Silas Marner: Eliot's Manipulation Silas Marner, written by George Eliot, covers a time span of more than thirty years; however, emphasis is limited to three relatively short periods. The first period opens the book, showing Silas living his lonely existence at Raveloe, which leads to a flashback to fifteen years earlier when he was driven from Lantern Yard. The time then resumes quickly to its original point from November through the New Year. The last time span is accelerated sixteen years later where the results of the early events are seen. These three time spans are how Eliot's manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of the work as