Guide to Critical Essays on Silas Marner - 1388 Words

GUIDE TO CRITICAL ESSAYS ON SILAS MARNER: 1. 1. SILAS MARNER: A STUDY IN TRANSITION by Shirley Galloway Writer’s thesis: * The story is not a fantasy but a serious work * Main issues are class ( Eliot refutes the common belief that the upper classes are superior) industrialization ( she argues that industrialization dehumanizes and alienates workers) and religion ( she suggests a ‘religion of humanity’ as substitute for failure of organized religion). * The issues are realistically treated, in the context of the author’s time, and through a series of contradictory parallels. Para 2: Explains that novel is set during time of transition and summarises story. Para 3: finishes summary. Para 4: dual story line mirrors†¦show more content†¦Central point of the novel., accounts for different endings of 2 stories. * We can now understand regeneration of two characters. Silas lost faith because LY religion inadequate in encountering a complex world, but repeated mistake by turning to narrow materialism. Weaving and gold provide order and meaning. Eppie frees him from man-made web, connects him to web of life. Love and fellowship act as mediator between individual and alien universe. Escape into over-simplification (miraculous intervention in LY or inhuman machine-like logic in Raveloe) denies need for such mediation. * Loss of faith, then gold, required to bring Silas face to face with reality of human situation. Love for Eppie leads to integration with society and new religious belief, based on love for fellows. * Re-defining oracles of religion carried out in discussions with Dolly. * Godfrey’s regeneration. Natural kindness has survived, and increa singly able to accept alien and ordered universe. Role of Nancy. But also swings from extreme of belief in chance to other, belief in Duty and Nemesis, another oversimplification. Cannot reduce complexity of life to fulfilling legal duties (Nancy also has to learn this). * Stories come into collision when both men claim Eppie. Critical debate. Takes education of both one step further, Eliot’s definition of religion of humanity one step further. * Preparation for this final debate , as well as other thematic concerns, given inShow MoreRelatedLiterature Marking Scheme9477 Words   |  38 Pagespassage-based, essay questions and (on prose and drama texts) empathic questions. There is a choice of three questions on each set text. Paper 2 1 hour 15 minutes Unseen From a choice of two question, each requiring critical commentary, candidates must choose one. One question is based on a literary prose passage and the other on a poem or extract of a poem. Candidates answer one question from each section and must choose at least one passagebased and one essay question. NoRead MoreBelonging Essay4112 Words   |  17 PagesHSC Subject Guide Belonging 2009 HSC: Area of Study – English - related material English HSC 2009 - 2012 is Belonging. What does belonging mean? From the Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus: belong, verb, 1) to be rightly put into a particular position or class; 2) fit or be acceptable in a particular place or environment; 3) belong to be a member of; 4) belong to be the property or possession of. Belonging, noun, affiliation, acceptance, association, attachment, integration, closeness, rapport,