Once again Eliot uses a general beginning, presenting the proposition that "minds that have been unhinged from their old faith and love have perhaps sought this Lethean influence of exile, in which the past becomes dreamy because its symbols have all vanished, and the present too is dreamy because it is linked with no memories." This statement is addressed directly to the reader. Such authorial addresses are a regular part of Eliot's technique, and they serve an important function in the novel. They are intended to guide the reader's response to the actions and characters and to channel the reader’s thoughts in the desired direction. They are rarely intrusive, for it has been evident from the first that this is a "told" story. Eliot makes no attempt to hide behind the scenes. This openness is a standard technique of Victorian fiction, and it is a useful technique when used with the skill that Eliot shows. The remarks draw the reader into the novel by connecting the fictional world with the real through the person of Eliot. They account for the "contemplative" air of the novel, for we are presented not only with the raw event but with the results of a long process of thought on the events.
Silas' life is set as a test of the proposition that Eliot has presented. His old life at Lantern Yard is contrasted to the new life at Raveloe, where he feels "hidden even from the heavens." The "unquestioned doctrine," the hymns, all the old "channels of divine influences" have been closed; the symbols of the past have vanished. The present is certainly dreamy, for it takes no account of the life going on outside.
