Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–1865)

At publication, Elizabeth Gaskell was derided for wading into knowledge unfit for female consumption, with her depiction of the conflict between industry and labour. I think it's brilliantly done, and considering it's only incidental to the novel's focus, that makes it even more so. It is first and foremost a romance, with the labour relations playing as a grand metaphor and commentary in the background: two people of opposing backgrounds but similar character, greeting one another with poor show more assumptions based on first impressions and having to build towards better relations for arriving at mutual happiness. Maybe comparing a romance to labour negotiations isn't exactly romantic for some, but for me it makes perfect sense. And I do like things to make sense, especially in the confusing world of courtship.

I read this almost on the heels of Hard Times by Charles Dickens, which was published just before it and takes place in a similar setting. Dickens' depiction of an industrial town was like a watercolour, whereas Gaskell paints with acrylic. Everything is more grounded and relatable, whether it's descriptions of the buildings and factories or of the people who work in them. For a true, close examination of the place and period, this is the better of the two. Margaret seems like a Charlotte Bronte leading lady, as the introduction suggests, headstrong and independent. The novel gets off to a couple of false starts, required to give us an adequate background that will explain how she is able to relate to various layers of social strata and see all points of view, but also where her heart lies. It is also quick to establish how very far romance lies from her mind, and how much self-control means to her. She is more than just strong for those who depend on her (and there are many of those, orbiting around her), she is also being strong for her own sake as the correct way to be. The ending is pitch perfect, after causing me stress as the remaining page count rapidly petered out. I am full of superlatives. show less

This is a Victorian novel without any attempts to pace the exciting bits. It just plows ahead with plot, no pauses at all to drink tea or write a letter. If you've watched the BBC mini-series (and if you're reading this novel now, it's because you spent a few hours watching Richard Armitage stare off into the middle distance in a brooding sort of way, let's not pretend otherwise) you'll be familiar with the events of the novel. What is surprising is how closely the television adaptation show more follows the novel. With the exception of Bessy, who is rather cloying in the novel but a caustic breath of fresh air in the mini-series, the characters are on the page as they appear on screen.

Despite the way Gaskell keeps things moving along rapidly, she doesn't fail to create a cast of memorable characters. In this novel, the parents are a lot. Mrs. Thornton reacts to the world around her with a prickly defensiveness which is understandable given that her husband lost their money in a foolish bet, then committed suicide, leaving her to eke out a living for her two small children. But understandable doesn't mean that she isn't a hard person to be around. And the Hales, Margaret's parents, are both weak and whiny. And yet their children love them deeply and also manage to have become the kind of people who animate their morals with action, so that Margaret befriends a working family and sets out to help them in the ways they both need and can accept and Mr. Thornton postures and yells a lot, then works to improve the conditions for his employees.

This novel was clearly intended to illuminate what conditions were for textile workers, but did so with a certain, not unexpected belief in the need for bosses to call the shots. But Gaskell is also pushing against the caste system with her constant theme that men who make their fortunes in factories are the equals of those who inherit theirs and that working men are as intelligent and ingenious as those who supervise them. There are a number of digs at the moral and intellectual abilities of the Irish, I guess proving that humans will always manage to scapegoat somebody.

This novel was a lot of fun and was often hard to set aside and I'm sure I'll revisit it soon. show less

Unfortunately, this book is not as gently funny as Cranford, my introduction to Gaskell, was, but it was still enjoyable. Sure, Margaret's dad is a bit of persistent jerk, but Margaret is a good protagonist-- opinionated, proud, intelligent, resourceful. I guess the romance with Thornton is good if you like that sort of thing, but I found Margaret's acclimation to the society of Milton-Northern to interesting, as well as her struggles to carry on as her family decays around her. It's a show more classic Victorian novel in the sense that, as one of my fellow students pointed out, every character spends the entire book not saying what they actually think. Which is always fun.

added June 2012:
Every time I read an Elizabeth Gaskell novel, I fall in love with its protagonist, and declare that she is the best protagonist in all Gaskell. So, as I read several Gaskell novels in succession this spring, Mary Barton was quickly dethroned by Molly Gibson, who was in turn supplanted by Margaret Hale.

What I love about Margaret (and thus North and South) is how Gaskell shows that inaction is actually an incredibly difficult action to perform. Margaret is often put into situations where she must not say or do anything, and yet she wants to so much. Us enlightened twenty-first century folks are quick to criticized the Victorian concept of the "angel in house" because women can do more things than manage a kitchen, but Gaskell takes a different tack here, showing how awful and unfair it is to put someone into the position of being the emotional support for an entire family. Yet Margaret bears it with as little complaint as possible, managing to be successful in most cases. It's hard work, but she manages to do it, and we love her for it.

I find that I enjoy Gaskell's implicit social commentary. Rarely does any Gaskell character come out and say something like, "I think the strictures against female action are wrong," but instead she has a series of awful complications ensue from those strictures. When you sit down and think about it, you realize that if women were allowed to express themselves more readily, much of this novel would never have happened. (Good for the characters, I suppose, even if it is bad for me.) Margaret may be in an unenviable position, but we're never tempted to dismiss her as whiny or lazy thanks to the way Gaskell sets it up. We're also kept well aware that there are worse positions in life to be in than Margaret's.

I also have to say that this is without a doubt the sexiest of Gaskell's novels. Margaret's arms-- oh my! And let us not forget that delicious silence... show less

It’s Pride and Prejudice with unions and factories. A strong-willed man from one social class, an opinionated, empathetic woman from a different class, sparks fly. I loved it! I have no idea why this novel is not more popular. Gaskell tackled some tricky themes with the industrial revolution’s impact on society, but she wove a love story and a close-knit family into the mix and the result is excellent.

“People may flatter themselves just as much by thinking that their
faults are always show more present to other people’s minds, as if they believe
that the world is always contemplating their individual charms and
virtues.”

“A wise parent humors the desire for independent action, so as to
become the friend and advisor when his absolute rule shall cease.”

“Those who are happy and successful themselves are too apt to make light of the misfortunes of others.”

Check out this video to learn a little context about the time period... Industrial Revolution video on Crash Course
‪https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjK7PWmRRyg&feature=em-uploademail‬ show less