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Tariq Makki
Webster Garrett
ENGL 438-01
23 February 2016
Reader response: Mary Barton full text
I

Pre-Reading Notes.

Text
My expectations about this novel started from the cover of the
book. I thought that the novel would be about a woman who did
something in the Victorian age and exciting action among people.
The woman was called Marry Barton. She has successful work
because she helps people. I think that Marry Barton was the first
famous novel by the author Elizabeth Gaskell, so there would
be a link between the author and the name of this novel.
I expect that Elizabeth Gaskell will draw a real description
about social life in Britain during the Victorian Age such as the
gap between classes. I expect a lot of high language terms that
can be difficult to understand by foreign people like me. I think
that her language in this novel could even be difficult for the
native English speaking.
My expectations about the second part of this novel started
from the ambiguous relationships between Harry and Mary, and

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Jem and Mary. I assume that Mary will attempt to get Harry to
marry her, but she will become a fallen woman as is her aunt
Esther. I think Jem will be taken to jail by Harry to prevent Mary
from seeing Jem. Also, Harry will not show up in wedding because
the different classes. I guess that Marry Barton will think to
escape with her aunt.
I expect that Elizabeth Gaskell will draw real descriptions
about realism in England. I expect a lot of high - language terms
that can be difficult to understand. I think that her language in
this part would be more difficult.
In the last part, I think Mary is going to cover-up her father's
crime. At the same time, she wants to rescue her love without
involving her father; so, it will be unfair. Jem would be helped to
be free out the jail, but I dont think so that Mary would help him.
In other words, he would escape from the jail. It seems that Jem
will escape the jail and emigrate out of England. Finally, Harry's
father will use his power to retaliate his son against the lower
class.
Reader
I feel extra panicky because this novel has a different culture:
The Victorian age. I am from Saudi Arabia the Middle East. I
speak a different language which is Arabic. I am a business man,
but I like to read novels written in Arabic. Obviously, I tasted the

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British and the American novels, then I found something beautiful

and different that may take me from the bottom of my heart to
happiness. It is brilliant to try a new culture and language. Thus, I
would like to try a great adventure by reading Victorian novels.
I think the story is becoming very interesting; so, I am so
excited to know more about Mary. I feel that the complex to the
climax of this novel is rising gradually; so, this may lead me
sometimes to understand what is written. At times, it may lead
me to be in a dark area. The reason is because I speak a different
language: Arabic. Thus, I am trying to do my best to improve my
ability to deal with English.
There are many differences between British culture and Saudi
culture. These differences will take me to another place to
understand this think incorrectly. On the other hand, there are
some common things between the Victorian age and Saudi
Arabia today. For example, we believe that if a woman has a
relationship with a man without marriage, both the woman and
the man are fallen people.
I.

First reading
Focusing on characters, I think Mary was very kind because

she always helped people, but she had one disadvantage. She
had a conflict between her mind and heart. She wanted to help
her family, and at the same time she wanted to live a real love.

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She wished to be a rich woman by marrying with John Carson, a

Mill owner who rose from factory work to wealth and importance.
This thought could be right in order to secure her future.
However, this attitude could lead her to be fallen like her aunt
Esther. "She had early determined that her beauty should make
her a lady; the rank she coveted the more for her father's abuse;
the rank to which she firmly believed her lost Aunt Esther had
arrived." A nice scene was when Jem kissed Mary; then she
slapped him. In this moment I felt that was a suitable reaction
that told me Mary was a good person.
The story began with a lot of details talking about the setting
which was in Manchester. For the social part, it talked about the
situation of workers after the Mill burned. They did not have jobs
and most of workers' families had hunger and diseases. For
example, the Wilson's twin became ill with fever; then, they died
"Han they ever seen a child o' their'n die for want o' food."
Furthermore, Mary's mother died because of the
disappearance of her sister Esther after she got illness. Mary's
father blamed Mary's mother's death on Esther. Jem Wilson is in
love with Mary but I think there is something between her and
John Carson. Moreover, it seems that each class is isolated. There
is classes conflict in that time. For instance, the middle class sits
with the middle such as Marry sits with Margaret and John Barton
sits with George Wilson. They cannot go to sit with upper class.

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Focusing on characters, I think Mary changed her attitude

toward people. For example, she dreamed about being a rich
woman in order to help her family, but she left Harry before Harry
was killed. This shows us, she follows her heart which tells her
that Jem is her love. Hence, she tries to help Jem from hanging.
At the same time, she does not want to hurt her father because
he did something bad and Mary knows.
Mary's father also changed his treatment to Mary. He is
depressed and under pressure, so he shouts and hits Mary. He
thinks that Mary becomes a fallen woman. He drinks alcohol a lot.
I assume that the narrator is trying to show readers how much
the lower and middle classes care about their girls' morality. As I
understand it, Mary knows the killer is her father. In addition,
Margaret, who is Mary's friend, becomes a famous singer, and
she is in love with Will Wilson.
I like Esther' thinking because she wants to be a clean
woman, and I like her thinks of Mary. She says, "God keep her
from harm! And yet I won't pray for her; sinner that I am! Can my
prayers be heard? No! they'll only do harm. How shall I save
her?" She has no choice among Victorian people who have not
given her a chance to forget and forgive her sins because she is a
fallen woman. Thus, she tries to help Mary by serving as a
warning to her. She asks Jem, who I think just came back from a

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war, to protect Mary from Harry. Esther also found a piece of

paper with Mary's name written on it.
I guess that the author is trustworthy. She is trying to show
readers the gap between upper and lower classes. Moreover, she
is trying to be a proponent of Victorian women. I think the story is
very interesting, and I am waiting for the next parts about Mary,
Jem, and Mary's father. Will Jem escape from jail?
Mary takes a ride to Liverpool to find Will Wilson, but she is
shocked when she knows that Will sailed. Charley tries to help
her by catching another boat. In the court, Gaskell tries to
convince people about that physiognomy is not matter to figure
out whether Jem is guilty. Also Gaskell tries to illustrate the
equality between humans. Mary attends the court, and she
decides to say the truth. After Mary tells the truth, Jem becomes
acquitted. Jem looks for Mary, but Mary is gone. I think Mary's
father is a victim of classism. For this reason, he has a strong
desire for revenge by killing Harry. Mary's father tells Harry's
father the truth. In this part of this book, Gaskell tries to make a
balance between classes. She illustrates the inner side of the
upper class. Mary's father tells Harry's father that he forgives him
for the pain of classism, and he asks him for forgiveness for
killing his son. Harry's father faces an obstacle case, but in the
end he returns to the Bible; then, he forgives him. After a while,
Mr. Barton dead, and Mary's friends make and arrange the

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funeral for Mary's father. She is so sad, but she is comforted by

Margaret who decides to help her best friend. Mr. Carson changes
his attitude toward the lower class people, and he consoles Mary.
Then, a good job is offered to Jem from Mr. Duncombe, who
believes that Jem is a good person. Before leaving for Canada,
Mary askes Jem about her aunt Esther. Jem tells her everything
about Esther who is taking another name: Butterfly. Suddenly,
Esther appears to Mary who is looking for her, but unfortunately
she dead because she is sick. The ending of this story is happy
for Mary. Jem and Mary get married, and travel to Canada, and
there they have a baby son.
II.

Re-Reading
The style of this story is romance. I think the reason of why it

was written because workers were working a lot that made them
depression. This novel could let people to find source of pleasure
that could bring them out of depression. Thus, it was written in a
romantic style, but it included a relationship between political
and social life.
In the second part, I think the style is like a drama and
detective novel. I think the reason it was written is because the
lower class and women needed an escape from their real lives.
From the start of reading this amazing novel, I believed that it
is a romantic story. The ending of this story takes a place exact
what I wished. It also talks about imperialism in society, different
classes, political events, and romance themes. It describes real
life actions and issues in the Victorian age.

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III.

Reflection:
I think and feel that Gaskell portrays a reality in this story. It

seems that it is a real story which could happen with each

character. She gives a suitable character for each one. Mr. Barton
tries to protect his daughter by killing Harry, and at the same
time he involves Jem in crime. He thinks that Mary will live safely
if he kills Harry; so, no one will lead her to be a fallen woman. His
ending is fair because the justice must take its track because
Harry gets killed. Esther is a fallen woman, who died from illness.
I mean, each bad character takes a fair punishment. The author
tries to give the upper class a good lesson. For instance, Harry's
father changes his thinking about the lower class. He tries to help
poor people, and he starts supporting his employees. He treats
them like brothers instead of labors. The kind people such as
Mary, Jem, and Margret are ones who get the happy ending.

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Work cited

Gaskell, Elizabeth. Mary Barton. New York: Oxford university

press, 2006. Print.