The loneliness of the world's best Friend

Elliot represents community as critical to human fulfilment and happiness. After his betrayal at Lantern Yard and his initial rejection by the villagers at Raveloe, Silas loses faith in the value of human connection. He therefore withdraws into fifteen years of seclusion in which despite accumulating great wealth, he feels no true happiness or fulfilment. Even in seclusion, Silas yearns for community - his motivation for accumulating gold is not to be wealthy, but for the sense of company that the faces on the coins provide. It is only after the chance events of the sudden loss of his wealth, and the arrival of young Eppie on his doorstep, that Silas rejoins society - and in doing so learns that that there is no substitute for real human community.

Is alienation a modern plague? The sudden death of beloved actor
Matthew Perry has shocked his fans. He faced addiction, but also the
disease that defines our time: isolation.

Do we need to relearn the art of hanging out? Loneliness is being described as the "modern leprosy", a debilitating personal and social problem. But what is so hard to solve about being alone?

But is seeking it a waste of time? Experts say Aristotle's advice teaches us that well-being comes not when we look for it but when we live with purpose and meaning.

Eliot suggests that two major forces are at work in the world - chance and justice. At first, the novel indicates that chance is the dominant force. Silas is driven out of his community at Lantern Yard after the other residents determine by lot that he is guilty of stealing money from the congregation. In the long run, however, the novel's main characters tend to get the fate that their conduct deserves. The characters who show moral goodness and honesty are rewarded, while those who do not are punished. For example, the community at Lantern Yard ultimately falls into ruin and misery, whereas Silas - eventually - finds happiness and fulfilment in his new life with Eppie. The ultimate victory of justice over chance thus proves to be a key overarching theme in the novel, of which the central lesson is that moral behaviour will be rewarded in the end.

Is positive thinking a form of delusion? People who believe they
are lucky have happier and healthier lives. But scientists warn that
too much positivity can be a dangerous thing.

Do robots need morals? A leading law-maker has said that artificial intelligence must meet ethical standards. But even leading researchers do not fully understand the machines they build.

Can we learn to be nicer? Many feel the world is getting meaner.
Antisocial behaviour is on the rise. One writer thinks the answer could
be a return to Victorian-style education.

Eliot presents greed as a self-destructive trait. Dunstan Cass is immediately punished for his greed - he perishes soon after stealing Silas' gold. Similarly, for as long as Silas spends his life accumulating gold, he is never truly happy. But Silas is never truly motivated by greed - his real yearningAn intense feeling of longing for, or wanting, something. is for the sense of community that the coins offer him, and he is therefore redeemableSomething that can be saved. . Once he has lost his obsession with gold, he is able to find happiness. Losing his beloved coins turns out to be a crucial condition of his acceptance by the community and his ultimate attainment of happiness. Eliot therefore uses the novel to warn of the dangers of greed, and to signal that the sense of fulfilment one might attain by accumulating will never be anything except shallow and superficialOn the surface only. compared to the figurative wealth generated by human connections.

Is inequality destroying Planet Earth? The world's most powerful
people are gathering in Switzerland this week. Some hope to persuade
them to clamp down on the top 1%.

'Quiet crisis' of loneliness is getting worse

Should there be a limit to wealth? Right now the world's rich
and powerful are meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos. Some think we would all be better off without them.

Is Philip Green a villain or a scapegoat? The Topshop boss is under fire for living it up while his employees lose their jobs - but isn't a rotten society just as much to blame as he is?

One of the morals of this novel is that all human beings are redeemable - if they acknowledge their mistakes and do right by other people. Silas spends 15 years in isolation and misery, but the sudden arrival of Eppie on his doorstep, and the love that they share, restore him. The power of their human connection breaks the grip of wealth and suspicion that had kept him in seclusion. Godfrey Cass achieves partial redemption - after years of dishonestly hiding the fact that he is Eppie's biological father, he finally admits the truth, but he is not fully redeemed because his motivation is ultimately selfish. He admits the truth only after growing convinced that he will never be able to have children with his wife, Nancy Lammeter. As such, he is not rewarded with the attainment of his yearning to become Eppie's father figure, but he nonetheless makes himself a positive and supportive presence in her life. Eliot therefore suggests that redemption is always possible, but that it depends on purity both of action and motive.

Is fraternal bad blood the key to history? Harry's new book
sheds light on his turbulent relationship with Prince William. Experts say our past was shaped by brotherly rivalry.

Does everybody deserve a second chance? Mason Greenwood is back on the football pitch, nearly two years after allegations of sexual misconduct and domestic abuse were made against him.

Can we ever stop inhuman acts? The Greek coastguard has been
accused of deliberately drowning migrants. It is making some lose their belief in the good of humanity.

Silas Marner presents a mixed picture of religion. The religiosity of the Puritan community at Lantern Yard does not prevent it from casting out Silas after he is framed at the hands of his friend, William Dane. On the other hand, the novel can be interpreted as a fairly typical narrative of Christian morality, in which those who "do unto others as they would have done unto them" are ultimately rewarded with rich and fulfilling lives. This reflects George Eliot's personal conviction that following religious moral imperatives was more important than any particular organised religious authority or confession.

Do we still need religion? Next weekend is one of age-old traditions, with Christians celebrating Easter, Muslims
observing Ramadan and Jews coming together for Passover.

Is religion making a comeback? The
Scottish Nationalist Kate Forbes used to face criticism for her
conservative Christian views, but is now experiencing general
acceptance. 

Are anti-racists overcorrecting? If
you don't like it, you don't need to come here, says school leader,
after winning a legal dispute over religious activity during school
hours.