The mood of the novel ranges widely. Eliot makes the reader feel romantic and tender with her descriptions of the hazy countryside and of loving relationships. These lull the reader into a deceptive calm, which is then broken by the tense and serious mood in scenes of social interaction and betrayal. The incredibly thorough explorations of character Eliot undergoes makes the reader's emotions align tightly with those of the person being described. The reader feels the rending disappointment of Silas's loss of his gold, the wonder and tenderness that cracks his shell when Eppie arrives, and the deep peace he finds at the end of his story.
The reader also cringes, laughs, and smiles in equal measure as Eliot's characters debase and defend unsavory aspects of themselves, exceed their own expectations, and undergo transformations. The reader initially feels dislike and discomfort with Silas Marner himself, who seems like a miser afflicted by fate and unwilling to reflect on his own actions. Later, his true nature is revealed, as Eliot's plot allows for the presence of his ward Eppie and his kind neighbors to open his heart and home to the world. The reader feels pride in and relief for the weaver as his character changes.
By the end of the novel emotions are flying: the climactic scene where Eppie is offered a home with her "real" parents and Silas offers her a chance to leave is incredibly moving. The reader—who by this point has experienced Nancy Lammeter's desperate wish for a child, Godfrey Cass's gradual improvements in character and Silas's seismic shift from miser to father—feels all aspects of the tension in this exchange. From initial dislike, the reader has transitioned into deep emotional investment in Silas and his found family, and into a more nuanced understanding of the needs and desires of the other members of his community. By the end of the novel the mood is jubilant, but overtones of its serious message remain with the reader.
