Female characters under Victorian morals in "Silas Marner"

 

Portrayal of Female Characters under the Victorian Morals in George Eliot's Silas Marner

                                         Prothoma Purohit 

During the reign of Queen Victoria, women’s place was in their house as domesticity and motherhood were considered to be the only responsibility of women. In this era, women served as ornaments of society and keepers of the hearth while men dwelled in the public sphere. They were deprived of education, social intercourse and economic life. In the political arena, it was abundantly evident that women were ranked as second-class women. Though the explosive period of the Industrial Revolution brought a change in women’s life by offering them jobs at textile industries, the grueling working conditions drove thousands of women into prostitution. In  the poem “The Princess”, Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson shows a traditional view of women’s role. He says,

                               “Man for the field and woman for the hearth:

                                 Man for the sword and for the needle she:

                                 Man with the head and woman with the heart:

                                 Man to command and woman to obey.”

Robyn Ryle, the author of the book Questioning Gender: A sociological Exploration, states, “Women, through their association with the home and childcare, are supposed to be kind and gentle while bold and aggressive men pursue success in the competitive world of business and academy.” In this speech, Ryle has portrayed women’s role under true Victorian morality and implies the idea that mother is the head of the household and the hearth is the mother of the home. Thus, hearth symbolizes comfort.

The predominant female characters of this novel are: Eppie, Dolly Winthrop, Nancy Lammeter, and Priscilla. Everyone acts distinctly as a Victorian woman in their own way. In the novel, Eppie is the adopted child of Silas Marner, the protagonist of the novel, by whom Eliot reminds everyone the importance of moral goodness over materialism. When Silas sees the child near his “hearth” for the first time, it seems to be gold to him because of his “blurred vision.” But soon he realizes that it is a sleeping child- a “round”, “fair” thing with “soft yellow rings” all over its head. Silas thinks that his own little sister has come back to him whom he had carried in his arms for a year before she died. Silas takes all the responsibilities of the baby and says, “It’s a lone thing, and I’m a lone thing. My money’s gone, I don’t know where and this come from I don’t know where.”  Thus, this child, being pure and innocent like a blank piece of white paper, gives Silas the hope of a new beginning. Silas, being deceived by his near and dear ones, lost his faith in religion and human relationships and the gold kept his thoughts in an “ever-repeated” cycle. Before the arrival of Eppie, he led his life like a “spider” which is considered as a solitary animal with the monotonous job of weaving. He hid himself from the “daylight”, was deaf to the “songs of birds” and “human tones.” On the other hand, Eppie is a girl of “endless claims”, and “ever-growing” desires who seeks “sunshine”, “living sounds” and “living moments”. She makes trial of everything with new “joy” and “trust” in Silas’s life. Silas does not have any distinct idea about baptism and church-going, but he does everything for Eppie’s welfare. That’s why, Eliot compares Eppie with a small bird named “Robin” due to her size as a toddler and her likeness to natural creatures. Silas says,” She will be my little un,/  She will be nobody else’s.” Eppie not only creates fresh links between Silas’s life and the lives from which he has shrunk himself into “narrower isolation”, but also rejects her biological father Godfrey’s proposal who has come to take her and assures her a luxurious life. Eppie says, “Thank you ma’am, thank you Sir. But I cannot leave my father, nor own anybody nearer to him. And I don’t want to be a lady.” This is how Eppie has protected the “light of Silas’s hope” from being blown out.

Dolly Winthrop is a vivacious countrywoman whose overflown kindness and local wisdom is distinguishable. Known for being the wheelwright’s wife and for her famous lard cakes, Dolly symbolizes comfort, devotion and joy. She is never “whimpering” and no one has seen her to shed tears. That’s why, she has been addressed as a “comfortable woman” with a fair complexion. She is the person who is always thought first in Raveloe when there is illness or death in a family. Dolly comes to Silas with her special lard cakes with an attempt to uplift the mood of very mortified Silas who is under a deep depression after losing his gold. Moreover, she fervently believes in God and advises Silas to start going to the church because it will do more good to him than he believes. She says, “If you go to church and see the holly and the yew and hear the anthim, and then take the sacramen, you’d be a deal the better.” It is ultimately Dolly who serves as the “backbone of support” in Silas’s raising of Eppie. Dolly advises Silas how to take care of a child, and also gives “tiny garments” for the child. Besides, she persuades Silas to have the child christened. Thus, she assures Silas saying, “I will come to see the child for you.” To control Eppie and her mischievous tricks, she insists Silas to punish Eppie by putting her in a coal-hole in order to frighten her. Later, she becomes Eppie’s godmother and Silas’s true advisor on religion and life.

Nancy Lammeter is a lady of “high veracity,” “delicate honor,” and “refined personal habits.” She is an epitome of delicate purity whom Godfrey pursues and marries. This lady of high principles, moral rectitude, and immense mental strength conducts everything – “small details,” “relations,” and “trials” of life perfectly with her sense of responsibility. Though she does not like the idea of adoption, she willingly agrees to adopt Eppie when she comes to know that Eppie is Godfrey’s own child from his secret marriage. Thus, Nancy supports her husband with love and sympathy instead of reproaching him.

Priscilla Lammeter is Nancy’s sister and is very homely, feminist, and plainspoken. She is a cheerful and wise spinster who has the ability to manage both her father and his farm. Mr. Lammeter says, “She manages me and my farm too.” In reply, Priscilla says to her father, “And reason good as I should manage you father else you’d be giving yourself your death with rheumatism”. So, Priscilla epitomizes more self-awareness and less selfishness who decides to live with her father to take care of him.

From the discussion above, it is clear that all the female characters have worked as an epitome of vitality, comfort and mental strength so that the male figures can brim with hope. That’s why, it can be said without any doubt that women of this novel are portrayed under Victorian morals truly.