Comparing The Essay 'And How To Strike It Contemporary'

Words: 723
Pages: 3

The topic of having to take responsibility for your actions comes up in both “How It Strikes a Contemporary” and Silas Marner. In “How to Strike It Contemporary” the town folk feel that they must be responsible for the actions when being watched this is illustrated by the narrator’s account of the watchful man. Though a strong theme of religion is found in Silas Marner it is often overshadowed that the characters in this novel feel a responsibility for their actions to a higher power. It is often overshadowed by the character’s concerns for what society will think of their actions. However, it is important to note that in Godfrey’s perspective the character indefinitely only has God to answer to. Though the topic of observance comes up in both works the authors have very different viewpoints about the manner and go about approaching it in different ways. At one point in the novel, Silas Marner Godfrey points out that nothing can stay hidden if God wishes for society to know about it. This is an interesting point as he seems to erase the necessity of small town talk. He …show more content…
The author is saying that you should avoid partaking in any shameful business because you hold a moral responsibility to God. It would seem the author is trying to illustrate that it does not matter who is watching you or judging you at any given time because the most essential factor is that God is watching all the time. This could perhaps mean that the author felt that whether you lived in a small town or not your actions would be judged and become public knowledge. This would mean that it makes no difference where you are located as the element of society means very little in the big picture of things. This section of Eliot’s novel differs remarkably from the viewpoint of the poem as the narrator of the poem seems to hold very high importance to individual’s in society that are watching