"Mary Barton" by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is a book from the 1800s that throws readers into the tough lives of working-class people in Manchester, weaving together themes of love, intense poverty, and the huge divide between social classes. The story follows Mary Barton, a factory worker's child, as she deals with the hardships around her and the important relationships in her life. At the start, the book shows Manchester and the countryside nearby, where different people go about their day-to-day lives. The beginning chapters paint a picture of a community among workers, and also points to growing worries, especially about the strange disappearance of Esther, Mary’s aunt. Mary's father, John Barton, and family friend, Jem Wilson, show growing concern for Esther, showing how tough it is for factory workers and their families at that moment in history. The book kicks off a story of Mary's personal journey, family drama, and society's problems, promising to go deep into individual stories and the bigger issues in society during that time.
Mary Barton
By Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Amidst the smoke-filled factories of Manchester, a young woman navigates love and hardship while her family becomes entangled in a web of secrets and social unrest.
Summary
About the AuthorElizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë, published in 1857, was the first biography of Charlotte Brontë. In this biography, she wrote only of the moral, sophisticated things in Brontë's life; the rest she omitted, deciding certain, more salacious aspects were better kept hidden. Among Gaskell's best known novels are Cranford (1851–1853), North and South (1854–1855), and Wives and Daughters (1864–1866), all of which were adapted for television by the BBC.
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of Victorian society, including the very poor. Her first novel, Mary Barton, was published in 1848. Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë, published in 1857, was the first biography of Charlotte Brontë. In this biography, she wrote only of the moral, sophisticated things in Brontë's life; the rest she omitted, deciding certain, more salacious aspects were better kept hidden. Among Gaskell's best known novels are Cranford (1851–1853), North and South (1854–1855), and Wives and Daughters (1864–1866), all of which were adapted for television by the BBC.
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