Eduqas GCSE English Literature
Eduqas GCSE English Literature Silas Marner Exam Questions
Free Eduqas GCSE English Literature practice questions for Silas Marner. Covers George Eliot's novel, Silas, Eppie, Godfrey and Dunstan Cass, Raveloe, community, faith, redemption, money and class.
Silas Marner practice questions
1 pack of exam-style practice questions for Silas Marner. Plan and write as many answers as you can under timed conditions, then compare them with the guidance on this page and your notes.
About Eduqas GCSE English Literature Silas Marner
Silas Marner is a set text in Component 2, Section B (19th-century prose) of the Eduqas GCSE in English Literature. George Eliot's 1861 novel follows Silas, a weaver falsely accused of theft by his religious community in Lantern Yard, who lives as a lonely miser in Raveloe until his gold is stolen and a golden-haired child, Eppie, arrives at his cottage. You answer one 40-mark question that begins with a printed extract and asks you to write about the whole novel. The section assesses AO1, AO2 and AO3, so context counts here alongside analysis of the writer's methods. Questions often focus on Silas's change, Eppie, Godfrey Cass, or the community.
Key themes, characters and context
- Silas's transformation Betrayed by his friend William Dane, Silas loses his faith and his fiancée and becomes isolated, hoarding gold. Raising Eppie restores his trust in people and God.
- Godfrey and Dunstan Cass Godfrey, the Squire's son, hides his secret marriage to Molly Farren and does not claim Eppie, his daughter. Dunstan steals Silas's gold and disappears; his skeleton is found years later in the drained Stone-pit.
- Eppie Eppie replaces the gold in Silas's life. When Godfrey and Nancy offer her wealth, she chooses to stay with Silas, the father who raised her.
- Community Dolly Winthrop and the villagers at the Rainbow inn help Silas join Raveloe life, contrasting with the harsh judgement of Lantern Yard.
- Context for AO3 Change from rural cottage industry to industrial towns, the class gap between gentry and workers, folk beliefs, and Victorian debates about religion and morality.
Common mistakes in Silas Marner
- Mixing up Dunstan and Godfrey. Dunstan steals the gold; Godfrey is Eppie's father.
- Narrating the plot in order. Use the extract and choose moments that show change.
- Missing Eliot's narrative voice. Analyse the narrator's comments that guide our judgement.
- Leaving out context, which is assessed in this section. Link to class or industrial change.
Try three Silas Marner practice questions
1. Using the extract as a starting point, write about how Eliot presents the change in Silas Marner. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse Silas's isolation and love of gold; the theft; Eppie's arrival; his growing links to Raveloe; his return to Lantern Yard; link to religion and community in the period.
2. Using the extract as a starting point, write about Godfrey Cass and how he is presented. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse his weakness and secrets; his relief at Molly's death; his marriage to Nancy; his confession; Eppie's rejection of him; link to class and responsibility.
3. Using the extract as a starting point, write about the importance of Eppie in the novel. (40 marks)
Show what a strong answer includes
A strong answer would analyse her arrival and the link to gold; her effect on Silas; her upbringing; her choice to stay; her marriage to Aaron; link to ideas of family beyond blood.
Silas Marner FAQs
What does Eduqas GCSE English Literature Silas Marner cover?
It covers George Eliot's novel as a 19th-century prose text: Silas, Eppie, Godfrey and Dunstan Cass and the Raveloe community, themes of faith, redemption, money and class, and context.
Which component is Silas Marner examined in?
It is in Component 2, Section B (19th-century prose). You answer one 40-mark question based on a printed extract and your knowledge of the whole novel.
What are the key turning points in Silas Marner?
Know the Lantern Yard accusation, the theft of the gold, Eppie's arrival on New Year's Eve, the discovery of Dunstan's body, and Eppie's choice to stay with Silas.
