Elizabeth Gaskell's Representation of Women in the Industrial Revolution

This thesis will examine the way women are presented in Elizabeth Gaskell’s works Mary Barton (1848), North and South (1854). The thesis will argue that the portrayal of women in these novels reveals the role of women in different layers of society within the context of the Industrial Revolution and rejects the traditional expectations of women as simple, emotional creatures only suitable for being wives and mothers. Gaskell portrays her women as strong female characters and uses them as agents at all levels of society. The novels present their leading ladies as smart, independent women who are allowed to be both strong and emotional, and who are permitted to have their own mind free from the expectations of society. Firstly, I will look at the cultural and social-historical context in which the novels are placed and what the traditional role was for women in different levels of society. My research will also explore what the Industrial Revolution meant for women in British society,...Show moreThis thesis will examine the way women are presented in Elizabeth Gaskell’s works Mary Barton (1848), North and South (1854). The thesis will argue that the portrayal of women in these novels reveals the role of women in different layers of society within the context of the Industrial Revolution and rejects the traditional expectations of women as simple, emotional creatures only suitable for being wives and mothers. Gaskell portrays her women as strong female characters and uses them as agents at all levels of society. The novels present their leading ladies as smart, independent women who are allowed to be both strong and emotional, and who are permitted to have their own mind free from the expectations of society. Firstly, I will look at the cultural and social-historical context in which the novels are placed and what the traditional role was for women in different levels of society. My research will also explore what the Industrial Revolution meant for women in British society, and the impact of new ideas regarding the possibility that one could rise in their station. Secondly, I will look at how each woman protagonist within the novels deal with these expectations. I shall also examine the novels in comparison to each other, and look at the differences and similarities between the female characters in each novel. For this part of my research, I shall make use of articles by Brown, Davis, Elliot’s ‘The Female Visitor’ and ‘Servants and Hands’, Pike, and Surridge, as these recent critical interpretations are central to current discussion of the novels and the ways in which they represent mid-nineteenth-century society.Show less

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Elizabeth Gaskell's Representation of Women in the Industrial Revolution