Classic Character: The Transformation of Godfrey Cass from Silas Marner

Godfrey is my favorite character from Silas Marner, and the most interesting one. Of course he isn't the ideal hero, but I loved following his transformation from a careless, egocentric young man to be a more mature, generous man.

Born into a rich family and having been spoiled by his father, Godfrey grew up as a reckless, irresponsible young man. All his needs was provided by the servants, no effort was required from little Godfrey. And whenever he wants something, all he need to do is asking his papa, and he will (happily) grant it. He grows up knowing that his part in this world is just wishing, and it's everyone else's job to fulfill. It's all about "me", and never "you"; least of all "he/she", because he has the privilege. It's not his original character - we will learn this later - but it's the way he was raised. Though he might have had moral education from his governess or private teacher, I think emphaty is not something he is familiar with. Why, taking feels much better than giving, anyway!

I imagined Molly is one of the pretties working girls in Raveloe, and young Godfrey is attracted to her. He marries her (clever of you, Molly, at least you've got him legally married you!), though he doesn't have plan to provide for her, least of all acknowledge her (I really wish Eliot wrote more about this!). Anyway, Godfrey doesn't even think it wrong to woo a middle class girl after abandoning Molly. He simply doesn't think his first marriage as marriage; for him it's just a pleasure, and now, an obstacle to his present wish: Nancy Lammeter, or just an annoying subject to get scolded by his dear papa. Godfrey's comfort and pleasure must come first!

Then, Molly's corpse is found, and Godfrey realizes for the first time, that his past reckless act DID have consequences: his own daughter Eppie. I think this revelation is his first turning point. How often is it that a man changes to the better after the birth of his child? So Godfrey, too, starts being responsible and a little more generous, by giving some money to Silas Marner (for Eppie's sake). Unfortunately he is still cowardly and indecisive enough to confess the truth to Nancy.

The revelation of Dunfrey's death shatters Godfrey's last door to self-denial. Without further doubt, he confesses everything to Nancy: first marriage, child, and all. Lastly, Eppie's rejection of living with him, shatters the last of the remnants of his ego. Godfrey is humbled by his daughter! After this last event, we do not know clearly how Godfrey's live has become, only that he contiunually provides for Eppie and Silas. He even pays for Eppie's wedding party, though he doesn't attend it. This is a big change in Godfrey's character. The selfish, egocentric young man has transformed into a selfless matured man, who still loves, cares, and provides for his daughter, despite of her rejection, despite of his realization that Eppie would never be his. We know that at the end of the story, Silas, Eppie, and her husband Aaron live a happy life. I wish Godfrey too, find love, solace, and happiness with Nancy. He deserves it, because after all, he was born as a good natured person.

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Silas Marner is an old weaver in a rural village called Raveloe. He is a loner; isolated from the world, and eventually became a miser. He never goes to church, and dislike his neighbours, who also see him with suspicion. He loves only his craft, and the accumulated gold he earned by his loom.

Godfrey Cass is the eldest son of the landowner: Squire Cass. He is a good natured man, and lived respectably with his wife: the sweet Nancy Lammeter. The couple is childless, and Godfrey is tormented by guilt of his dark secret, that the couple isn't as happy as it should be.

Why did I open this post with two different stories? It's because Silas Marner - despite of its title - is a story of interwoven pasts of these two characters: Silas Marner and Godfrey Cass. They are both unhappy in the present situation, and both are caused by secret pasts. Let me tell them separately.

Silas was a religious, exemplary young man from Lantern Yard. He was framed by his brethren, and was accused of stealing church money. Nobody believed him, nor even Sarah, the girl he was engaged to marry, who finally married the man who has framed him! So, he left his hometown, bringing his loom, to be a weaver in Raveloe, where nobody knew him, and shut himself up from the world - and apparently from God (who is, so he feels, unfair to him).

Rich and spoiled by his father, Godfrey secretly married a working class opium-addicted girl, Molly, whom he then estranged. Dunfrey "Dunsey" Cass, his scoundrel second brother knew this, and blackmailed him. Using the Squire's money, Godfrey tried to shut his brother's mouth, lest he revealed his secret, and prevented him from marrying the sweet Nancy Lammeter.

One night Dunfrey robbed Silas' gold, taking away Silas' only consolation in life - without love and affection as he was. Then Molly - Godfrey's estranged wife - went to the Casses' with a two year old girl, in order to reveal herself and the child as Godfrey's. However, on that bitter cold winter night, she died on the way, leaving her child wandering through the snow to Silas' house. The aftermath of this incident: Godfrey could married Nancy without remorse, and Silas got a daughter to care for, replacing his beloved gold. Is this the happy ending they deserved? No, not yet. Eventhough life seems to be generous to Silas and Godfrey at this point, each has still an old grudge and dark secret, of which they have not yet make peace with.

George Eliot is one of the authors whom I have hitherto been expelled from my reading list. "What? Why??", I hear you ask. Well, I read The Mill on the Floss years ago, and didn't impressed by her writing, and disliked her characters. Years later, I feel I was being unfair to her. Victorian's has been my favorite reading, so why not try her other novels? And so, I picked Silas Marner - and I'm glad I did. Though Eliot is still not my favorite, I can now appreciate her more. I loved Silas Marner - it's a real comfort reading - though my favorite character is actually Godfrey Cass (I will discuss this more on the next post).

Silas Marner's main theme are about repentance, forgiveness, and making peace with one's past. Maybe you've been wondering why I've been writing Silas and Godfrey in parallel with each other? It's because I see their paths in life (in accordance to above themes) as very similar, albeit the huge difference in their social backgrounds. Let me break it down:

Problem
SILAS was wrongly accused
GODFREY had a scandalous marriage

Try to fix problem, but instead, getting deeper
SILAS relinquished God and humanity; worshiping gold --> lonely and meaningless life
GODFREY squandered his father's money to bribe Dunfrey, then having a marriage based on lie --> unhappy, burden.

Molly's death brings solution
SILAS finds early happiness in raising the orphaned Eppie.
GODFREY finds early happiness in marrying Nancy Lammeter.

But still not fully happy
SILAS still has a grudge against his fellow kinsman.
GODFREY still keeps a secret from Nancy

Revelation as turning point
Dunfrey's corpse and Silas' gold were found, and so:

True happiness after making peace with the past
SILAS realized that gold is meaningless; instead, love and forgiveness is more valuable. He returns to Lantern Yard, though found it vanished, and so closes the past, welcomes the happy future with Eppie and her husband.

GODFREY confesses to Nancy about Molly and Eppie, and so there's no more secret. Though perhaps not as happy as Silas, but I think they'll live contentedly after finding pure love for each other, and with their generosity to Silas and Eppie.

In the end, there is no intriguing plot in this book, but it is a sweet and comforting novel with warming allusions of love and repentance. After this, I think I'm excited to read all Eliot's remaining novels. Middlemarch will be my next!

4/5