North and South is my first Gaskell novel. I read it after watching the BBC TV series, and perhaps because of the TV series, I got the overall impression that it was a love story. However, I remember liking the book very much, and that prompted me to read it a second time. The rereading pleasantly surprised me. It was way more than a love story. It was about the clash of southern and northern ideas, about the clash of the working-class and their masters.
Margaret Hale, full of southern pride, finds herself suddenly placed in a northern industrial city. Having entertained a strong prejudice against the tradesmen, her views on northern mill owners are unfavourable. She sees them as a bunch of uncouth men. Her pride and misconceived ideas mar her better judgment, the result of which is that she takes an instant dislike for Mr. Thornton. The dislike was initially mutual, but Mr. Thornton’s disapproval goes through a gradual change. Although he still detests Margaret’s haughty manner, he learns to appreciate her for her true qualities, eventually falling in love. Margaret, though not as quickly as Mr. Thornton, comes to see him for who he really is, ending her prejudice towards the manufacturers.
Gaskell’s idea of bringing these two characters is twofold. First, through these characters, one from the south and the other from the north, she demonstrates to us that the different views, beliefs, and misconceptions can be reconciled through respect and understanding. The southerners saw the industrial northern cities as noisy and smoky, full of uncouth inhabitants, while the northerners saw the southerners as idle people who lacked action and depth. It was fascinating how Gaskell expressed these clashing views through her main characters. The final reconciliation of the two was more like a reconciliation of North and South, where both sides come to understand and respect their different ways.
The second reason is the obvious reason of filling a love story. At the first reading, I failed to appreciate the underlying chemistry between the two and totally misread Margaret’s subtle feelings and emotions. Because of that, Margaret’s love felt contrived. But this time, on close attention, I found phrases and sentences, both direct and implied, which showed how Margaret’s feelings gradually underwent change. I even felt the change in the silence, in between the lines! Both characters of John Thornton and Margaret Hale were nuanced, and they are one of my favourite literary couples.
On the “master” and “hand” (workman) relationship, Gaskell stresses the importance of creating an amenable setting between the two classes to achieve greater productivity. The observation Margaret makes during a conversation with Mr. Thornton and her father that “I see two classes dependent on each other in every possible way, yet each evidently regarding the interests of the other as opposed to their own..” neatly summarizes the antagonism of the masters and the working class. Gaskell uses Higgins, who represents the working class, and Thornton, the masters, to explore the conflict between the two classes. It was intriguing to read the clash of the two classes through these two different yet strong characters. The gradual change of opinion of Higgins and Thornton towards one another, not as a workman and master but as human beings, and their growing respect for each other, demonstrates Gaskell’s optimism for better relations between the two classes.
I had an amazing time rereading the novel. I only wish that Gaskell had written a few more chapters after Margaret and John finally confessed their love for each other. 🙂
Rating: 5/5
