Lammeter family.
 Dramatic irony: “You’ve been up to some trick, and you’ve
been bribing [Dunsey] not to tell...” This is an alarmingly
accurate guess on Squire Cass’ part  added tension.
 Simile: “...if I hadn’t four good-for-nothing fellows to hang on
me like horse-leeches.” Squire Cass selfishly implies that his
sons drain him of money. As the head of the family, he is
expected to provide for his four sons.
 Metaphor: “Let [even a polished man] neglect the responsibilities
of his office, and he will inevitably anchor himself on the
chance...” Once faced with a seemingly insurmountable
challenge, respectably people even today will take “refuge” in
chance or fate.
Thematic concerns
Chance
Inequality
 “...some throw of fortune’s dice...”
 “Favourable Chance...is the god of
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all men who follow their own
devices instead of obeying a law
they believe in.”
 “...dreaming of a possible
benefactor, a possible
simpleton..., a possible state of
mind in some possible person not
yet forthcoming.” Repetition of
“possible” implies how unreliable
“Chance” is as a last resort.
 “...cunning complexity called
Chance...” Alliteration of the harsh
“c” sound has negative
implications.
Class inequality: Squire Cass speaks in
“a ponderous coughing fashion, which
was felt in Raveloe to be a sort of
privilege of his rank”. Eliot mocks
the false concept of his superiority.
 Gender inequality (in marriage): “...a
woman has no call for [a will of
her own], if she’s got a proper man for
her husband.” In Victorian society, men
were thought to be physically and
intellectually dominant.
 Advantageous marriage:
“Lammeter isn’t likely to be loth for his
daughter to marry into my family...”
The Casses are of a higher rank than
the Lammeters, so Nancy’s marriage
into the Cass family would raise her
social standing.
Characterisation
 The Squire
 “…the knit brow and rather hard
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glance seemed contradicted by
the slack and feeble mouth.”
“…there was something in the
presence of the old Squire
distinguishable from that of the
ordinary farmers…”
“…I shall let you know I’m
master; else you may turn out,
and find an estate to drop into
somewhere else.”
Extremely aware of his societal
status and comes across to his son
in a very authoritative, selfassured manner.
Eliot includes multiple
descriptions of Squire Cass,
suggesting that it is his influence
that plays upon Godfrey’s
conscience.
 Godfrey
 “…as soon as his father was silent,
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he began to cut his meat…”
“The truth is, sir—I’m very sorry—
I was quite to blame.”
“Godfrey left the room, hardly
knowing whether he were more
relieved by the sense that the
interview was ended without
having made any change in his
position, or more uneasy that he
had entangled himself still further
in prevarication and deceit.”
Very respectful but also fearing of
his father, Godfrey is very
apologetic because he knows that
it is in his father’s nature to be
unforgiving.
The relationship he has with his
father is based on fear.
Contextual relations
 “Favourable Chance, I fancy, is the god of all men who follow their
own devices instead of obeying a law they believe in…” This links to
Eliot’s broad outlook on life. She tries to express to the reader her
awareness of following oneself instead of the ‘normality’ of the
rules and regulations one is taught.
 The dipping into the author’s first person voice is a direct
personal contextual link as it sums up what she thinks of the
chapter herself.
 The readers of 1860 would have been very familiar with the issues of
theft, prejudices, social pressures in society, etc., so Chapter 9
would be easy for them to relate to. Money was constantly the main
topic of discussion and it ruled the upper class life.
 The readers of today can connect with the argument the father and
son have and how they are not so like-minded. Also, the fact that
Eliot constantly analyses Godfrey’s faith in Chance makes the
reader think about what is most important to them.
Setting
• “wainscoted parlour”
• “Red House”
• “…the sweet flower of courtesy is not a growth of such homes as
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the Red House.”
These quotes express a sense of unease and tension.
The “Red House” is where the Squire lives, however it could
symbolise:
Blood/death
Regret
Love and hate – extreme opposites