George Eliot's novel 'Silas Marner' is a classic work of literature, first published in 1861. The title character, Silas Marner, is a miserly weaver who lives alone in a small village in England. He is a lonely and isolated figure, but eventually finds redemption through the love of a young girl. Eliot's Miser is a reference to Silas Marner, and is used to describe someone who is overly frugal and stingy with their money.