He Got What He Deserved: Character Analysis

Eric Perkins

Mrs. Burford

G/H English 9

10 January, 2015

Moral Tales:

He Got What He Deserved Moral tales are defined as works in which shows the reward of virtues and the punishment of immoral behavior. A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, and Silas Marner, along with other familiar works are classified as moral tales. Three characters that get what they deserved are Dunstan Cass, Godfrey Cass, and Silas Marner. To begin with, Dunstan Cass got exactly what he deserved. Dunstan Cass is Godfrey’s younger brother. He goes by the nickname Dunsey, and is cruel, lazy, and loves to gamble and drink. Early in Silas Marner, Silas Marner got robbed by an unknown suspect. The peddler was the primary suspect. Dunstan was ruled out because he is rich and

Godfrey Cass is Squire Cass’ oldest son. He is good-natured, selfish, and weak-willed, and knows what is right but is unwilling to pay the price for listening to his conscience. When he was younger, he married Molly Farren, an opium addict, with whom he had a daughter. Godfrey’s handling of his secret marriage demonstrates a mixture of guilt and cowardice that kept him from really opening up for most of the novel. This secret is kept for most of the novel because Godfrey knows that if word of his marriage goes public, his father will disown him. After 16 years had passed, and Godfrey had married Nancy, Dunstan’s remains were found. The shear fright from this event causes Godfrey to tell Nancy everything. Although Nancy accepts this quite well, this confession comes years too late. Nancy is unable to have children, and Eppie has already accepted Silas as her father and will not replace him with Godfrey in her life. Eppie says, "We've been used to be happy together every day, and I can't think o' no happiness without him. And he says he'd nobody i’ the world till I was sent to him, and he'd have nothing when I was gone. And he's took care of me and loved me from the first, and I'll cleave to him as long as he lives, and nobody shall ever come between him and me" (Eliot 172). Since Godfrey wasn’t able to obey his conscience, he is unable to have a child figure in his life. This is his well deserved

Silas is a simple, honest, and kindhearted weaver. After losing faith in God and his friends and being kicked out of Lantern Yard, he lives alone for fifteen years without much contact with others. His love of money is the product of his separation from others. When his money is stolen and he has almost lost complete hope, his faith is restored by his daughter, Eppie, whom is adopted and raised with a purpose. His capacity for love and sacrifice grows significantly when he raises Eppie. He now attends church, public events, and talks to others much clearer than before. Silas even says, "Since the time the child was sent to me and I've come to love her as myself, I've had light enough to trusten by; and now she says she'll never leave me, I think I shall trusten till I die" (Eliot 180). Even though he didn’t deserve to be robbed, Eppie was a gift that was well deserved. In conclusion, Silas Marner is a moral tale, showing the reward of virtue and the punishment of immoral behavior through some of its most important characters. Dunstan and Godfrey both deserve punishments for their actions, while Silas deserves the gift of Eppie. Actions do matter, and this is shown throughout the