Introduction
Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel North and South published in 1854 would have been more aptly named as South and North since it is on the surface, the story of the family’s shift from the rural South of England to its industrialized north. Maybe, the author thought that North and South will sound more romantic and familiar if she left the order of the words unchanged in the way it is commonly used.
There is also an autobiographical element to the theme since the author herself had undergone such an experience as a child when her father had done the same thing to her family. They had to leave the town where her father was a preacher on conscientious grounds. The protagonist of the story, Margaret Hale is given a father who also happens to be a preacher and leaves their comfortable life in a small southern town on the same grounds.
Like Gaskell’s most works, the book is a deep study of the social conditions of underprivileged class in the society, who most often are mill workers. There is obvious sympathy for the inhuman living conditions in which the mill workers in those days lived. This paper is a review of the main character, Margaret Hale and will also look at the social and economical and political transitions/issues that occur in the story.
Character of Margaret Hale
Margaret Hale comes across as a strong character right from the very start of the novel. “In order to highlight the underestimated value of women in Victorian society, Elizabeth Gaskell develops the character of Margaret: a powerful and independent woman who does not allow herself to adhere to patriarchal Victorian conventions.” (Women, Independence and Financial Status in the North and the South).
The first glimpse of this strength is seen when her father announces the shocking news of his impending move from their present home to Milton. The news naturally upsets Margaret, because she is used to the quiet and unpretentious life they had led until then. It would naturally be a shock to even a grown up and the fact that it upset her comes as no surprise. But when her father depends on her to break the news to her mother, she quickly agrees. Mr. Hale seems to have understood her strength of character even she herself may not have been aware of it. Responding to a question as to whether she will dislike her part in telling her mother, Margaret replies that “It is a painful thing, but it must be done, and I will do it as well as I ever can. You must have many painful things to do.” (Gaskell, p. 35).
Her strength is again evident from the way she refuses the marriage proposal from Henry Lennox. Even though initially surprised and a little shocked, she takes a bit of time to gather her wits and refuses the offer. She does not appear to be shocked or offended by this. She only views Lennox as a friend and does not see him as a lover and future husband. As the story unfolds more evidence of this strength is presented by the author. Margaret has a brother Frederick who is away in Spain. The burden and responsibility as a child towards her parents hence falls solely on her shoulders and she tries hard to fulfill it to the best of her ability. This naturally would have played a major part in the development of any person’s character. Some would live up to it while others may turn wayward and irresponsible. It is to the credit of Margaret that she chose the former course of action.
Another aspect is that had her brother been present, she would naturally live under the impression that Frederick would be there to take care of things. She might not have had the chance to develop her character as well as she does now in her brother’s absence. Anyhow, this was in direct contrast to the Victorian traditions of the girl child going on to become a mother and a good wife who looks after their family while the man of the house will take the responsibility of protecting the family. It is this strength of character that attracts Mt Thornton towards her. Mr. Thornton who is a mill owner in Milton is an equally strong character. The attraction was preceded by an irritation and even administration as is evident from the way the author shows Thornton’s feeling towards her – “while he looked upon her with an admiration he could not repress, she looked at him with proud indifference.” (Gaskell, p. 59).
The irony about Margaret is that her character along with her looks and manner in which she carried herself gave the impression that she was haughty and arrogant. In reality, she was just a person who did not hesitate to speak her mind about issues that made her angry or sad. Gaskell quaintly describes her as follows – “Margaret could not her looks, but the short curled upper lip, the round, massive upturned chin, the manner of carrying her head, her movements, full of a soft feminine defiance, always gave strangers the impression of haughtiness.” (Gaskell, p. 58). She too is initially repelled by Thornton, not because of his looks or manner, but due to his title of mill owner. Margaret feels that all mill owners are cruel (which is quite true to a large extent). It is only towards the end that both of them realize their true feelings towards each other and become engaged bringing the story to a happy close.
Another character that stands out is her maturity and sensitivity. Henry Lennox surprises and shocks her when he unexpectedly asks her hand in marriage. Even though she takes some time to collect her wits, she calmly refuses the offer. She says that Lennox is only a friend and cannot see him as a lover or a future husband. In a sense, this could partly have been due to her responsibility towards her parents. Had she acquiesced, Margaret would have to leave her parents to go and live with Lennox in London and that was something she did not want at that time. Her sensitivity also comes across because she feels that she has hurt Lennox’s feeling by her refusal of the proposal. The sympathy shown by her towards the mill workers is also testimony to this fact.
Bravery is also her forte shown by her act of protecting Thornton at the time of a strike called by workers of Thornton’s mill. When the workers attempt to attack Thornton she defends him with her own body and is even hit on the head by a stone thrown by one of the strikers. Elizabeth Gaskell has attempted to provide Margaret with all the qualities that she sees fit in a woman, even though it might be difficult to find a replica in real life. Such women are rare and if found will really be a catch for a man to accept as a life mate.
Social issues
Elizabeth Gaskell’s works have a strong underlying social theme that is sympathetic towards the underprivileged. This is evident in North and South also. The Southern and predominantly agricultural part of England where Margaret spent her formative years is quite different from the hustle and bustle of the industrial north. Life was comparatively easy going and less harsh in contrast to the harsh and inhuman conditions found in the north. The novel clearly presents the hardships faced by the mill workers and is also one of the primary intentions of the author.
In a sense, all the characters including Margaret are just an excuse to showcase the reality that exists in industrialized settings during the Elizabethan era. This is not to belittle the character of Margaret as presented by the author. But the novel gives a feeling that social issues are more important than personal ones. The social life of a worker in an industrial setting in the Elizabethan period was extremely harsh and inhuman. Workers were often seen and treated as if they were machines.
In most cases, the machinery was given preferential treatment in order to prevent breakdowns and stoppage of work. The author attempts to and succeeds in presenting a realistic picture of the frustrations and problems faced by the working class of that period. Morale was low and people often accepted what was meted out to them by their employees without any protest. There was no individuality among the workers except for the some of the leaders who initiated the strike. At the most, workers voiced opinions among themselves and to others who cared to listen about the inhuman way they are treated by their employees. In the case of Thornton, the simile is that of a bulldog. On the whole, the social life among the working class was that of hard labor, low wages and total lack of job security.
Political Issues
The strike as portrayed in the novel is representative of the revolutions that shook Europe, primarily the French Revolution. There was no political law that protected the rights of the workers during that period. In the rural south of England, agricultural laborers were better off in the sense that they benefited from the charity that was often meted out to them from their landlords. But as stated in the Introductory section of the novel, workers “were not yet protected by the statutory provisions that now make up the welfare state.” (Gaskell). The government machinery was not equipped to handle the fast moving changes that was taking place in the industrialize world.
Economic Issues
The law of ‘demand and supply’ states that when supply is high, prices fetched for a product will remain low. This was the case with the workers also. The migration of a large number of agricultural laborers to the cities in search of jobs ensured that the supply of laborer far exceeded the demand for them. As a result, they were paid wages that was just barely enough for sustenance. In case business was dull, the workers would be simply sent off to fend for themselves. There were no social security or unemployment pension plans during that period.
Conclusion
North and South is a novel that covers a whole gamut of emotions and issues that affect the society. There are human, social, political and economic issues that are interwoven into the story line and the novel can be viewed from all these point of views. The characters of the main players that include Margaret and Thornton form part of the human issues. The strikes that break out in Thornton’s mills form a part of the political issues and the financial hardships faced by the workers form a part of the economic issues. The underlying theme of social injustice as seen through the eyes of Margaret form a part of the social issues that forms the main theme of the novel. North and South can be enjoyed as a romance that has a happy ending. It can also be an eye-opener to the difficulty and injustice faced by the underprivileged in any society. The choice is left to the reader.
Works Cited
- Women, Independence and Financial Status in the North and the South. Gradesaver. 2008. Web.
- Gaskell, Elizabeth. North and South. Wordsworth. 1998. Web.
- Gaskell, Elizabeth. North and South. Wordsworth. 1998. Web.