By Emily Shanks (1857–1936), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain. Source
‘Girl Picking Cucumbers’ by Emily Shanks.
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‘Girl Picking Cucumbers’ by Emily Shanks; this girl is a little old for Eppie, but the scene is not unlike the moment when Silas found her investigating a hoofprint in the fields. Emily Shanks was born in Moscow, daughter of James Steuart Shanks, Calcutta-born owner of the Magasin Anglais (‘English Shop’), a ladies’ outfitters, in the city. Her early career as a painter saw her work exhibited in Russian galleries, and she was the first woman to be elected as a full member of the Peredvizhniki or Travelling Artists, a co-operative of far-reaching influence. In 1913, as the Great War loomed, the family moved to London. The Communists appropriated the Shanks’ business after the 1917 revolution, and Emily spent the rest of her life in England.
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‘Girl Picking Cucumbers’ by Emily Shanks.
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By Emily Shanks (1857–1936), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
‘Girl Picking Cucumbers’ by Emily Shanks; this girl is a little old for Eppie, but the scene is not unlike the moment when Silas found her investigating a hoofprint in the fields. Emily Shanks was born in Moscow, daughter of James Steuart Shanks, Calcutta-born owner of the Magasin Anglais (‘English Shop’), a ladies’ outfitters, in the city. Her early career as a painter saw her work exhibited in Russian galleries, and she was the first woman to be elected as a full member of the Peredvizhniki or Travelling Artists, a co-operative of far-reaching influence. In 1913, as the Great War loomed, the family moved to London. The Communists appropriated the Shanks’ business after the 1917 revolution, and Emily spent the rest of her life in England.
Seeing that he must proceed to extremities, he put her into the coal-hole, and held the door closed, with a trembling sense that he was using a strong measure.
For a moment there was silence, but then came a little cry, “Opy, opy!” and Silas let her out again, saying “Now Eppie will never be naughty again, else she must go in the coal-hole — a black naughty place.”
The weaving must stand still a long while this morning, for now Eppie must be washed, and have clean clothes on; but it was to be hoped that this punishment would have a lasting effect, and save time in future — though, perhaps, it would have been better if Eppie had cried more.
In half an hour she was clean again, and Silas having turned his back to see what he could do with the linen band, threw it down again, with the reflection that Eppie would be good without fastening for the rest of the morning. He turned round again, and was going to place her in her little chair near the loom, when she peeped out at him with black face and hands again, and said, “Eppie in de toal-hole!”
ByGeorge Eliot1819-1880
From ‘Silas Marner’ (1861), by George Eliot (1819-1880). George Eliot was the pen-name of Mary Ann Evans.
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author
aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that
strike you. How do they help the author communicate her
ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you?
How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939)
by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at
Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn,
Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University,
USA.
Précis
Eppie is duly eased into the coal-hole, and hardening his heart Silas even manages to shut the door for a moment. Satisfied that the horrors of the dark have cured her, he ponders whether to reattach her harness — only to turn round and find Eppie covered in smuts, gleefully announcing that she has revisited ‘de toal-hole’ all by herself.(59 / 60 words)
Eppie is duly eased into the coal-hole, and hardening his heart Silas even manages to shut the door for a moment. Satisfied that the horrors of the dark have cured her, he ponders whether to reattach her harness — only to turn round and find Eppie covered in smuts, gleefully announcing that she has revisited ‘de toal-hole’ all by herself.
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Variations:
1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words.2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words.3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: if, must, not, or, otherwise, since, unless, until.
Suggest answers to this question. See
if you can limit one answer to exactly
seven words.
How long did Silas keep Eppie shut in?
Suggestion
Until she asked to be let out.
(7 words)
Variations:
1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words.2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words.3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
JigsawsBased on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single
sentence, using different words as much as possible.
Do not be satisfied with the first answer you
think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Silas shut Eppie in the coal-hole. He meant to punish her. She enjoyed it.
Variation:
Try rewriting your sentence so that it uses one or more of
these words:
1.Fun 2.Sentence 3.Suppose
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1Case.Saying.Tremble.
2Close.Instead.Well.
3Demand.Good.Here.
Variations:1.include direct and indirect speech2.include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who3.use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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