Monthly Archives: September 2016

In the opening chapters of North and South Gaskell creates a conflict between the class that one is born into and belongs to by blood and the class that people may believe they belong to because of their culture or … Continue reading →

“Her out-of-doors life was perfect. Her in-doors life had its drawbacks”. The ways in which people create distinctions in their lives reveals what they hold near and dear to their hearts. As a student, I make a distinction between my academic … Continue reading →

While reading the proposal scene in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, I was reminded of the Garden of Eden. This image specifically came to mind while reading Henry Lennox’s response to Margaret’s rejection on page 30. Here, he paints Margret … Continue reading →

Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South is a novel of opposites. At first glance, there is the difference between London and Helstone, marrying for love versus marrying for duty, dreams versus realities, rural and agricultural versus city and technical, and most … Continue reading →

First, it is important to note that North and Sound is written in the third person omniscient point of view. All characters are addressed by their names but we gain particular insight into the thoughts of Margaret Hale. This is … Continue reading →

Our first section of reading for North and South already presents us with 4 distinct settings: London, Helstone, Heston, and Milton. Just as Gaskell juxtaposed old and new Keighley in Volume I, Chapter I of Life of Charlotte Bronte, she … Continue reading →

As we’ve already witnessed in Jane Eyre, 19th-Century society and behavior was principally guided by restraint and repression. This especially applied to women, and even more especially to upper and middle class women, who were expected to exercise “lady-like” and … Continue reading →

The opening chapters of Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South begin to present the thorny issue of class prejudice – in North and South, however, there is not a simple distinction between the upper and lower classes, as the issue of new industrial wealth … Continue reading →

Jane seems to be very ahead of her time as an independent woman who has made her own way in the world. However, she is not impervious to the traditions and influence of the society and culture that she lives … Continue reading →

Though it has already come up as a topic of discussion in this blog, religion serves as a central motif in the novel that brings up many complex ideas. I felt the need to further discuss its role in Jane Eyre and, in particular, her … Continue reading →