SILAS MARNER

by George Eliot

Te a c h e r s Material

C O N T E N T S

To the Teacher ...................................................................................................................... 3 Before Reading ..................................................................................................................... 5 After Reading: Extra Challenges ......................................................................................... 6 After Reading: Group Work ................................................................................................. 7 Possible Answers to Group Work ....................................................................................... 8 Worksheet 1: Chapters 1-6 .................................................................................................. 9 Answers to Worksheet 1 .................................................................................................... 10 Worksheet 2: Chapters 7-12 ............................................................................................... 11 Answers to Worksheet 2 ................................................................................................... 12 Final Test ............................................................................................................................. 13 Answers to Final Test ......................................................................................................... 14 Answers to Questions in the Reader ................................................................................. 15

Before using the following teachers material, we recommend that you read the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet.

Copyright 2005 Burlington Books

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Silas Marner

TO THE TEACHER
LIST
OF

MAIN CHARACTERS
Molly Farren: Godfreys first wife and Eppies mother. Nancy Lammeter: Godfreys second wife. Dolly Winthrop: a kind woman in Raveloe. Aaron Winthrop: Dollys son. William Dane: Silas best friend in Lantern Yard.

Silas Marner: a weaver. Eppie: Silas adopted daughter. Mr Cass: a rich landowner. Godfrey Cass: Mr Cass elder son. Dunstan Cass: Mr Cass younger son.

P L O T S U M M A RY
For 15 years, Silas Marner has lived on his own in the village of Raveloe. No one knows about his past. He works hard and saves all his money. He is sad and lonely and he only loves his gold coins. Once Silas lived in another village, Lantern Yard, where he was busy with church activities and he had a girlfriend, Sarah. Silas started to have cataleptic fits and the villagers accepted his condition. However, his best friend was also in love with Sarah and made it look like Silas had stolen all the churchs money. Silas, who had been having a fit at the time, could not prove that he was innocent. He lost his faith in God and human beings and left Lantern Yard. In Raveloe, there is a rich landowner called Mr Cass. His two sons, Godfrey and Dunstan, live with their father and do not work because their father is rich. Dunstan is jealous of Godfrey because, as the eldest son, Godfrey will inherit their fathers wealth. Godfrey loves Nancy Lammeter and wants to marry her. Mr Cass wants Godfrey to marry Nancy, too. However, Godfrey is secretly married to Molly Farren, a poor woman who drinks too much alcohol and is addicted to opium. Together they have a daughter. Only Dunstan knows about this and he uses the information to bribe Godfrey for money. Godfrey knows that Mr Cass will disinherit him if he finds out, and he is also afraid of losing Nancy. Godfrey has given Dunstan the money which a villager had to pay Mr Cass for living on his land and Dunstan has spent it. Now Mr Cass wants the money. Dunstan offers to sell Godfreys horse and Godfrey reluctantly agrees because he has no other money. Dunstan takes the horse but it falls and dies near Silas house. Dunstan walks to the house and finds that Silas has gone out. Dunstan knows that Silas has got a lot of money hidden somewhere. He finds Silas gold coins and steals them. Dunstan disappears and never returns. Silas is devastated by the loss of his money. He runs to the Rainbow, a pub where the village men meet in the evenings. The villagers try to help Silas but they dont find anything. Silas feels he has got nothing left in his life. However, the neighbours, especially Dolly Winthrop, are kinder to him than before the robbery. On New Years Eve, Mr Cass gives a big party. Molly, who is tired of being poor, decides to go to the party and tell everyone that she is Godfreys wife. She takes the child with her, but on the way Molly falls asleep in the snow and freezes to death. The child wanders into Silas house nearby and falls asleep in front of the fire. When Silas sees the little girl, he is filled with love. He is sure that God has sent her instead of his lost gold. Then he finds Mollys dead body in the snow. Silas keeps the child and names her Eppie. Godfrey helps Silas to raise his daughter by giving him money and furniture. Now Godfrey can marry Nancy and, since Dunstan has not returned, no one will ever know his secret. Sixteen years later, Aaron Winthrop is in love with Eppie and wants to marry her. They agree that Silas will live with them so they can take care of him. Meanwhile, Godfrey decides to raise cows on his land near Silas cottage and he needs to drain the big pond there. When the pond is drained, they find Dunstans skeleton and Silas money. He had fallen into the pond and drowned on the night he stole the money. The money is returned to Silas. Godfrey tells Nancy that Eppie is his daughter. They dont have children of their own and Godfrey had suggested adopting Eppie many years ago. If Nancy had known that Eppie was Godfreys daughter, she would have agreed and they could have been a family. They go to Silas and Eppie straight away and ask Eppie to live with them. Eppie loves Silas and will not leave him, even when Godfrey tells her that he is her real father. When Eppie marries Aaron, Godfrey pays for the wedding but arranges to be in a distant town on that day.
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Silas Marner

ABOUT

THE

AUTHOR

George Eliot (1819-1880) was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans. In those days it was considered improper for a woman to be a novelist so, in order to have their work published, women writers took male names. Eliots first fictional story appeared in 1857 and her major novels were Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Middlemarch (1871-2) and Daniel Deronda (1876). Eliot was born in Warwickshire, England. She was the youngest surviving child in her family and was educated at home. When her mother died in 1836, Eliot took over the management of the household. She devoted herself to her education and read widely. In her youth, Eliot had become a convert to Evangelical Christianity. She later gave this up but her novels often have religious themes. When her father died in 1849, Eliot travelled for a while and then settled in London. In 1850, she started writing for the Westminster Review and in 1851, she became the assistant editor. She was the centre of a literary circle in London where she met G. H. Lewes. Although he was married, they started a relationship and lived together until his death in 1878. In 1880, Eliot married John Walter Cross, who was 20 years younger than her. Eliot was now at the height of her fame and was widely recognised as the greatest living English novelist. Unfortunately, she died seven months after her marriage.

BACKGROUND
Landowners in 19th-century England leased their land to farmers, who paid rent money. The landowner usually kept one farm (the home farm) and used the produce to feed his household. In inheritance laws, the eldest son inherited all his fathers property. Younger sons went into politics, the army or the church. Daughters didnt inherit property. A respectful way for people from the lower social classes to address people of the upper classes was to use Mr or Miss followed by the first name (e.g. Mr Godfrey). The clergymen who work in the church are called ministers of the church. England is basically a Protestant country and the majority of Protestants are Anglican, like the villagers in Raveloe. Anglicans are baptised as children. Other denominations, such as Methodists, Baptists and Evangelicals, have stricter rules, and like the villagers of Lantern Yard, they are baptised as adults. At that time, each communitys church was autonomous. There were no central records of ceremonies performed. A couple could ask the minister to marry them in a place where they were not known. Usually they would provide witnesses, but for a payment, the minister might perform a secret wedding. Gold coins were used as currency where the value of the coin was the value of the gold it was made from. Eventually, coins were standardised to weigh one pound each. This is why the British unit of currency is called a pound. Later, metal coins and notes were used to represent a pound of gold. Working people did not use banks. They hid their savings under the mattress or under the floor. Cottage floors were simply earth, sometimes covered in stones. Sand or sawdust was spread over the floor to soak up any liquids and stop the inside of the house becoming muddy. Country roads were dirt tracks without paving or asphalt. In bad weather, they became very slippery and large holes would form and fill with water. There was no lighting along the roads and many accidents involved carriages or people falling into unseen holes in the road. During a cataleptic fit, the sufferer goes into a trance in the middle of a normal activity and his limbs become stiff. When the fit is over, he wakes up, continues with what he was doing and has no memory of the episode. The disease, a type of epilepsy, can nowadays be controlled by medication. Opium is a drug derived from the poppy flower. In the early 1800s, the English grew opium in India and shipped it to China, where they traded it for Chinese manufactured goods and tea. Addiction to opium became common in China until the Chinese government made opium illegal in 1836 and began to aggressively close down the opium dens. Some opium was brought back to England by sailors.
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Silas Marner

BEFORE READING
SUGGESTIONS
FOR

LEAD-IN ACTIVITIES

In pairs, students ask and answer the following questions. Alternatively, you can ask the questions and elicit the answers from the whole class. (Some suggested answers are provided in italics.) 1. How was life in the 19th-century different from life today? (No electricity, running water or gas; people travelled by horse, carriage or on foot; poorer women worked, but women didnt have careers.) 2. In what ways can secrets be dangerous and lead to trouble? (You lie to keep the secret; you may be bribed; keeping secrets from people can damage relationships.) 3. What are the benefits of adopting a child both for the child and the adopting parents? (Parents may not be able to have children, so they get the chance to be parents; the child gets a loving home.) 4. Silas Marners neighbours were neighbourly (kind) to him when they got to know him. In what ways can people be neighbourly? (Greeting each other; lending things; helping; watching the neighbours property while they are away; inviting each other for social visits and to celebrations.)

K E Y V O C A B U L A RY
1. Pre-teach the words in bold. Write the words on the board and then write the following text (omitting the words in bold). Ask the students to copy the text and fill in the correct words. My grandfather was a weaver and so was the woman he married. They both had an interesting pastime. With the money they earned, they collected old coins. One day, I showed the coins to my friend. Grandfather has promised me that Ill inherit these coins, I told him. But the next day my grandfather told me, Theres been a robbery! All my coins have been stolen. There was great anger in his voice. Then two hours later, my friend came and said, Im the thief. I was jealous of you and took the coins. Im really sorry for my terrible behaviour. My grandfather decided to forgive my friend. Im not going to punish you, he said, but I hope the incident will teach you a lesson. 2. Pre-teach the following adjectives. busy mad lucky guilty alone pale charming stubborn Ask the students to work with a partner, choose six of the above words and write a sentence with each one. The students then read their sentences to the rest of the class.

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES

The Before Reading Activities in the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 8-11, can be applied to Silas Marner. In addition to the activities in the general leaflet, students can then answer the following questions. 1. Look at the picture on the front cover of the book. What do you think has just happened? (A lost child has found warmth and fallen asleep; a child who wouldnt go to bed has fallen asleep.) What do you think the relationship is between the man and the child? (father and daughter; strangers) 2. Read the first sentence on the back cover of the book. What bad experiences could have made Silas Marner feel like that? (Someone he loved died; he lost his job; he became ill; he was cheated out of his money; he had some bad luck.) 3. Read the first paragraph of Chapter 3 on page 15. Then look at the picture on page 19 and read the caption underneath it. What do we find out about the brothers relationship with their father and with each other? (The three men live together in a large house, but the sons havent got a good relationship with their father. Godfrey is the older brother. The brothers also havent got a good relationship.) 4. Look at the picture on page 24 and read the caption underneath it. What do you think has happened? (Dunstan has found two leather bags hidden under the floor.) Now read the first three paragraphs on page 25. What is Dunstan doing? (He is stealing bags of money.)
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Silas Marner

AFTER READING: EXTRA CHALLENGES

MAKE YOUR STUDENTS THINK
Here are some points that more advanced students can be asked to consider after reading the book. 1. If you had the choice, would you rather live with the people of Raveloe or the people of Lantern Yard? Give reasons for your answer. 2. How did superstition affect the community in Raveloe? Give examples from the story. 3. How might the story have been different if Molly had arrived at the party and confronted Godfrey? 4. How did fear and guilt influence Godfreys actions? How might things have been different in the story if he had not felt afraid and guilty? 5. Who do you think was the most tragic character in the story? Give reasons for your answer. 6. Do you think the story proves or disproves the statement: Money cant buy happiness? 7. Think of the lives of Silas and Godfrey. In what ways were they different?

DRAMA ACTIVITIES

AND

PROJECT SUGGESTIONS

1. Imagine that you are William Dane. Prepare a monologue to recite to the class in which you confess your crime against your best friend Silas Marner. Say if you regret what you did or not and give your reasons for doing it. 2. Imagine that you are Mr Cass. Write a letter to an old friend telling him or her about your two sons. How have they grown up? Describe their characters and say what you think of them. 3. Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter. Write your report about the night Silas money was stolen. 4. In a group of four, act out the scene that could have happened when Molly Farren arrived at the party. One of you should be Molly, and the others should be Mr Cass, Godfrey and Nancy. 5. Work with a partner. One of you is Dolly Winthrop and the other is Silas Marner. Act out the scene where Silas tells Dolly about his life before he arrived in Raveloe and about what happened to him. 6. Work with a partner. One of you is Eppie and one of you is Silas Marner. Act out a scene in which Eppie asks Silas about the night he found her. Eppie wants to know everything Silas knows about her and how he kept her and became her father. 7. Write the entry in Eppies diary for the day that Dunstans body was found in the lake and Godfrey and Nancy visited her later that evening. 8. Work with a partner. One of you is Dunstan Cass and one of you is a lawyer. Imagine that Dunstan was found alive and you are now putting him on trial for stealing Silas gold coins. Act out the court scene for the rest of the class. 9. Work in a small group. Design a magazine article featuring Eppie and Aarons wedding. Include a copy of the invitation, information about what people were wearing, the ceremony, the party, the food, who was and who wasnt there. You can also illustrate the article. 10. Use reference books or search on the Internet for information about the differences in the lives of the rich and the poor in rural England in the early 19th century. Write a paragraph about what you find out and read it to the class.

Silas Marner

AFTER READING: GROUP WORK

TO
THE

TEACHER:

1. Hand out some of the following statements to the groups. The statements are deliberately ambiguous and could be either true or false. 2. The groups discuss the statements and find one or two examples from the story to show that they are true and one or two examples to show that they are false. 3. The groups spokesperson reports the groups ideas to the whole class.

TO

THE

STUDENTS:

Discuss the following statements. They could be either true or false. Find one or two examples from the story that seem to show that they are true and one or two examples that seem to show that they are false.

Statement 1. Because of his illness, Silas Marner lost everything he had. 2. Godfrey was basically a good person who made some bad mistakes 3. Dolly Winthrop tried to be a good neighbour but her help wasnt always accepted. 4. The people in Raveloe were not good people. 5. In the story, good people were rewarded and bad people were punished. 6. Eppie was a very lucky girl. 7. Molly Farren was responsible for her own sad life. 8. After Molly died, Godfrey should have told Nancy the truth about Eppie. 9. Mr Cass didnt care about his sons future. 10. Godfrey and Nancy were happy in their marriage.

True Examples

False Examples

See the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 13-15, for more After Reading activities.

Group Work

POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1. True. p.13: In Lantern Yard, Silas was having a fit when William stole the money and he couldnt prove his innocence. False. p.25: Silas wasnt having a fit when Dunstan stole his money. p.38: Eppie entered the house while Silas was having a fit. 2. True. p.16: The villagers thought Godfrey was a good man who was always pleasant to everybody. p.44-52 / 65: Godfrey gave money and furniture to Silas to help him look after Eppie. He organised and paid for Eppies wedding. p.64. Godfrey realised that there were mistakes that couldnt be repaired. False. p.32: Godfrey didnt want any connection with Molly or the child. Sometimes he gave Molly money so she would leave him alone. p.39 / 42: Godfrey hoped Molly really was dead. He knew that he should take responsibility for his actions but he didnt want to give up Nancy. 3. True. p.32: Dolly tried to make conversation with Silas although he preferred to be alone. p.46-47: Dolly offered to take care of the child in her free time, but Silas wanted to take care of her by himself. False. p.40: The doctor asked someone to get Dolly because she was a great help in difficult situations. p.46: Dolly was the only village woman who really helped Silas. Silas was prepared to accept her advice. p.53: Silas told Dolly about his life in Lantern Yard and she listened. 4. True. p.10: They said unpleasant things about Silas and they didnt try to be friendly with him. p.45: They had disliked Silas and been suspicious of him, although they didnt know him very well. False. p.26-28: The men in the pub helped Silas when his money was stolen. p.31: People were kinder to Silas after the robbery because they saw that he was suffering. p.45-46: Everyone had a lot of compassion for Silas and the women gave him advice about raising a child. 5. True. p.58: Dunstan was a bad, dishonest man and he drowned in the big pond. p.64: Silas gave Eppie a loving home and she chose to stay with him in the end.
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False. p.14: Silas was innocent but the community decided to punish him. p.56: Nancy was not a bad woman but she did not have the children she wanted. 6. True. p.36: Eppie found Silas house. p.47-49: Silas loved Eppie and was prepared to do anything to make her life happy. She received love and understanding from him. p.61: Eppie could have been taken to an orphanage. False. p.32: Eppies father didnt want any connection with her. p.38: Eppies mother died when she was a small child. 7. True. p.32-33 / 35: She spent the money Godfrey gave her on alcohol and opium and did not have enough money left for food and clothes for herself and the child. False. p.20: Molly was a poor woman with no education. p.32: Her husband did not want to have any connection with her. 8. True. p.59: Nancy wouldnt have refused to adopt Eppie if shed known that Eppie was Godfreys child. False. p.45: Godfrey didnt want to ruin their happiness. 9. True. p.31: Mr Cass told Godfrey to tell Dunstan not to come home at all because he was angry with him. False. p.31: Mr Cass offered to ask Nancy if she would marry Godfrey because he thought Godfrey wasnt going to ask her himself. In Mr Cass opinion, Nancy would be good for Godfrey. 10. True. p.56: Nancy told her sister that Godfrey was a good husband. p.59-60: Nancy told Godfrey that he had been a good husband to her for 15 years. p.64-65: Godfrey thanked God that he still had Nancy. False. p.56: They were sad because they did not have any children. p.56: Godfrey wanted to adopt Eppie, but Nancy didnt agree, so he wasnt completely happy. p.57: Godfrey wasnt completely happy because his conscience wasnt clear. He could never tell Nancy the truth.

Silas Marner

WORKSHEET 1: CHAPTERS 1-6

A. Complete each sentence with a word from the box. coins mad inherit voice pale farmers

1. The men of Raveloe were ........................ and worked on the land. 2. Silas face was ........................ because he worked at his loom all day and didnt go out in the sun. 3. Silas used to count all his ........................ several times. 4. Godfrey was the older son and would ........................ Mr Cass money. 5. The villagers saw that Silas wasnt ........................ , but only very unhappy. 6. Nancy spoke in a quiet ........................ and was always pleasant to everyone. B. Choose the correct word or words in each sentence. 1. The story (is lying / takes place) in England in the early 19th century. 2. Silas (spent / earned) money by selling the material he made. 3. Silas eyes were (wide open / alone) but they looked like the eyes of a dead man. 4. Sarah and William Dane were the two people Silas was (lucky / closest) to in Lantern Yard. 5. Godfrey didnt want anyone to (look after / find out) about his marriage to Molly. 6. Dunstan (set off / picked up) Godfreys whip, which was lying on a table. 7. Silas (looked for / didnt care) his gold coins everywhere, but he couldnt find them. 8. The villagers told Silas to sit down and (went on / take off) his wet clothes. C. The bolded words in each sentence are incorrect. Write the correct word(s) from the box at the end of the sentence. took opium warning under the influence of behaviour thread was in love joined weaver

1. Silas was a minister who sat at his loom all day. ........................ 2. Silas never forgave the other men of the village in the pub in the evenings. ........................ 3. Silas fits came without any surprise. ........................ 4. The villagers thought Silas might be angry with the devil. ........................ 5. Mr Cass wasnt happy with Godfreys impatience to Nancy. ........................ 6. Godfrey had an argument with Nancy Lammeter and was afraid of losing her. ........................ 7. Silas went to get some biscuits from one of the women in the village. ........................ 8. Molly drank alcohol and stole money. ........................ D. Who is speaking to whom? Choose the names from the box. Silas Godfrey Mr Cass Molly Dunstan Sarah William Dolly

1. Dont you want to marry me any more? ........................ to ........................ . 2. You have told lies about me. ........................ to ........................ . 3. I want you to return the money which I gave you two weeks ago. ........................ to ..................... . 4. I dont think Ive been strict enough with you and your brother. ........................ to ........................ . 5. Ive brought you some biscuits to taste. ........................ to ........................ . 6. I dont want to live like a poor person any more. ........................ to ........................ .
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Worksheet 1: Chapters 1-6

ANSWERS
A. 1. farmers 2. pale 3. coins 4. inherit 5. mad 6. voice B. 1. takes place 2. earned 3. wide open 4. closest 5. find out 6. picked up 7. looked for 8. take off C. 1. weaver 2. joined 3. warning 4. under the influence of 5. behaviour 6. was in love 7. thread 8. took opium D. 1. Silas 2. Silas 3. Godfrey 4. Mr Cass 5. Dolly 6. Molly Sarah William Dunstan Godfrey Silas Godfrey

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Silas Marner

WORKSHEET 2: CHAPTERS 7-12

A. Choose the correct word/s in each sentence. 1. Molly had been living in a (neighbouring / crazy / guilty) town for some time. 2. Silas was prepared to take (fireplace / advice / pond) from Dolly Winthrop. 3. Silas (walked away / took care of / took a look) Eppie from the minute she came to him. 4. Eppie was sometimes (golden / healthy / stubborn) and didnt listen to what she was told to do. 5. Godfrey imagined he had a (wild / bright / wet) future ahead of him. 6. Dunstan (robbed / raised / laughed) Silas and fell into the big pond. 7. Silas wasnt worried about the (vase / offer / amount) of money he had to live on. 8. Godfrey didnt go to Eppies (carriage / wedding / body). B. Choose the correct phrase from the box to complete each sentence. by myself on their way made a decision lay down was looking forward to youd better

1. Molly ........................ in the snow near a rose bush. 2. Godfrey ........................ dancing with Nancy. 3. I think ........................ leave the child here, the doctors wife said to Silas. 4. Silas ........................ . He would keep the child. 5. Godfrey and Dolly were ........................ to Silas house. 6. I want to raise the child ........................ , said Silas. C. Match the beginning of each sentence in A with its ending in B. A 1. Silas put out his hand to touch the gold 2. The little girl saw the light 3. The child came to Silas 4. Godfrey was not certain 5. Eppie only received 6. Godfrey didnt appear to feel guilty about 7. Silas accepted the customs and beliefs of Raveloe 8. Nancy and Godfrey wanted to adopt Eppie B ...... a. so he thought he had a right to keep her. ...... b. keeping his secret. ...... c. from the fireplace in Silas house. ...... d. so they could be a family. ...... e. but he felt soft hair instead. ...... f. because he knew they were good for Eppie. ...... g. that the dead woman was Molly until he saw her. ...... h. love and understanding from Silas.

D. Put the following quotes in the order they appear in the story. ...... a. This is the life I know and like. ...... b. You have to take her to church regularly, so that she learns all the prayers. ...... c. Theyre taking the skeleton to the church now. ...... d. Ill be very unhappy if you go with them, but I wont stop you if thats what you want. ...... e. Whats that lying near the fire? ...... f. Aarons told me that hell be like a son to you. ...... g. Let me give you some money to buy her some clothes. ...... h. Please leave the room now, I dont want to upset my guests.
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Worksheet 2: Chapters 7-12

ANSWERS
A. 1. neighbouring 2. advice 3. took care of 4. stubborn 5. bright 6. robbed 7. amount 8. wedding B. 1. lay down 2. was looking forward to 3. youd better 4. made a decision 5. on their way 6. by myself C. 1. e 2. c 3. a 4. g 5. h 6. b 7. f 8. d D. 1. e 2. h 3. g 4. b 5. f 6. c 7. d 8. a

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Silas Marner

FINAL TEST
A. Choose the correct answer. 1. Silas Marner left Lantern Yard because a. the villagers there thought his fits were evil. b. he stole his best friends knife. c. everyone thought he had stolen the churchs money. 2. Before Eppie came to him in Raveloe, Silas a. loved only his gold coins. b. spent a lot of time with the men in the pub. c. went to church every Sunday. 3. Godfrey looked sad and worried because a. his father did not love him. b. he had a secret that was ruining his life. c. his brother was jealous of him. 4. After stealing Silas money, Dunstan a. sold his brothers horse. b. fell into a big pond. c. ran away to be a soldier. 5. Eppie wanted to stay with Silas because a. she loved her life as it was. b. she wanted to wear expensive clothes and ride in a carriage. c. she did not want Nancy to be her mother. 6. Godfrey a. left Raveloe and never came back. b. told everyone that Eppie was his daughter. c. continued to give money to help Silas and Eppie. 30 points (5 points each) B. Choose the correct answer. Silas Marner was a hard-working weaver (1. which / who) had suffered a lot of bad luck. He lived (2. alone / busy) and he wasnt friendly with (3. anybody / nobody) in the village. One day, someone stole all the coins Silas had (4. punished / earned), and Silas was even more unhappy. But then a little girl, Eppie, walked into his life and Silas decided to raise her (5. by himself / on their way). Silas and Eppie soon loved (6. each other / another) very much and Silas was a wonderful father to Eppie. The villagers were now more prepared to accept Silas, and Dolly Winthrop soon became his (7. palest / closest) friend. When his father died, Godfrey Cass (8. inherited / forgave) all his property and he and Nancy lived in the Red House. But Godfrey still felt (9. charming / guilty) about keeping his secret from Nancy. One day, after Dunstans body (10. was found / found), Godfrey told Nancy the truth about his daughter. They then went to Silas and offered to (11. look after / pick up) Eppie, but Eppie (12. did / made) the decision to stay with Silas. When he heard this, Godfrey became angry and told her that he (13. had been / was) her real father. But Eppie refused to change her mind. A short time later, Eppie (14. wondered / married) Dollys son, Aaron. Godfrey paid for the (15. wedding / vase), although he wasnt there to celebrate with them. 45 points (3 points each)

C. Choose one topic and write a paragraph. Your paragraph should be at least 80 words long. 1. Compare how Mr Cass and Silas Marner behaved as fathers. Give examples from the story. 2. In your opinion, would Eppies life have been better if she had gone to live with Godfrey and Nancy? Give reasons for your answer. 3. How did Silas change during the story? Give examples from the story. 4. Do you think Godfrey was right to tell Eppie who he was after so many years? Give reasons for your answer. 25 points

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Final Test

ANSWERS
A. 1. c B. 1. who 2. alone 3. anybody 4. earned 5. by himself 2. a 3. b 4. b 5. a 6. c 11. look after 12. made 13. was 14. married 15. wedding

6. each other 7. closest 8. inherited 9. guilty 10. was found

C. Accept all logical and grammatically correct answers. Possible points for inclusion: 1. Mr Cass and his sons did not have a good relationship. Godfrey and Dunstan were afraid of their father because he often became angry and stayed that way for a long time. Godfrey was scared to tell Mr Cass about his marriage to Molly Farren because he thought that his father would never forgive him for marrying a poor woman without his permission and he was also scared that he wouldnt get his inheritance. Godfrey felt that his father was too strict and that he didnt show much love for his children. Silas Marner loved Eppie very much and wanted to do everything for her by himself. He started going to church and was even christened because he was prepared to do anything to make Eppies life happy in the village. Silas never punished Eppie because he couldnt hurt her in any way. When Godfrey and Nancy asked Eppie to go and live with them, Silas was very unhappy but he wouldnt stop her if that was what she wanted. 2. I think Eppies life would have been better because Godfrey and Nancy were very rich. She would not have to work and there would be servants to do everything for her. She could have beautiful clothes, plenty of good food to eat and never have to worry about money. She could go to wonderful parties and travel to places that she would never see if she stayed with Silas. Godfrey and Nancy would love her and treat her like a real daughter and she could visit Silas whenever she wanted. I dont think Eppies life would have been better because at the beginning it would be like living with strangers. She would miss Silas very much and she would be separated from all her friends in the village. She would have to behave like a lady, which might be difficult for her because she wasnt used to it. Eppie was in love with Aaron Winthrop and she wouldnt be able to marry him. She might find another, richer man to marry but they might not love each other in the same way that she loved Aaron and he might not be so good to her. 3. At the beginning of the story, Silas wasnt friendly with the people in Raveloe. He had lost his faith in God and in human beings and the only things he loved were his gold coins. When Silas found Eppie, everything changed. He started to have faith in people again and he became friendlier with the villagers because they were kind and also because he wanted Eppie to have a happy, normal life. Eppie soon became the most important thing in his life, worth more than his gold coins. By the end of the story, Silas has become part of the community. 4. I think Godfrey was right to tell Eppie that she was his daughter, because she had the right to know who her father was. She could then make her decisions based on the truth. She could get to know her real father but still love Silas. It was also good for Godfrey because he didnt have to keep his terrible secret any more. He could now have a clearer conscience, his relationship with Nancy could improve and he could also have a more honest relationship with his daughter. I think Godfrey was wrong to tell Eppie that he was her father. Silas had been a good father to her and they had a very loving relationship as father and daughter. Eppie never even wondered about her real father although she always asked about her mother. Also, it was not fair to Silas to suddenly want to take Eppie from him when all Godfrey had done was give them money and other things for so many years. Eppie would have to decide between two fathers one who had raised her and given her love and one who was her real father.
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Silas Marner

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN THE READER

These answers relate to the questions on pages 66-69 of the reader itself. Chapter 1 1. They went to have a drink and to talk about village matters. It was a place to meet and the social centre of their lives. 2. Silas Marner was a thin, pale man who was 40 years old but looked much older. He had very large, prominent eyes. 3. The villagers thought he was strange because of the way he looked and acted and also because he suffered from cataleptic fits. 4. The rumour was that Silas was under the influence of the devil because of the fits. 5. The villagers decided not to make Silas angry, because he might do something evil to them. They left Silas in peace to continue his work, but they were cautious of him. Chapter 2 1. It was a small, religious community. The people had a very profound belief in God and religion was very important to them. The church was at the centre of all their activities. The people of the community worked hard and also spent a lot of time at prayer-meetings. 2. The people in Lantern Yard werent frightened by Silas fits. They thought that God had chosen Silas to be a special person and they didnt look for any more explanation. 3. William and Silas had been the best of friends for nine years and spent a lot of time together. Silas had recently fallen in love with Sarah and they were making plans to get married as soon as they had saved enough money. 4. It was already four oclock in the morning and William wasnt there. He should have been there two hours before. 5. Silas believes that William must have taken his (Silas) knife. William took the church money while Silas was in a trance. William told lies about Silas and planned to marry Sarah. Chapter 3 1. Godfrey was a blond, good-looking man and was 26 years old. Dunstan was younger and was a big, heavy man. He had dark hair and was not as good-looking as his brother. Godfrey was a good man. Dunstan drank and did bad things when he wasnt occupied. 2. Godfrey looked sad and worried all the time. Something must be wrong with him. He was not behaving well towards Nancy Lammeter. 3. Nobody wanted to lend Godfrey money because he didnt work and couldnt repay it. 4. Dunstan suggested that Godfrey should sell his horse, Wildfire.
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5. Godfrey was afraid that he would lose Nancys love and also that he wouldnt inherit his fathers money. Chapter 4 1. Godfrey had secretly married Molly Farren, a poor woman with no education, who drank alcohol and took opium. She and Godfrey had had a child, a little girl. 2. Godfrey could ask Silas for some money and promise to give it back to him when he became rich. 3. It was almost dark and it had started to rain. Dunstan wasnt used to walking and he had been drinking. 4. Maybe he went out for some reason and then fell into one of the deep ponds near the house. He could be dead. 5. Silas had hidden his money under some stones in the floor near the loom. There was a pile of sand there. Chapter 5 1. Silas had gone to one of the women in the village to get some thread for his weaving. 2. Silas put his hands to his head and cried in despair. A robber must have taken it. 3. Everybody looked at Silas when he ran into the pub. For a few seconds, nobody said anything. They were all afraid because Silas looked so strange with his wet clothes and wild eyes. Finally one of them spoke. 4. Godfrey went to Silas house to see the scene of the crime. Then he went to the Rainbow, where he heard all the different opinions. Finally, he rode to the town on one of his fathers horses to look for Dunstan. 5. He decided to tell his father about the money. He decided not to tell his father about Molly. Chapter 6 1. Mr Cass wanted to ask Dunstan why Godfrey had given him money. 2. One day, Godfrey would inherit his fathers land and the house. Godfrey had to learn to be more responsible. Nancy would be good for him. 3. The villagers were kinder towards Silas than they had been before, because they could see that he was suffering. 4. Dolly visited Silas. She brought him biscuits that she had baked that morning. She suggested that Silas go to church on Christmas Day. She tried to make conversation.

Silas Marner

5. Molly wanted Godfrey to tell everyone about their marriage, so that she could live in the Red House with their daughter. Godfrey refused. Chapter 7 1. Molly knew that Godfrey would be at the party and she was going to confront him. 2. She didnt feel the cold wind any more but she found it even more difficult to continue walking. She lay down in the snow near a rose bush. 3. Silas often opened his door and looked out, hoping to see his money. That evening, he had had one of his fits and he wasnt able to move, see or hear anything. 4. Silas thought that his gold had come back to him. He suddenly felt love for the child and a belief in God and human beings again. 5. Godfrey was afraid that his father would say something to Nancy about marrying Godfrey. Chapter 8 1. Godfrey realised immediately that it was his daughter. He was pale and his whole body was trembling with fear. 2. Silas decided to keep the child. It hadnt occurred to anybody that the old weaver might want to raise a child. 3. Godfrey would marry Nancy. He would be a good man and have a moral life without any more secrets. He would give money and presents for the child but he wouldnt tell anyone that he was her father. 4. Godfrey thought he had seen a woman who looked like that the day before. 5. He really wanted to be sure that the dead woman was Molly. Chapter 9 1. He would marry Nancy but never tell her the truth. When Dunstan came back, Godfrey would give him money so that he wouldnt say anything. He would continue giving money to Silas to help him take care of his daughter. 2. The villagers, especially the women, had a lot of compassion for him. They admired him for his decision to raise the little girl. 3. Dolly brought clothes for the child. She showed Silas how to give the child a bath and dress her. Dolly told Silas to give her a name, have her christened and take her to church regularly so that she learned all the prayers.

4. Silas learned to love nature. The villagers forgot the bad opinions they used to have of Silas. He became part of the community and again felt a connection to people and the world. Chapter 10 1. Godfrey owned the Red House because Mr Cass had died and Godfrey had inherited all his property. 2. He had given them money to ma8ke the house larger, for furniture and many other things. 3. Silas permitted himself to remember his past life in Lantern Yard. He began talking to Dolly Winthrop about his experiences. 4. Eppie was very curious about her mother, but she never wondered who her father was. 5. He told Eppie that the three of them would live together and that he would be like a son to Silas. Chapter 11 1. Godfrey suggested that he and Nancy adopt Eppie. Nancy refused. She said that if God had wanted them to have children, they would have had a child of their own. 2. Dunstans watch and Godfreys whip were found. Silas gold coins were also found. Dunstan must have robbed Silas and then fallen into the pond and drowned. 3. Godfrey told Nancy that Molly had been his wife and that Eppie was his daughter. Nancy said that they could have adopted Eppie. Eppie would have loved Nancy like a mother and they would all have been happy. Chapter 12 1. Silas sometimes thought that Eppie would disappear and that the gold would come back instead. After a short time, Silas knew that Eppie was more important to him than all the gold in the world. 2. Eppie would live in the Red House with Godfrey and Nancy, and would be like a daughter to them in every way. Silas said he would be unhappy if she went with them, but he wouldnt stop her if that was what she wanted. 3. She wouldnt leave her father. She liked her life there and didnt want to be a lady. 4. Godfrey learned that there are mistakes which cannot be repaired. He promised never to keep secrets from Nancy again. 5. Godfrey bought Eppies wedding dress. He organised and paid for the banquet.