North and South by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810- 1865)
Industrial 'social' novel from 1855
Introduction
The Elizabeth Gaskell Society was established in 1985. During the 2000's several of Mrs Gaskell's novels were televised. North and South, Wives and Daughters and Cranford (which were three stories effectively rammed together). In 2014 the Manchester Historic Buildings Trust helped finance the opening of the Elizabeth Gaskell House at 84 Plymouth Road to the public, Mrs Gaskell's home from 1850- 1865. Now operates as a museum devoted to her work.
Mrs Gaskell wrote some six novels and a collection of short stories including the awesome ghost tale The Old Nurse's Story (1854) Mrs Gaskell also wrote a biography of Charlotte Bronte published in 1857. A Unitarian minister's wife, the couple settled in Manchester and had four surviving children, all daughters. The Unitarian faith generally rejects the doctrine of the Trinity and eternal damnation, along with the divinity of Christ, though believe in God. Part of the broader Non-Conformist movement that run contrary to the teaching of he Anglican Church. There is a greater emphasis on 'good works' rather than being 'saved' by faith, so to the Unitarians practical activity is largely deemed superior to seeking mystic revelation. Social awareness tends to be cultivated but not political extremism. Mrs Gaskell's novel Ruth (1853) deals with Victorian Christian dissenters in great detail.
The Industrial novel
The most famous Victorian novel that features an industrial labour dispute must be Charles Dickens's Hard Times (1854). Amongst the rest of the genre are The Strike (1865) by an anonymous author, Clementina Black's An Agitator (1894), Mary Augusta Ward's Marcella (1894) , Israel Zanwill's Children of the Ghetto (1865) Harriet Martineau's A Manchester Strike (1832) and The Scholars of Arnside, along with Charles Kingsley's Alton Locke (1852). Then there was the work of Elizabeth Gaskell's two 'Manchester novels' Mary Barton (1848/1852) and North and South(1854/1855). *
North and South
North and South was the title devised by Charles Dickens- who serialised the original tale as editor of Household World in 1855. Written during the Crimean War. Mrs Gaskell was originally going for Margaret Hale, the lead character. North and South is a classic 'social novel'.The polarity of the industrialised English North v. rural, sleepy South, the tensions between John Thornton, the mill owner v Margaret Hale, from a gentry parson's family who are just about surviving economically moving northwards. There are also the mill owners clashing with workers who are starting to unionise. The pace of industrialisation was accelerating, the Combination Acts from the former century that forbade collective bargaining in the workplace were repealed around 1824/1825. But six Dorset labourers who had tried to form a trade union -the 'Tolpuddle Martyrs' - had been sentenced to transportation to Australia on the grounds that they had administered 'unlawful oaths' in 1834. New issues and tensions emerge, one couldn't rely on existing tradition or certainties. Both class distinctions and the economic orders are shifting. In many respects,the novel is bleak. As well as the gruelling poverty labourers and their families face, there are six deaths, Not five deaths as Charles Dickens once claimed.
Margaret Hale is living in London with relatives, raised along side her cousin Edith. The book opens with Edith getting married, and Margaret aged eighteen returns to the village of Helston in the countryside. She flourishes in country life and her status as the minister's daughter. However, Mr Hale experiences a loss of faith in Anglicanism, feels that he can not stay as a minister but decides to become a tutor. The family head north to the town of Milton, a cradle of the new industrialised clothing industry. One of Mr Hale's first pupils is John Thornton, a local mill owner, a self made man, who wants to learn about Greek philosophy.
The novel evokes the miserable grind of working class life, how poverty, long hours, monotonous and dangerous work can crush people.The local men go on strike, and Mr Thornton tries to bring in Irish labourers to bust the dispute. One worker, Boucher ,has eight children -none of them old enough to be put to work in the factories, a sick wife. He cannot survive on the tiny strike pay and advocates returning to work. The dilemma of an individual's right to make their own decision v. the responsibility to work collectively for some 'common good' , is depicted well.
The workers converge on the Thornton house, John Thorton goes out to speak to them only to be with great hostility, Margaret also goes out to try to calm the unruly multitude, and gets hit in the face with a stone. The workers realise that a line has been crossed, and disperse. Later John Thornton the mill owner finds that his enterprise comes tumbling down due to market uncertainty.
As readers, we know that the leading militant Higgins suffers deprivation, loss of his wife, the severe sickness of a daughter. He is as stubborn as the proverbial mule, brutal in his treatment of Boucher, yet strangely endearing in other respects. Margaret wins him over by compassion, spending time with his family, and bringing baskets of food round. Mrs Gaskell places great emphasis on individual action to heal the social divide.
Nancy Henry compared North and South with Charlotte Bronte's Shirley :
"Both novels represent the hope of reconciliation between industrial capitalists and workers through the conversion of the capitalist. Both emphasise the influence of women in bringing about this reform. " HENRY
But changing society is not raised as the answer. Neither is class warfare. Also a romance across the class divide ( between John Thornton and Margaret Hale).
A strange hint of the forthcoming 'sensation novel' genre is present: The Hale family have a secret. Their son Frederick can not return to England after taking part in a naval mutiny. Frederick returns secretly as Mrs Hale is dying. His sister, Margaret, so sensible, caring, practical and brave, assists him to return abroad,but gets seen with Frederick. Unravelling a chain of events where she has to make false statements to the Police. And as she has been seen out with a mysterious male companion, impropriety is suspected. Yet ultimately Frederick has placed himself in danger by acting on his conscience in rebelling against a cruel naval captain just as Margaret has placed herself in jeopardy by supporting him.
North and South is anchored in harsh reality. Yet there's a strange optimism present.The leading characters, Margaret Hale and John Thornton have the capacity to face change their lives and the lives of others by right action. They are not 'Jude and Arabella' figures whose existence is devoured by cruel fate and impossible dilemmas.
Picture Credit: Portrait of Elizabeth Gaskell by George Richmond (1851) ,in the public domain courtesy of Wikipedia Netherlands
* With thanks to the Victoria List email discussion list for their help.
Books
'North and South', Elizabeth Gaskell, edited with an introduction by Patricia INGHAM, Penguin Books, 1995 edition.
'The Cambridge Companion', Edited by Jill L. MATUS, Cambridge University, 2007.
'Elizabeth Gaskell and social transformation' by Nancy HENRY from the above
'Mary Barton and North and South' Jill L MATUS from the above
Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Gaskell House Manchester, England
Elizabeth Gaskell Society Home page of Society dedicated to Mrs Gaskell
Elizabeth Gaskell House Discussion of Unitarianism
Novel Approaches Youtube discussion with Dinah Birch and Clare Bucknell
Victorian Web Selection of web articles about North and South
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Worthing
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26th May 2026
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