Silas Marner (1861) by George Eliot is a novel notable for its strong realism and its sophisticated treatment of a variety of issues, like religion, industrialization, community. Silas Marner, a weaver, is a member of a small Calvinist congregation. He is falsely accused of stealing the congregation's funds while watching over the very ill deacon. Two clues are given against Silas: a pocketknife, and the discovery of the empty money bag in his house. There is the strong suggestion that Silas' best friend, William Dane, has framed him, since Silas had lent his pocket knife to William shortly before the crime was committed. Silas is proclaimed guilty. The woman Silas was to marry breaks their engagement and later marries William. With his life shattered and his heart broken, Silas leaves the city and travels south to settle near a rural village to live alone. He comes to adore the gold he earns and hoards from his weaving. The gold is stolen by the son of the town's leading landowner…
