Hays 1 Mary Helon Hays Dr. Redd EN 2223 20 February 2018 The Power of Human Connection In George Eliot’s novel, Silas Marner, the reader sees first-hand the transformation of a lonely and isolated man to one filled with happiness and hope for the future after a toddler with golden curls enters his life unexpectedly. Eliot’s work illustrates the significant role that love and friendship play in leading a happy, productive life. Human contact and relationships make a huge impact on how we feel and behave. Silas develops a lasting friendship with Dolly Winthrop who truly cares for the well-being of both Silas and the little girl. While Dolly offers Silas a sense of direction in his troubled life, Eppie offers him a sense of purpose through her unconditional love. Eliot uses Eppie and Dolly to represent the strong, caring women of the early nineteenth century. Although women were not considered on the same level as men, Eliot shows the reader that women and the unconditional love and support they offer Silas are the reason he is able to open his heart and experience love for the first time in a very long time. Ironically, Eliot, a strong unconventional woman herself by the name of Mary Anne Evans, had to use a male pen name in order for her work to be taken seriously. One of the most prolific writers of the Victorian era, Eliot led a life that was considered scandalous for that time period. She had multiple affairs and later in life, she drew away from her Christian upbringing. Religion and stereotypical roles for women, on the other hand, are of the utmost importance in Silas Marner. Dolly Winthrop, though uneducated, is a pillar of the community and Eppie is raised to be a