![]() ![]() Through her reluctant exchanges with Mr Thornton, one of the more honourable (but still in Margaret’s eyes reprehensible), mill owners in Milton, learns gradually to abandon her southern-born prejudices. It is through Margaret’s interaction with both the “Masters” who own the cotton mills and their workers – one of whom is the fiery leader of the workers’ Union who leads a strike – that Gaskell brings to life the industrial town. With a judgement fixed by her idealisation of the south, we see her struggle to adjust to the harsh climate of an industrial town. The narrative focuses on Margaret Hale, a strong-minded but incredibly caring protagonist, who moves from the south of England to the industrial north with her retired clergyman father and sensitive mother. The novel was published in 1854 and is set in “Milton”, a fictional industrial town resembling Manchester. I’m really glad I found this book because, while doing my A Levels, it complimented both my study of Victorian women’s rights in History, and extended my understanding of other Victorian novels I had read. I chose to read Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South book when I was around 16 having really enjoyed the 2004 BBC TV adaptation. ![]() Review by Nelli (Schools Liaison and Access Officer) ![]()
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