Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) was born at South farm, Arbury in Warwickshire to Robert and Christian Pearson Evans on November 22, 1819 (Wiesenfarth 145). She had four siblings: Robert, Fanny, Chrissy, and Isaac. Mary and Isaac where inseparable, however, he went away to boarding school in 1824. At Miss Latham’s, missing her friendship with her brother, Mary Ann first turned to books as a source of amusement. Many said that she was a serious, sensitive, and introspective child. Mathline Blind described her as “a queer, three-cornered, awkward girl, who sat in corners and shyly watched her elders”. From Miss Latham’s, Mary was sent to Mrs. Wallington’s Boarding School at Nuneaton. It was at Mrs. Wallington’s that she met the woman who was the most influential figure in

Robert and Mary Ann moved to Foleshill where she began to study Christ; she studied the scripture so much that she began to question its credibility. After persuasion by her close friends Charles and Cara Bray and a bit of contemplating, she decided to leave her faith (Wiesenfarth 147). Silas Marner seems to show a hint of autobiography, because in the book Silas leaves his faith due to tragic events in his life. Mary Ann’s relationship with Miss Lewis and her father dwindled when she stopped going to church in 1842. Her father refused to talk to her until they made a truce which imposed that Mary go to church, under the conditions that she could still believe in what she wanted. Robert Evans health started to fail, and he passed away in June of 1849(George 3).

Most perceptions of George Eliot are created through the quotes that others wrote about her. In 1881, Leslie Stephen made a quote about Eliot after she died, which I believe to be very accurate. Leslie stated, “In losing George Eliot we have probably lost the greatest woman who ever won literary fame, and one of the very few writers of our day to whom the name ‘great’ could be conceded with any plausibility…. her works have the marks of high genius” (Harris 110). Genius that is best described by E. B. Hamley who said, “ George Eliot’s work always stand on the lasting foundation of a deep central thought, and every accessory, every incident, illustration, description, or image which she calls to aid the design, is molded by her with the conscientious delicate care of a jeweler dealing with gems of gold” (Harris 102).

Some topics in this essay:
George Eliot, Silas Marner, Mary Ann, Lewis Deeds, Adam Bede, Nancy Lammetter, Eliot English, Clerical Life, Provincial Life, Charles Dickens, george eliot, silas marner, harris 91, mary ann, “it rewards take”, sally oates, harris 99, nineteenth century, clerical life, rewards take”, scenes clerical, scenes clerical life, themes “nobody lonely”, “nobody lonely” “it, rewards take” silas,