Analysis of North And South Essay

NORTH AND SOUTH

North and South, written by Elizabeth Gaskell, can be seen as a love story at first sight but when it is deeply examined it is true to say that North and South is one of the successful novels which reflects the social life and cultural norms of Victorian Era. This novel enables us to see those times of England to some extent from the eyes of a middle class lady; Margaret Hale who experiences of the life standards of both the south and the north of the England. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the issues of class, gender and north and south division in Gaskells North and South through some major characters of the novel. It may be beneficial to give some background information about the Victorian Era before mentioning the issues given above to fully comprehend the period when the novel was written.

The Victorian period which saw great expansion of wealth, power and culture was really a great time with the reign of Queen Victoria. For literally saying it was the time of revolution and change. It is not possible to summarize the Victorian era in a good order but Ilana Millers essay concentrates on some major characteristics of this period. She states that;

The Victorian era is generally agreed to stretch through the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). It was a tremendously exciting period when many artistic styles, literary schools, as well as, social, political and religious movements flourished. It was a time of prosperity, broad imperial expansion, and great political reform. It was also a time, which today we associate with "prudishness" and "repression". Without a doubt, it was an extraordinarily complex age, that has sometimes been called the Second English Renaissance. It is, however, also the beginning of Modern Times (The Victorian Era 1837-1901).

When the period is taken into consideration with its improvement and innovation it can be said that the role of women in the society should be different relatively from the past.

However, the Victorian women were supposed to be domestic servant whose only aim is to give birth, grow up children and fallow her husbands wills.

Even the richest Womens lives were limited by the idea that they could not take a share in more serious matters. They were only allowed to amuse themselves. As one lord wrote: Women are only children of larger growth A man of sense only plays with them He neither tells them about, nor trusts them, with serious matters ( McDowall 115-116) .

Also Helen Nickson who studies the role of women in Victorian era states that:

The life of women in Victorian era was generally centered on family commitment. Women were seen as temples of love and purity- and so, could not be used for physical exertion or pleasurable sex the only role of women in Victorian era was to get married an look after the homely chores. The young ladies were groomed thoroughly to get married and had to be innocent, virtuous, biddable and dutiful. The young women were mainly educated in accomplishments like French, drawing, painting, singing dancing everything which helped them to get a perfect suitor( Life of Women in Victorian Era).

It is obviously understand that the women of this era unlike the women of today did not have the chance of choose their life freely. They were not given any alternative but to accept whatever was planned out of their wills.

Gaskells novel North and South demonstrates straightly the role of women in Victorian Era through the diversity of women characters in the novel. Both Margaret Hale, the major character of the novel and her mother Mrs. Hale as middle class ladies and Fanny Thornton as an upper middle class lady are the most prominent ones to reflect the era. Margaret Hale a Victorian gentle young lady is a more powerful character than a Victorian woman. Throughout the novel she is interested in public matters more than domestic matters and she is a rational, well balanced and self confident lady, in contrast to the depicted unintellectual, weak, prone to tears and irrational Victorian woman figure. She, as the emotional and practical leader of her family, faces all the challenge with the calm strength nearly no women lack especially in that era. While explaining her powerful character and decisive and responsible sides of her; Jonathan Sacerdoti points out:

Margaret takes on the job of comforting her parents and helping calm their fears about their newly changed future. She grows up at an amazing rate, and has to cope with a great many important decisions regarding her familys home, her parents health the safety of her brother and the well-being of the Higgins family not just with ladies business(Gaskell style ).

While Miss Hale is depicted like that in the novel, of Miss Thornton is staged as a helpless and an irrational young lady who has everything to get a perfect suitor but she never ever know about the social and public matters. When the striker workers come to the Thorntons house to protest the new coming Irish workers while Margaret showed her courage and rationality Fanny scared even more than a baby. Fanny had returned, screaming, upstairs as if pursued at every step, and had thrown herself in hysterical sobbing on the sofa(206). When the subject is gender it is essential to handle the characteristic of Mrs. Hale who is portrayed as a kind, domestic lady. Her mother is always so kind and tender (16). She is shown as an unintellectual woman like the expected Victorian women. Mrs. Hale had never cared much of books, and discouraged her husband, very early in their married life, in his desire of reading aloud to her, while she worked(18). She is also demonstrated as a weak woman who can not run counter to her husbands decision to leave beloved Helstone(75). To more straightly comprehend the role of women in Victorian era it is suitable to give the speech of Miss Hale and Mr. Hale about going to Bessys funeral:

Let me go with you. Said Margaret impetuously

You! My dear women do not generally go

No because they cant control themselves. Women of our class dont go, because they have no power over their emotions, and yet are ashamed of showing them. Poor women go, and dont care if they are seen overwhelmed with grief(316).

In Victorian era class division is another serious issue as a social problem. Daniel

Matuschke who studies Victorian age notes that:

A new kind of class system was built up by Victorian society. If it happened purposely or not, but the classes showed concrete and radical differences between the rich and poor. There were, with exceptions of course, only two different kind of classes. The upper-class and the lower-class. People were either poor or rich(Social Aspects).

The class division in 18th century is handled by Gaskell as one of the most striking issues of her novel. Throughout the novel it is possible to feel the disturbing air resulting from the existence of the classes and more disturbing than this the existence of the great differences among the classes. Each class has specific characteristics that defined its behavior and these characteristics are best seen in North and South. In the novel Margaret is the representative of middle class society as being an educated and kind lady in her Indian shawls; on the other hand poor Bessy as a mill worker, uneducated, in need of young girl is the representative of working class society. Although they are both young women and they live in the same town at the same time the differences between them are inexpressibly huge. Each of them is the same age but Margaret with her large boned( 87) is a healthy girl because she never suffer from starving or never has the burden of financial hardship of her family. Her only constraint may be her inability to play the piano very well. On the other hand; poor Bessy, whose dry and nagging cough resulted from the bad condition of the workplace where she had to work, is a weak and ill girl. I think I was well when mother died, but I have never been rightly strong sin somewhere about that time. I began to work in carding-room soon after, and the fluff got into my lungs and poisoned me(118). This statement of Bessy is clear enough to understand the working class peoples cheap life, no need to mention poor, helpless Boucher who choose to die miserably because of desperateness while his children has nothing to eat and wear . On the other hand, Mr. Thornton as a rich mill owner who lives in a remarkable big house and wears Victorian fashion new style suit also has interest in philosophy is really the good example of upper class society of England.