Chapter 11- SILAS MARINER Summary Notes and Extra Questions

CHAPTER 11: Summary

Nancy Lammeter and her father arrived at the Red House for the Squire Cass’s New Year’s dance. The trip had not been an easy one, and as the road was slushy, Nancy was annoyed that she had to let Godfrey help her out of her carriage. Nancy had made it clear that she did not wish to marry Godfrey. His unwelcome attention bothered her and the way he often ignored her bothered her. Nancy made her way upstairs to a dressing room that she would share with six other women, including the Gunn sisters, who came from a larger town and regarded Raveloe society with disdain. Mrs Osgood, an aunt of whom Nancy was found, was also among the women. As she put on her dress for the dance, Nancy impressed the Gunn sisters as a “rustic beauty”—lovely and immaculate but, with her rough hands and slang, clearly ignorant of the higher social graces.

Nancy’s sister Priscilla arrived and complained about how Nancy always insisted they wore matching gowns. Priscilla freely admits she was ugly and, in doing so, managed to imply that the Gunns were ugly as well. Priscilla insisted that she had no desire to marry anyway. Nancy also added that she didn’t want to marry either. When they went down to the parlour, Nancy accepted a seat between Godfrey and the rector, MrCrackenthorp. She could not help but feel exhilarated by the prospect that she could be the mistress of the Red House herself. Nancy reminded herself, however, that she did not care for Godfrey’s money or status. She blushed at these thoughts. The rector noticed and pointed out her blush to Godfrey. Though Godfrey determinedly avoided looking at Nancy, the half-drunk Squire tried to help things along by complimenting Nancy’s beauty. After a little more banter, the Squire pointedly asked Godfrey if he had asked Nancy for the first dance of the evening. Godfrey replied that he had not, but nonetheless embarrassedly asked Nancy, and she accepted.

The fiddler came in, and, after playing a few preludes, he led the guests into the White Parlour, where the dancing began. Mr Macey and a few other townspeople sat off to one side, commenting on the dancers. They noticed Godfrey escorting Nancy off to the adjoining smaller parlour, and assumed that the two were going “sweethearting.” In reality, Nancy had torn her dress and had asked to sit down to wait for her sister to help mend it. Nancy told Godfrey that she didn’t want to go into the smaller room with him and would just wait on her own. He insisted that she would be more comfortable there and offered to leave. To her own exasperation, Co Nancy was as annoyed as she was relieved by Godfrey’s offer. He told Nancy that dancing with her meant very much to him and asked if she would ever forgive him if he changed his ways. She replies that it would be better if no change were necessary. Godfrey, aware that Nancy still cared for him, told Nancy she was hard-hearted, hoping to provoke a quarrel. Just then, however, Priscilla arrived to fix the hem of Nancy’s dress. Godfrey, exhilarated by the opportunity to be near Nancy, decided to stay with them rather than go back to the dance.

Q1. Lampeter sisters have money but not class or education. What do you think about them? [All India 2017]

Ans. The Lampeter sisters are daughters of a wealthy man — MrLammeter. They have money but no education. Nevertheless, they are virtuous country girls. Nancy is the object of Godfrey’s affection and his eventual wife. She is pretty, caring, and stubborn, and she lives her life by a code of rules that sometimes seems arbitrary and uncompromising. She wants to make people happy around her. She is also emotionally dependent on her sister, Priscilla. She is Nancy’s homely, hardworking and plainspoken sister. Priscilla talks endlessly. She is worldly wise, skilled and confident. She manages the farm and the dairy and is careful about good and bad. She is extremely competent at everything she does. She has the ability to laugh at herself.

 Q2. Nancy Lammeter is a typical county girl. Comment. [Delhi 2017]

 Ans. Nancy Lammeter belongs to a rich family by the standards of Raveloe. She does not have much class as her father is a man who values moral rectitude, thrift, and hard work. She too shares her father’s love for morals. She is pretty, caring, and stubborn, and lives her life by a code of rules that sometimes seems arbitrary and uncompromising. Limited exposure has made her rigid. She seems to have already decided how she feels about every question that might come up in her life, not necessarily on the basis of any reason or thought. She wants to make people around her happy. She is also emotionally dependent on her sister, Priscilla and loves Godfrey wholeheartedly.

Q3. What were Nancy and Godfrey talking about after the dance? What was Nancy thinking as she rode to the Red House?

Ans. In the middle of the dance, Nancy’s skirt was caught under the Squire’s foot and stitches were torn out at the waist of her dress. Godfrey led her into the adjoining parlour until Priscilla could come to help her fax her dress. Godfrey told her how much dancing with her mattered to him and asked if she could ever forgive him for the past. Nancy replied that she’d be happy to see any person improve his character, but that it would be better if such an improvement were not necessary. Priscilla’s appearance to fix the dress interrupts their confrontation.

 The chance event of Nancy’s torn skirt allowed Godfrey the opportunity to speak with her and to make his feelings more apparent to her. Chance governs Godfrey’s life, both in keeping or revealing his secret and in allowing him time with Nancy. Nancy upholds her moral conviction that Godfrey’s character does not meet her standards, in large part because he was so inconstant and relied on chance rather than his own moral understanding of right and wrong.

Nancy had made it clear that she did not wish to marry Godfrey. His unwelcome attention bothered her and the way he often ignored her upset her.

Nancy displayed a severity in her judgment, frowning on Godfrey’s weakness of character and attempting to curb her feelings for him. Nancy tried stubbornly to hold to her beliefs.

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