英语论文网

ionship,together with the parent-childrelationship and the husband-wife relationship,constitute the three main parts of familyrelations.As blood brothers,blood ties cannot be replaced,but there is no brotherly lovebetween Godfrey and Dunsey.Their relationship is based on interest.

As the only person who knows about the scandal of Godfrey’s clandestine marriagewith barmaid Molly,Dunsey uses the affair to extort money from his brother to satisfy his debauched life.It is because of this scandal that the relationship between the twobrothers becomes fragile and the two brothers have become cold and hostile to eachother without respect.George Eliot describes very little about the dialogue between thetwo brothers in the novel,but the attitude of the conversation between Godfrey andDunsey is enough to show that they had a long-standing grudge.The usage of“mockingtone,sneeringly artificial tone”(30-31)illustrates the deviousness of Dunsey’sblackmail,as he seizes on Godfrey’s desire to keep his secrets and inherit the familyfortune,and then recklessly keeps asking his brother for money and has no qualms forhis lack of morality.In fact,Squire Cass has other sons,but they are rarely mentioned inthe novel and are only explains in one sentence“Bob’s my father’s favorite—you knowthat very well”(31).

Chapter Three Family Ties with Natural Human Nature as Ethical Starting-point .................. 34

A. Marner’s Raising of Eppie: Mutual Belonging Between Father and Daughter.. ......................... 35

B. Eppie’s Rejection to Godfrey: Faliure of Family Union with No Parenting ................................ 39

C. Nancy and Godfrey’s Love: Maintenance of a Stable Family .......... 42

Conclusion ............................... 45

Chapter ThreeFamily Ties with Natural Human Nature as EthicalStarting-point

A.Marner’s Raising of Eppie:Mutual Belonging Between Father andDaughter

The family is the direct substantive reality of spirit.The unity of the family is oneof feeling,the feeling of love.The true disposition here is that which esteems the unityas absolutely essential,and within it places the consciousness of oneself as anindividuality(Hegel 139).Therefore,the relationship between individual members ofthe family is a decisive factor in the family atmosphere.The ethical choice of SilasMarner,who adopts Eppie,enables him to establish a strong relationship with his family.

After being falsely accused,losing his faith,friendship,and love and moving toRaveloe,Marner was still a kind and warm-hearted man.But he kept his good naturealthough he became withdrawn and eccentric.He used the knowledge of herbs passedon to him by his mother to help the villagers cure their illnesses,and did not charge forthe treatment even though he was poor and destitute.After experiencing the theft ofgold coins in Raveloe,Marner lost his only hope for life,and his attitude towards lifebecame more numb after that.But when the ignorant baby crawled into his house andwas raised by him,the long-buried kindness and compassionate humanity reappeared inMarner’s body.