{"id":3205,"date":"2017-05-30T21:19:24","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T15:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fableandi.com\/?p=3205"},"modified":"2020-03-10T10:57:24","modified_gmt":"2020-03-10T05:27:24","slug":"north-south-gaskell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebooksatchel.com\/north-south-gaskell\/","title":{"rendered":"Why North and South by Gaskell Should Have Been the First Classic You Read"},"content":{"rendered":"
A masterful blend of the class struggle that came with the rise of industrialization and a love story between two people who seldom agree with one another. North and South<\/em>by Elizabeth Gaskell is a must read and one of the best classics to be acquainted with.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Those who do not enjoy classics complain about how every classical heroine\u2019s main ambition is to secure herself a nice husband and how the slow language does not keep their interest in the book. While I do not guarantee a fast paced book, Elizabeth Gaskell\u2019s Margaret Hale is one of the most relatable heroines to the modern day reader. She is not on the hunt for a husband; she shifts to a new place and is trying to fit in; she is trying to strengthen her relationship with her mother and she has opinions of her own. The story is narrated against the backdrop of the rise of industrialization and spans into its merits and demerits.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n North and South<\/em>, as the name makes it evident, is the story of the two regions that are vastly different from one another. Mr. Hale and his family move from the bucolic Hampshire to the industrial Milton. Mr. Hale who was a clergyman in the south no longer feels inclined to serve the church and moves north to take up a teaching job. Mrs. Hale and his daughter, Margaret, are in for a surprise in their new house. Margaret tries to find the \u2018beauty in the vulgarity\u2019 while her mother is vexed by the change of residence. The three main characters in the book are Margaret, Mr. Thornton (a self-made, proud mill-owner with with a likeness to Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice) and Nicholas Higgins (a worker who heads the worker\u2019s union). There is a clash of ideas and ideals throughout the novel and Margaret, being new to the place, often becomes the middle ground between both the classes.<\/p>\nWhy North and South<\/em>?<\/h3>\n
In Brief<\/h3>\n