21.

George Eliot has portrayed Godfrey as a morally weak character. Comment.

Godfrey Cass is a character who does not display any developmental arch till the end of the story. He is a coward without any moral courage though he was not an evil person. He has no desire to harm anyone. He does not like to shoulder responsibility or account for his actions, and prefers to avoids conflicts. Eliot does not offer much insight into his character, his early marriage fell apart but we are made to believe that it was not his fault, he cares for Eppie but he does not work on it. He is an unsettled man, afraid of taking tough decisions and lets others take charge of his life and actions. The weakness and moral ineptitude of his character is given as a reason for his failure to act upon his good intentions. Godfrey’s self-realization towards the end does not bring closure to the events in the novel, he still fails to do his duty for his daughter.