The Concept of Individualism in Hawthorne's 'The Blithedale Romance' and Eliot's 'Silas Marner'

The concept of individualism has been on the rise across several Western societies. Several studies have been carried out on individualism, all pointing towards the fact that the rising incidence of individualism is a global trend. Arguably, it has been noted that the increase in social and economic development by all standards demonstrates the extent to which individualistic practices are being embraced across various parts of the world. Additionally, it is noted that factors such as an increase in the rate of divorce, along with the rise in the incidences of narcissism, equally demonstrates the rise of individualism. Though the concept of individualism is widely embraced, the idea harms society in many ways. For instance, individuals might refrain from cooperating with other members of the society, which denies them the benefits that come with such interactions. In as much as people have the right to select their approach to life, individualism has a negative impact, given that it tends to bring about confusion and conflict across society.

In his book titled 'The Blithedale Romance,' Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the life of several utopians who set out to reform an American society they believe has been dissipated. This group comprises of several competing ambitions, thereby making it difficult for them to embrace idealism and be satisfied with the activities that they are engaged in. Instead of working together to change and improve the world, the inhabitants of the Blithedale community begin to engage in egotistical paths that result in tragedy. Going through the novel, one realizes that Hawthorne is not only using the tale to mourn the community, but also to satirize the situation as it was in 19th Century America.

Primarily, the theme of individualism is exhibited when community members appear discontent even though they reside within a utopia. The novel, which is authored based on the experience that Hawthorne had at the Brook Farm, notes that at the end of his stay within the farm, he was left him quite disappointed (Hawthorne 8). One of the reasons why utopianism fails within society is the fact that both the intellectual and yeoman cannot be combined to work together. Selfishness, which is exhibited by the members of the community, is enough reason as to why utopianism fails, thus giving rise to individualism. This assertion is predominantly because most people are selfish, only focusing on their interests instead of working together for the greater good of the community. The concept of selfishness further comes out when Coverdale writes 'He and Zenobia and Priscilla both for their own sakes and as connected with him were separated from the rest of the Community to my imagination, and stood forth as the indices of a problem which it was my business to solve' (Hawthorne 69). In this section, Coverdale's primary objective is to ensure that he figures out his friends who are not interested in working together with each other but are instead focused on the activities that only benefit them. Out of this desire, members of the community result to analyze, scold, and judge each other while at the same time provoking each other. Consequently, this results in a situation where members of the various communities are unable to trust each other.

The concept of individualism within the novel is further pointed out by the fact that both males and females are unable to work together for the sake of the community. Notably, given the concept of gender, both males and females have different interests and end up looking down on each other. In the novel, Coverdale comes out as a bit neutral and takes a middle ground regarding the gender issue, an aspect that results in her occasionally being denoted as being a sympathizer of women (Hawthorne 58). As the novel unfolds, the way women are perceived concerning their sexuality further shows a society that is far away from embracing each other's principles. This assertion is based on the notion that females should comply with the policies outlined by males without objection, failure to which their actions can be perceived as disrespectful.

Hawthorne further brings out the concept of individualism within the society by illustrating how both the countryside and cities are perceived across the novel. Given that the novel was set in a time when agrarian was being replaced by the industrial revolution, the cities are perceived as dangerous, unhealthy, dirty, and unsatisfying. One of the reasons for the poor social amenities across the cities is individuals who are hell-bent on satisfying their unique needs instead of working towards finding a solution to the problems being faced by the community. The negative manner through which the countryside is perceived further illustrates the extent of individualism across society. Countrysides are defined as regions that are full of betrayal and frustration that, if not identified and solved from an early age, tend to result in murder and suicide.

From the above discussion, it should be noted that individualism is demonstrated through the extent to which most of the characters within the novel are selfish. Their selfishness does not assist them in accomplishing the challenges that they face but instead results in their downfall. The main lesson that can be derived from the novel is the fact that there is a need for individuals to refrain from engaging in utopias and individualism that has been extensively embraced. Individuals should instead ascertain that they do the best they can to work with each of their colleagues with the view of progressing their communities.

Directly shifting from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Blithedale Romance”, George Eliot's Silas Marner tells the story of an individual who used to live a solitary life but is redeemed by the joys that are brought to him by fatherhood. After being wrongly accused of engaging in the theft that results in his being exiled from the community, Silas Marner decides to live alone within Raveloe (Eliot 11). He is so secluded from the society to the extent that he only leaves his residence when the errand involves taking care of the precious hoard of cash or for work. Nonetheless, the money that he values so much gets stolen. At the same time, an orphaned child reaches out to him. The arrival of the little girl provides Silas with the opportunity to transform his life. As one continues going through the novel, it becomes evident that the fate of Silas, along with that of Eppie, the little girl who walked into his home, is somewhat intertwined with that of Godfrey Cass. Cass is the son to the Squire of the village, who, just like Silas, finds himself trapped in the events of his past (Eliot 47). At the same time, it should be noted that in developing the novel, George Elliot employs several stylistic devices that are aimed at criticizing the social community within which the novel has been set. Equally, Elliot aims at illustrating how individualism can affect communities in instances where essential steps are not put in place to get the very best out of people.

Individualism in the novel comes out due to the frequent friction between Silas Marner and the community within which he resides. In as much as the primary point in the story is to illustrate the challenges that Silas Marner went through throughout his undertakings with the community, in a way, it highlights how communities typically treat individuals who do not conform to the ideologies that they present (Eliot 84). At the beginning of the 19th Century, the community within which individuals often resided acted as essential sources of emotional support and the resources that individuals were to use in undertaking the duties assigned to them.

Indeed, the concept of connection within the members of the community runs through the novel. Aspects such as charitable allowance that members of the community are accorded by their local parish symbolize the concept of connection. The fact that these donations primarily target less fortunate across the community is an indication that, indeed, the community has the best interests of its members at heart. Another element of interconnectedness that arises within the novel comes out following the robbery that took place at the home of Silas, where his money was stolen (Eliot 89). Several members of the community pass by his house to offer him the support that he deserves.

Individualism nonetheless comes out when Silas is rejected by his community due to his loss of faith. At the time that Silas is introduced to the audience, he is about thirty-nine years old. He has been residing across the English village of Raveloe in the countryside for approximately fifteen years. One of the major reasons why Silas appears reclusive is the fact that most of his neighbors who reside within Raveloe perceive him with suspicion and tend to look at him with considerable curiosity (Eliot 97). Such perception explains Silas' decision to spend most of his time working within his loom instead of making an attempt to know the fellow members of his society. Throughout the story, it does not skip the audiences attention that another potential reason why the members of the community have ignored Silas is because of his physical appearance that seemed odd. This assertion is based on the fact that due to his work in the room, he appears to have slightly bent. At the same time, it should be noted that Silas has eyes that can be perceived as frightening and strange, an aspect that contributes to the members of the neighboring village attesting to the fact that he may be old.

Even though he is the main character in the novel, Silas is the one who is acted upon by the members of the neighboring community. Regardless of the discrimination and the challenges that he faces, at no point does he say something that is negative to the other members of the community. The concept of individualism is further strengthened by how Silas is framed as the thief who stole from his community. Instead of complaining that he is the innocent one, Silas does not argue back. Instead, he believes that the God he worships will set him free by clearing his name. Individualism is further heightened when Dunsey plots and steals gold from Silas. In this case, Dunsey mainly focused on enhancing his own social status instead of taking into consideration the needs of Silas.

The concept of individualism is further reaffirmed by Godfrey, whose actions illustrate that he does not care about any other individual but himself. For instance, Godfrey decides to engage in another marriage even though he already has a wife. In entering into another long-term relationship and keeping it a secret for fear of being disowned, Godfrey illustrates that he only cares about himself and no one else. It does not end well for him nonetheless, given that his brother Dunsey finds out and uses it as a mechanism to exploit him. At the same time, the death of Molly due to freezing as she was on her way to Raveloe to reveal their secret is another indication that it does not always end well for the individuals who often engage in individualistic tendencies. The fact that Godfrey does not want to take responsibility for her daughter Eppie out of his selfishness further results in a situation where she grows close to Silas to the extent that she is not willing to replace him. In pointing out the fate of the individualistic characters, the author is encouraging his audience to ensure that they live their lives guided by values such as empathy and caring for each other.

In conclusion, whereas most of the societies are inclined towards an individualistic kind of coexistent, it should be noted that individualism brings about confusion and conflict within the society. Lack of cooperation among the members of the society limits the benefits they derive from the society that they live in, and this significantly contributes to social ills experienced in the society. Among the major factors that contributes to individualism, as discussed, is the need for personal gains, selfishness, differences among gender, as well as the lack of interest and love for the common good for the society at large. The presence of such factors among the society members creates situations that makes it hard for the members to coexist side by side in a manner that promotes connection and working for a common good. Given this, there is a dire need to educate communities on the need to ensure that there are mechanisms in place aimed at promoting interaction and dependency among the members of the society with the sole aim of reducing individualism. Arguably, the two books provide a good ground for societies to evaluate their commitment to the general good of the society, as opposed to individualistic tendencies whose impact on society are detrimental. Societies progress when all the members are involved and when there are set principles that apply to all without discrimination or prejudice.