How does George Eliot present the character of Godfrey Cass in ‘Silas Marner’ in comparison with characters from a range of short stories?

Eliot presents the character of Godfrey as a total moral coward and shows he has a lack of resolution. He is ironically described as ‘fine, open-faced, good natured’ by the approving villagers when he already has much to hide. He goes through life acting on impulses and hoping luck will save him from the results of his actions. In this way he has secretly married Molly Farren and fathered a child, been blackmailed to misuse money due to his father - and yet still somehow hopes to wriggle out of everything and marry Nancy Lammeter. Godfrey is insensitive, weak and deceitful: We are told he has an easy disposition and prefers good. Eliot conveys her opinions about Victorian society in her novel. With Godfrey, she is able to explore the issue of social class. Eliot disagreed with the commonly held belief of society at the time that the upper class were morally superior to the lower class. Through Godfrey is morally questionable character she is able to promote instead the integrity and values of the working class. For a while fortune favours him: Molly dies, Silas takes Eppie and Nancy agrees to marry him. With all his privileges and his loving wife, in the end Godfrey is unhappy because, ironically, he has to appear childless, his only child apparently having died. He had a child whom he disowned - he did not deserve to be a father. Silas adopted the child and was truly a father to her. Godfrey often seems to expect that money will solve his problems; he gives Molly money which she spends on opium; he gives Silas money when he adopts Eppie; he expects Silas and Eppie to agree to his adoption plans because of money, and finally, he pays for the wedding reception at the Rainbow.

In many ways Eliot presents Godfrey