LIBBIE MARSH’S THREE ERAS

ELIZABETH GASKELL (1847)

The short story, ‘Libbie Marsh’s Three Eras’, was one of Gaskell’s early
contributions to the literary market place. It was published in three parts in Howitt’s
Journal on 5, 12 and 19 June 1847 with the title ‘Life in Manchester/Libbie Marsh’s
Three Eras’ and signed by ‘Cotton Mather Mills, Esq.’. This work appeared over a
year before Mary Barton but it carried some of that novel’s major themes: a
detailed account of working-class life in Manchester, the bond of mothers to
children, an examination of attitudes towards marriage and the mutual support of
women. Moreover, in ‘Libbie Marsh’ Gaskell uses the mixture of real and imagined
locations as she does in much of her later fiction. Libbie moves – or flits, to use
Gaskell’s Lancashire term – from Dean Street to Albemarle Street. However,
although both are real locations they were not both in Manchester. Dean Street
was and still is in Manchester, just off Great Ancoats Street, but Albemarle Street
did not exist in the Manchester of 1847.
‘Libbie Marsh’ like Mary Barton, is a story of Manchester life, a life that Gaskell
herself came to experience in 1832 when she married William Gaskell, a Unitarian
minister in the city. When she writes about Manchester in Chapter 2 of ‘Libbie
Marsh’ she could easily be writing down her own feelings about the city that had
adopted her and which she never completely embraced:
Far, far away in the distance on that flat plain, you might see the motionless
cloud of smoke hanging over a great town, and that was Manchester,—ugly,
smoky Manchester, dear, busy, earnest, noble-working Manchester; where
their children had been born, and where, perhaps, some lay buried; where
their homes were, and where God had cast their lives, and told them to work
out their destiny.
Elizabeth Gaskell and her family did indeed work out their destinies in Manchester.
Elizabeth herself had lost three children during her life in the city. In fact, this tale,
published only two years after her son’s death, reveals the deep personal grief felt
by mothers who lose their children. What Gaskell makes clear here is that grief is
universal and what might appear as stoicism among the working classes is merely
a matter of necessity. After the death of her son, Margaret explains:
And I mun go washing, just as if nothing had happened,” sighed forth Mrs.
Hall, “and I mun come home at night, and find his place empty, and all
still where I used to be sure of hearing his voice ere ever I got up the stair:
no one will ever call me mother again.
Only those with independent means are allowed the extravagance of indulging
their grief.
In ‘Libbie Marsh’, Gaskell presents the struggles of ordinary life through an acute
attention to detail, a technique which she developed in Mary Barton. The Dixons
are hardworking people who belong to the wealthier section of the working
classes:
never grudged her a share of their extravagant meals, which were far more
luxurious than she could have met with anywhere else, for her previously
agreed payment in case of working at home
Their extravagant meals included ‘eggs to put to the cream, it was so thin; ham, to
give a relish to the bread and butter; some new bread, hot, if she could get it’,
luxuries that would not be experienced by the poorest of the poor in Mary Barton,
families such as the Davenports living in their damp and foetid cellar. In the later
novel, Gaskell offers a far more detailed and nuanced picture of the social
striations of working-class life. But what is emphasised in ‘Libbie Marsh’ as it is in
Gaskell’s later novel, is the strong sense of community among the working classes.
She seems to suggest that the poorer the families, the more they bond together,
the Dixons, who have more independent means are
too touchy, too prosperous, too much absorbed in themselves, to take off
Libbie’s feeling of solitariness; not half as much as the little face by day, and
the shadow by night, of him with whom she had never yet exchanged a
word.
The Dixons are particularly prickly in their dealings with the rather severe Margaret
Hall. But Gaskell shows us that people are multifaceted and that the Margaret who
appears in public is a very different character from the Margaret who tends her
crippled son:
she scolded, pretty nearly, everybody else, “till her name was up” in the
neighbourhood for a termagant, to him she was evidently most tender and
gentle.
This way of looking beneath the surface and of touching a shared humanity is
typical of Gaskell’s writing. We have to learn empathy with our fellow humans; to
understand their feelings is the way to end social discord. Sadly, this healing
process is often brought about by illness and death. In ‘Libbie Marsh’ it is the
death of Franky and in Mary Barton it is Harry Carson’s death that ultimately heals
the social conflict.
What is particularly prescient throughout Gaskell’s writing, however, is the way this
detail is used in a metaphoric way to extend our understanding of the story. The
crippled child Franky, for example, is described as a ‘spectral shadow’ at a
window:
the constant weary motion of a little spectral shadow, a child’s hand and
arm—no more; long, thin fingers hanging down from the wrist, while the arm
moved up and down, as if keeping time to the heavy pulses of dull pain.
This child is ‘spectral’, so although Franky is alive, he is already a ghost existing in
the shadowy world between life and death, reduced to merely the shape of an arm
and drooping hand seen through a window. Those long thin fingers prefigure the
skeleton he will become. Perhaps, like the twins in Mary Barton, Franky attests to
the strength of the bond between mother and child that can, by pure will, keep
children from death.
Finally, ‘Libbie Marsh’ gives us an early insight into Gaskell’s view of marriage.
While she believed marriage to be important because it allowed women to fulfil
their natural role as mothers, Gaskell was averse to inappropriate marriages that
would compromise women, by making them the victim of violence and neglect.
Initially Gaskell is making comment on the criteria used to judge women’s eligibility
for marriage. Libbie is not only facially unattractive but she is also critical of men’s
habits, in particular their propensity for alcohol which we find out has been the
cause of Libbie’s brother’s death and the indirect cause of her mother’s. But Anne
turns this warning against Libbie by suggesting such an attitude will never be
acceptable in a wife: ‘Dear, what a preachment. I tell you what, Libbie, you’re as
born an old maid as ever I saw. You’ll never be married to either drunken or
sober.”’. Yet the reader sides with Libbie in her silent criticism of Anne’s husband –
to – be who believes: ‘After all, what is marrying? Just a spree’. From the outset it
is clear that Anne is doomed to unhappiness despite her status as a married
woman, and Libbie will be happy in the mutually supportive relationship she has
with Margaret.
‘Libbie Marsh’ ends with a rather laboured moral message. Gaskell had a strong
religious belief and that is clear in her writings, although her later work is less
laboured in its religious ideology as this story. What is significant about ‘Libbie
Marsh’ is its ability to provide an insight into her later work as here we see the
germs of what were to become her more polished and popular novels. Next month
we will look at another early piece which reflects many of the ideas in Gaskell’s
popular novel, Cranford.
NORTH AND SOUTH
ELIZABETH GASKELL (1855)
SOCIAL NOVEL
CHAPTER 7
The next day they arrive in the small seaside town of Heston. Margaret reflects
that, even in this small Northern town, “everything looked more ‘purposelike,’” the
colors are grayer, the clothing more utilitarian, and the people more relentlessly
busy. The family settles into temporary lodgings, and Margaret finally allows herself
the luxury of resting in the present, without fretting about past or future.
(Margaret notes certain contrasts between North and South, as she will have plenty more
occasion to do soon. To her, Northerners seem far more pressed by the needs of the
present moment, less open to beauty and enjoyment compared to the South)
One day Mr. Hale and Margaret set out for Milton so that they can search for a
house, and so that Mr. Hale can meet his pupil, Mr. Thornton. On the approach to
Milton, they see a “deep lead-colored cloud” hanging over the horizon. The scent
of vegetation fades and gives way to the smell of smoke. They travel through “long,
straight, hopeless streets of regularly-built houses” and past puffing factories,
having to stop frequently to make way for vehicles loaded with cotton.
(Margaret realizes how much industry dominates life in Milton—even her senses are
overwhelmed with it. The environment is described as characterless and unvarying, and
cotton claims the right-of-way in the streets, emphasizing its importance)

Margaret and Mr. Hale visit a series of houses, finding that their money doesn’t
stretch as far in Milton as they are used to; none of their options are suitable.
Finally, Margaret suggests that they return to the second house they’d seen, in the
suburb of Crampton; Margaret comes up with a plan to maximize the use of the
limited number of rooms they will have, joking, “I am overpowered by the discovery
of my own genius for management.” The house is marred by excessive ornament,
especially the ugly wallpaper, but they hope the landlord can be charmed into
changing it.
(The cost of living in Milton is higher than they are used to, because of the city’s rapid
economic boom. Margaret discovers a knack for adaptability in limited circumstances,
responding quickly to their changed environment rather than shrinking from it. The Milton
taste for “ornament” signals class difference—the newly prosperous display their wealth,
while the genteel classes find this showy and ostentatious)

After Mr. Hale drops Margaret off at the hotel for lunch and goes to speak to the
landlord, Margaret discovers that Mr. Thornton has been waiting for them in the
hotel. Margaret goes in to see him with “the straight, fearless, dignified presence
habitual to her,” having “too much the habits of society” for any awkwardness. Mr.
Thornton, meanwhile, is quite surprised to be greeted not by a middle-aged
clergyman, but by a dignified young lady “of a different type to most of those he
was in the habit of seeing.” He can’t summon words at first, so Margaret greets
him with, “Mr. Thornton, I believe!” and invites him to sit down. He finds that
Margaret “[assumes] some kind of rule over him at once,” and he does as she
bids.
(Margaret doesn’t shy from taking initiative in her interactions with Thornton from the very
beginning, setting the tone for their entire relationship. Thornton is instantly silenced by
Margaret’s dignified bearing, suggesting that she will exert an unusual degree of influence
on him as the story continues)

When Margaret tells Thornton about the house they are renting, he knows the
place. Now having seen Margaret, “with her superb ways of moving and looking,”
he regrets thinking that such a “vulgar” place would suit the Hales. At the same
time, Thornton can’t help interpreting Margaret’s proud demeanor as contempt,
imagining that she sees him as “a great rough fellow” and almost wanting to leave
“these Hales, and their superciliousness.”
(Thornton has made assumptions about the Hales based on their status, but now he thinks
that Margaret’s environment ought to match her striking beauty. Yet, he also feels self-
conscious in front of Margaret and affronted that this educated Southerner might look
down on him.)

After Thornton and Margaret make halting attempts at conversation, Mr.

Hale returns, and Thornton revises his opinion of the family,
though Margaret makes him feel so awkward that he declines to stay for lunch with
them. When they return to Heston that evening, Margaret struggles to describe Mr.
Thornton to Mrs. Hale. She says that he is about thirty, “not quite a gentleman,”
with an inflexible look that she should not like to bargain with.
(Margaret is likewise perplexed by her first encounter with Thornton and isn’t sure how to
categorize him, as he doesn’t resemble her concept of a gentleman. Thornton’s “inflexible”
bearing seems to intrigue and challenge Margaret just as Margaret’s dignity and reserve
both attract and repel Thornton.)

When Margaret further describes Thornton as a “tradesman,” Mr. Hale corrects

her, saying that the Milton manufacturers are very different from tradesmen.
Margaret concedes. She also warns Mrs. Hale about the gaudy wallpaper in their
new home. But when they arrive to settle in Milton, “the obnoxious papers were
gone.” The landlord declines to tell them that the papers were removed not at the
request of Mr. Hale, but “at the one short sharp remonstrance of Mr. Thornton, the
wealthy manufacturer.”
(Margaret’s early notion of “shoppy people” is being enlarged and refined. The
disappearance of the wallpaper suggests a few things—that Thornton meant what he said
about Margaret’s unsuitedness to “vulgar” surroundings; that he’s capable of acts of
thoughtfulness; and that Thornton commands great authority in Milton, even outside the
gates of the cotton-mill.)

CHAPTER 10
When Thornton arrives at the Hales’, he is struck by the fact that, although his own
drawing-room is twenty times as fine as the Hales’ small one, it is not one quarter
as comfortable—the Hales’ even contains books “not cared for on account of their
binding solely,” but are lying about as if they’d just been read. Mr. Thornton feels
that “all these graceful cares were habitual to the family; and especially of a piece
with Margaret.” Thornton finds himself distracted by Margaret’s beauty as she
pours the tea and jokes with Mr. Hale.
(Again, it’s hinted that the Thorntons’ lifestyle is that of the nouveau riche—the recently
affluent who tended more toward display of their wealth. The Thorntons’ home is coldly
luxurious, but the Hales’ humble home feels lived-in and welcoming. Thornton sees the
comfortable touches as an extension of Margaret herself.)

Margaret, too, observes Thornton, and notices the difference in both appearance
and character between him and Mr. Hale. Her father has dreamy, “almost
feminine” eyes and an emotional face; Thornton has earnest, penetrating eyes, a
rare but bright smile, and the “resolved expression of a man ready to do and dare
everything.”
(This is another example of Margaret’s father having stereotypically feminine features,
especially in contrast to Thornton’s bold, confident characteristics. Margaret is drawn to
the sincerity and daring she perceives in Thornton)

Mr. Hale and Mr. Thornton are discussing the steam-hammer. Thornton describes
the advance of industry as “the war which compels, and shall compel, all material
power to yield to science.” He further says that he would prefer to live a “toiling,
suffering” life in Milton than to live the “slow days of careless ease” enjoyed by the
aristocratic South.
(For the first time, Thornton takes up the subject of industry using militaristic language,
describing it as an unstoppable, almost automatic force. He harbors his own disdain for
the Southern way of life.)

At these words, Margaret is roused to an angry defense of the South. Even if there
is less invention and progress in the South, she argues, there is less suffering, also.
There may be poverty, but the South’s poor, she says, do not go around with such
a “sullen sense of injustice” in their expression as Milton’s poor do. Mr.
Thornton regrets having hurt her feelings, but suggests that, if he does not
understand the South, she does not understand the North any better.
(Margaret has formed sweeping judgments about the attitudes of the North’s lower
classes. She also takes up her argument that the effects of progress are unequally
distributed, and that while some advance, others are trodden underfoot.)

Thornton goes on to admit that, in their early days, Milton’s manufacturers were
dizzied by their power. The pioneer manufacturer’s sense of justice was “often
utterly smothered under the glut of wealth” then raining upon him, and he did
tyrannize his work-people. But today, he claims, “the battle is pretty fairly waged”
between masters and workers.
(Though Thornton admits that wealth can blind the powerful to injustices, he doesn’t see a
contradiction when he casts the relationship between classes as a “battle.”)

Mr. Hale inquires whether it is necessary to conceive of the relationship between

classes as a “battle.” Thornton believes it to be “as much a necessity as that
prudent wisdom and good conduct are always opposed to, and doing battle with
ignorance and improvidence.”
(Affirming his use of the word “battle,” Thornton sees class conflict as a conflict essentially
between good and bad.)
One of the benefits of the industrial system, Thornton explains, is that a worker can
raise himself to the level of master through his own exertions; in fact, everyone who
lives with decency and sobriety comes over to “our ranks.” Margaret replies coldly,
“You consider all who are unsuccessful in raising themselves in the world, from
whatever cause, as your enemies, then, if I understand you rightly.” “As their own
enemies, certainly,” Thornton answers.
(Thornton sees a certain degree of class mobility as a strength of the system, but he also
ties such mobility to character—basically, those who have good character and work hard
enough will succeed—in a way that disgusts Margaret)

Thornton feels that the only way to explain his meaning is to tell the Hales
something of his life story, despite his hesitation to speak of it to people he doesn’t
know well. But finally, he begins, “I am not speaking without book.” He explains
that when he was a boy, his father had died under miserable circumstances,
forcing him to find work in a draper’s shop and to both support his family and save
for the future out of his small earnings.
(With his statement about “not speaking without book”—that is, not speaking of something
he knows nothing about— Thornton acknowledges the importance of life experience in
forming one’s character. His theories about success and failure are founded on his own
boyhood struggles.)

Thornton does not feel that his present fortune has come about through luck,
merit, or talent, but “simply the habits of life which taught me to despise
indulgences not thoroughly earned.” Therefore, he believes that the suffering of
workers in Milton “is but the natural punishment of dishonestly-enjoyed pleasure”
during some former period of life. He looks on such people not with hatred, but
“with contempt for their poorness of character.”
(Thornton looks on the suffering poor as those who haven’t learned the same lessons he
has learned from difficult circumstances. One’s circumstances, to him, are a direct
reflection of one’s character. It’s also worth asking whether Thornton harbors his own type
of nostalgia as he looks back on formative experiences.)

When Thornton leaves, he approaches Margaret to shake hands. She is not

prepared for this and bows instead. Too late, she realizes his intention and is sorry;
however, as Thornton leaves, he mutters, “A more proud, disagreeable girl I never
saw.”
(Thornton and Margaret continue to misread one another—shaking hands might be an
overfamiliar gesture to Margaret, though more common in the North. Thornton interprets
her formality as snobbishness)

CHAPTER 15
The next day Mr. Hale and Margaret walk to the Thorntons’ to return Mrs.
Thornton’s call. When they arrive at Marlborough Mills, they must walk past the
immense mill, from which issues a deafening “clank of machinery and long
groaning roar of the steam-engine,” in order to reach the Thorntons’ house.
Margaret wonders why the Thorntons do not prefer to live in the country or
suburbs, away from such terrible noise. Inside the Thorntons’ house, she sees that
the furniture is carefully bagged up and the house kept meticulously clean, so as to
avoid a dusty buildup from the mill. All this effort has been taken not to “help on
habits of tranquil home employment, [but] solely to ornament, and then to preserve
ornament from dirt or destruction.”
(The cotton-mill dominates the Thorntons’ home life, to the extent that their belongings
must be protectively bagged against pollution from the very machinery that has helped to
secure their wealth. The “new rich” preoccupation with “ornament” is portrayed as
pointless, as it doesn’t promote peace or comfort within the home. Gaskell is making an
implied critique of wealth for wealth’s sake.)

When Mrs. Thornton comes in, Margaret gives a halting account of Mrs. Hale’s
illness, not wanting to distress Mr. Hale. From this Mrs. Thornton gathers that Mrs.
Hale has some “fanciful fine-ladyish indisposition” and that she could still have
come if she’d chosen to; Mrs. Thornton is accordingly offended and
unsympathetic.
(Mrs. Thornton insinuates that Mrs. Hale is a pretentious Southern aristocrat. The behavior
she critiques, though, is actually more characteristic of her daughter Fanny, suggesting
that class alone isn’t determinative of people’s character.)

The three discuss Mr. Thornton’s love of his studies with Mr. Hale. Mrs.
Thornton says that study of the classics is fine for people of leisure, but she doesn’t
think her son’s time is wisely spent in this pursuit. “Classics,” she says pointedly,
“may do very well for men who loiter away their lives in the country or in colleges;
but Milton men ought to have their thoughts and powers absorbed in the work of
today.”
(Mrs. Thornton’s forthrightness to the Hales is quite rude, dismissing Mr. Hale’s
background out of hand. Her prejudice against education also points to the way that the
rise of manufacturing disrupted traditional class expectations: a man didn’t need to be
classically educated in order to be professionally successful.)

When Margaret suggests that a variety of interests helps to avoid rigidity of

mind, Mrs. Thornton says that Thornton only needs to pursue one interest: “to hold
and maintain a high, honorable place among the merchants of his country.” His
name is respected not only in England but across Europe—though “idle gentlemen
and ladies” are unlikely to know of him, she adds scornfully.
(Mrs. Thornton seems to be more invested in her son’s prominent social standing and
international name recognition than in scientific ingenuity and advancement, which seem
to be bigger motivations for Thornton himself. She also doubles down on her class/regional
prejudice against people like the Hales)

Mr. Hale and Margaret are aware that they had never heard of Mr.
Thornton until Mr. Bell had mentioned his name, and that Mrs. Thornton’s world
“was not their world of Harley Street gentilities on the one hand, or country
clergymen and Hampshire squires on the other.” Mrs. Thornton reads Margaret’s
expression and infers that Margaret sees her as a closed-minded old woman.
Margaret denies this and explains that they had heard of Mr. Thornton through Mr.
Bell.
(The class difference is transparently obvious to the Hales; their past social world didn’t
have room for people like the Thorntons.)

Mrs. Thornton retorts that Bell can know little of Thornton, since he lives “a lazy life
in a drowsy college.” But she expresses appreciation for Margaret’s frankness,
since many young women would have shrunk from giving an impression of flattery
by speaking positively of her son. Margaret laughs heartily at the implication that
she has any romantic designs on Thornton. Her laughter does not endear her to
Mrs. Thornton.
(Not content to disparage Mr. Hale, Mrs. Thornton also mocks Hale’s friend and mentor.
However, she’s met her match in Margaret, who doesn’t hide her feelings about Mrs.
Thornton’s presumption.)

Mrs. Thornton mentions that a strike has been threatened in Milton. Margaret asks
what the people are going to strike for, and Mrs. Thornton snorts that they are out
to gain other people’s property. They might claim that they want higher wages, she
says, but they really want to become masters themselves and to make the masters
their slaves: “They are always trying at it; they always have it in their minds; and
every five or six years, there comes a struggle between masters and men.”
(Mrs. Thornton’s view of the workers is, if anything, even more antagonistic than her son’s
view, and more paranoid. To her, the relationship between masters and workers is a
perpetual struggle based on greed and resentment.)

Margaret asks whether this environment of struggle does not make Milton very
rough. Mrs. Thornton says that of course it does, and she describes a time that
she was forced to seek refuge on the roof of a factory, with only a pile of stones to
defend her against an angry crowd trying to force its way inside. She tells
Margaret, “If you live in Milton, you must learn to have a brave heart, Miss
Hale…South country people are often frightened by what our Darkshire men and
women only call living and struggling.” Margaret is afraid that she might prove to
be a coward.
(For all her brashness, and her assumption that Southerners don’t understand struggle,
Mrs. Thornton is stout-hearted. She and Margaret have this in common. Her charge to
Margaret to “have a brave heart” doesn’t go unanswered, though in ways that will come
back to haunt Mrs. Thornton.)

That evening, Mr. Thornton visits the Hales, bringing the address of a doctor Mrs.
Thornton has recommended. Mr. Hale asks about the strike, and Mr. Thornton
immediately “assumed a likeness to his mother’s worst expression,”
repelling Margaret. He says that the “fools” may strike if they want to, but “because
[the manufacturers] don’t explain our reasons [that trade isn’t flourishing, and so
the Milton masters can’t afford to raise wages], they won’t believe we’re acting
reasonably. We must give them line and letter for the way we choose to spend or
save our money.”
(Thornton believes that the manufacturers must proceed in business in the way they see
fit, without including their workers in the discussion, and resents workers’ “foolish”
pretensions to the contrary.)

Margaret mentions that she finds Milton “strange.” When Thornton asks why, she
explains that she has never seen “a place before where there were two sets of
people always running each other down.” Margaret continues that, from what she
has heard, it seems that the masters would prefer that their workers remain
ignorant, “be merely tall, large children…with a blind unreasoning kind of
obedience.” Mr. Thornton is offended, considering this a slanderous statement.
(Margaret doesn’t argue with Thornton on the basis of economic theory, but of
observations about human nature—a tactic that recurs in their discussions.)

Mr. Hale speaks up to add that he has been “struck by the antagonism between
the employer and the employed” that he has observed, and even inferred
from Thornton’s own statements. Mr. Thornton considers this and responds that he
considers his interests to be identical with those of his workers. Perhaps in some
utopia, he adds, unity between the classes might be possible.
(Thornton’s position, that the interests of the “head” and “hands” are identical, and that no
other approach is possible given current social conditions, is a paternalistic one common
at the time.)

Thornton says that he does consider the workers to be like children, though he
does not believe the masters have anything to do with making or keeping them in
that state, and that a “wise despotism” is the best government for them. Mr.
Hale says it seems to him that the “children” are becoming adolescents, for whom
friendship and advice are more appropriate than absolute rule. Margaret tells a
story about a man who kept his child hidden away for decades, in hopes of
protecting him from error, until the father died, at which time the sheltered child,
turned loose in the world, did not have the ability to discern good from evil.
(Mr. Hale and Margaret both object to the paternalistic point of view. Both argue that
treating workers like children will backfire, inciting rebellion or infantilizing people.)

Mr. Thornton argues that he would not feel justified in taking too great an interest in
the lives of his men outside of working hours, as he values his own independence
too highly to imagine directing others’ lives in this way: “I imagine this is a stronger
feeling in the North of England than in the South.” Mr. Hale suggests that this fear
of interference stems from too little “equality of friendship between the adviser and
advised classes,” and too much unchristian isolation among brothers.
(Thornton sees his “paternal” influence ceasing outside the factory gates and attributes
this to his Northern independent streak. Mr. Hale suggests that the class divide has more
to do with insufficient mixing among different classes, and the unhealthy suspicion this
creates.)

Thornton continues to argue that he has no right to press his views on independent
Darkshire men merely because he is their employer. Margaret agrees with this, but
says that as a human being, who happens to wield immense power over a group of
other human beings, he does have a responsibility. This is because God has made
people interdependent, their welfare interwoven.
(Margaret appeals to a higher responsibility than that of the mere employer, arguing that
Thornton’s position gives him great influence over people’s welfare, and that no one is
meant to live in isolation.)

Thornton asks whether Margaret is ever conscious of being influenced by others,

and whether that influence occurs directly or indirectly. In other words, which is
more effective—moral exhortation or personal example? He argues that honest
behavior before his men communicates more than a lecture ever could; “what the
master is, that will the men be, without over-much taking thought on his part.”
(Thornton argues that exhorting workers to improve themselves wouldn’t be that effective
anyway, and that quietly modeling virtue and good behavior is more likely to influence
people—what will become an off-and-on argument for him and Margaret)

Margaret, laughing, points out that when she sees “men violent and obstinate in
pursuit of their rights, I may safely infer that the master is the same.” Thornton,
miffed, replies that she is just like everyone else who fails to understand the
industrial system—“You suppose that our men are puppets of dough, ready to be
molded into any amiable form we please.” Moreover, Milton masters are busy with
many responsibilities that go beyond those of an employer; they are among “the
great pioneers of civilization.”
(Margaret, albeit in a joking tone, argues that if Thornton’s approach were foolproof, then
there wouldn’t be strikes. Thornton is offended by her comments; he thinks her
understanding of human nature is wanting. Moreover, masters of industry occupy an
exalted position that doesn’t leave them much time for mingling with workers.)

Margaret remarks coldly, “I am trying to reconcile your admiration of despotism

with your respect for other men’s independence of character.” Irritated by her
tone, Thornton reiterates that he chooses to be “the unquestioned…master” of his
men during working hours, and then their relationship ceases, at which point he
respects their independence of character. Before leaving, he apologizes to
Margaret for speaking to her hastily that evening, given that he is “but an uncouth
Milton manufacturer.” She smilingly forgives him, but does not offer him her hand,
which Thornton chalks up to pride.
(Margaret and Thornton are at a standoff at this point. While there are no hard feelings
between them, Margaret’s failure to shake hands like a Northerner leads to
misunderstanding again)

CHAPTER 36
The next day, Margaret and Mr. Hale go to visit Higgins, who is still out of work.
Higgins explains that his former employer, Hamper, makes his men pledge not to
support the union with their wages; consequently, he doesn’t know where he can
expect to find work. Margaret asks him about Boucher’s remark that the union is
the worst tyrant of all. Higgins replies that the union does “force a man into his own
good.” Higgins is still angry at Boucher, because not only did he riot, but he went
to Hamper’s mill seeking work, despite knowing about the new rule. Margaret says
that the union has made Boucher what he is, by driving him into the union against
his will.
(Higgins’ views on the formation of character contrast curiously with those of Thornton,
who maintains that employers can’t shape their workers outside of working hours; the
union, on the other hand, is a tool to force people “into their own good.” Margaret believes
that the tool is too blunt and backfires by bypassing persuasion of the will.)

Just then, Margaret, Mr. Hale, and Higgins hear a steady tramping sound and look
outside to see six men carrying a corpse on a door. They found the man drowned
in the brook. It’s John Boucher.
(While the discovery of Boucher’s suicide follows rather improbably on this conversation,
Gaskell uses it to drive home Margaret’s point about the use of force versus persuasion.)

One of the men asks Higgins to break the news to Mrs. Boucher, but he refuses to
face her. Margaret asks Mr. Hale to go, but he is trembling and can’t think what to
say. Margaret offers to go instead. At the Bouchers’, Margaret finds a messy
house filled with many children. Mrs. Boucher hasn’t seen Mr. Boucher since he
left four days ago in search of work. When she understands Margaret’s message,
she faints with grief. Mr. Hale and a kindly neighbor arrive to help tend to the
children. They stop to speak to Higgins again on the way home, but he wants to be
left alone.
(As Margaret has been assuming spiritual leadership in her home, she now does so
outside of her family circle—where Mr. Hale’s role was once to speak truth and solace in
public, Margaret now steps in voluntarily to do so.)

CHAPTER 50
Things are gloomy in Milton. Due to speculative financial ventures, some Milton
businesses face the prospect of failure. Even Thornton is “hard pressed.” He has
aspired to make a name for himself internationally, but like many who do so, he is
“alive to distant, and dead to near things.”
(Thornton’s lofty aspirations for his business have gotten away from him and blinded him
to actual circumstances in Milton.)
Until Thornton got to know Higgins, he and his fellow townsmen and factory
workers have led parallel lives, “very close, but never touching.” But “once brought
face to face, man to man, with an individual of the masses around him, and…out of
the character of master and workman…they had each begun to recognize” their
shared humanity. He has begun to value his position as manufacturer because of
the contact it affords him with his people.
(Thornton has begun to think much as Margaret argued that he should—valuing the
chance to influence the human beings around him, paying attention to their individual
needs rather than regarding them in the abstract.)

Thornton’s business has been damaged by the strike and by the fact that much of
his capital is in new, expensive machinery. Thornton at first is inclined to
resent Higgins for his role in the strike, but the more they, along with Thornton’s
other men, get to know one another, the more they’re able “to look upon each
other with far more charity and sympathy.” Soon Thornton is in real trouble, as his
stocks fall to nearly half their value, and no new orders come in, and he has to
borrow at high interest.
(Whereas once Thornton would have been inclined to look on Higgins as simply a trouble-
maker, he is now coming to genuinely understand his perspective, and Higgins no longer
wishes ill on Thornton in his struggles. There is no longer active antagonism between
master and workers.)

One day Higgins asks Thornton whether he’s heard anything of Margaret recently
and notices how Thornton’s face lights up at the mention of her. Then, with a
confidential air, Higgins asks whether Frederick’s name has been cleared, having
heard the details from Mary while she was working temporarily in the Hale house.
Thornton is relieved to know the truth of the young man’s identity.
(Margaret’s newly cleared name in Thornton’s eyes comes about not through Mr. Bell’s
formal intercession, but through an unlooked-for source, helped by Higgins’ friendship with
Margaret and now with Thornton.)

One morning, after a sleepless night poring over his books, Thornton unburdens
himself to Mrs. Thornton, explaining that he no longer dreads any outcome for his
struggling business, because he now knows “that no man will suffer by me.” He
must give up his business, but he will be able to pay everyone what they are owed.
A risky speculation has been offered to him by Fanny’s husband, Watson, which
could make him rich but would destroy his conscience. Mrs. Thornton is grieved at
the thought that her son might lose his name, but he explains that he will “be
always the same John Thornton in whatever circumstances; endeavoring to do
right,” though it is hard to have discovered “new powers…too late.” He tries to
help Mrs. Thornton reconcile herself to his failure and the loss of his “rightful
place.”
(Thornton’s good character is fully revealed here, as he cares not primarily for his own
reputation, but for the fates of those who work alongside and beneath him. He will not be
like his father, indulging in wild speculations to save his own skin (and ultimately coming to
disgrace for it). Mrs. Thornton is far less reconciled to her son’s newfound priorities, but for
him, his character—his “manliness”—is more important than aspiring to a certain class
status (a “gentleman”).)

Thornton at last has to give up his business. His brother-in-law Watson’s

speculation succeeds spectacularly, and Watson is widely admired for his
foresight.
(Thornton is humbled in the eyes of the world, while his brother-in-law—for now—seems
much the wiser one.)

CRANFORD
ELIZABETH GASKELL
CHAPTER 1
SUMMARY:
Cranford begins with a proclamation that men do not live in Cranford. The female
residents are described as being amiable, confident, and eccentric. Each woman
has her own opinions, dresses in her own particular way, and observes the local
conventions of social interaction. An exceptional outlier yet esteemed inhabitant is
the policeman Captain Brown. Captain Brown lives with two middle-aged
daughters named Miss Brown and Miss Jessie. Captain Brown is a welcome guest
at parties and acts as a proper gentleman in his interactions with the ladies.

ANALYSIS:
Cranford is filled with widows, women whose husbands are serving in the military,
and the wives of frequently absent businessmen. The residents of Cranford are
regimented aristocrats who "practice 'elegant economy' by keeping close tabs on
expenses without talking about doing so." The ladies go calling only during
prescribed times, serve one another inexpensive foods, pretend not to notice each
others' poverty, and go to bed early. The inhabitants of Cranford are a gossipy
group who enjoy pointing out any lapses in etiquette.
Cranford has other residents as well but they are rarely discussed because they
are not of the aristocratic class. The other households in Cranford consist of wives
and their husbands who are laborers, butchers, and gardeners considered
"handsome young men abounded in the lower classes."
Despite his frank demeanor, loud voice, and inobservance of town customs,
Captain Brown is accepted by the matriarchs of the town as a respected authority.
Captain Brown obtained his place of honor among the aristocracy of Cranford
when Miss Betty Barker's cow which was "looked upon as a daughter" was
rescued from a lime pit but lost most of her hair in the incident. When Captain
Brown is consulted, he sarcastically suggests that Betty clothe the cold, miserable
cow. Betty decided that this was an inspired idea and proceeded to sew an outfit
for the cow out of grey flannel. Captain Brown is admired for the dignified yet easy
way he helps the ladies of Cranford and participates in their card parties with
"grave interest." The town matriarch Miss Jenkyns is a rare exception. She cannot
forgive Captain Brown for making a disparaging statement about her favorite
author.

CHAPTER 2
SUMMARY:
The narrator reveals that Miss Brown suffers from an undetermined illness which
causes her pain and in turn manifests as a bad temper. Captain Brown and Miss
Jessie care for Miss Brown with patient tenderness. Captain Brown and Miss
Jessie "do without" in order to make Miss Brown more comfortable. The most
highly regarded doctor which the Captain could afford was consulted and hired to
care for Miss Brown.
The narrator is visiting after almost a year and nothing has changed apart from a
new carpet in Miss Jenkyns's drawing room. To protect Miss Jenkyns's new
carpet, the narrator and Miss Matty "chase sunbeams" as they lay newspaper in
order to prevent fading wherever the sun strikes the carpet. An afternoon is spent
stitching together newspapers to create a path in order to prevent visitors' dirty
shoes from coming into contact with the carpet.
A small crowd is observed on the street and inquiries are made as to what has
happened. Captain Brown had been waiting for a train when he saw a young child
about to cross onto the track. The young child had almost reached the track but
Captain Brown was able to save the child before he slipped and was killed by the
train. Miss Jessie is afraid that the news will cause Miss Brown's death and a story
is concocted that implies that Captain Brown has been called away on business.
Only a few days later, Miss Brown is near death from her long-term illness. Miss
Jessie admits that Captain Brown has preceded her in death and is awaiting Miss
Brown on the other side. Miss Brown passes away a few moments later. Miss
Jessie cannot afford to keep the house and briefly resides with Miss Jenkyns. A
gentleman named Major Gordon who once served with Captain Brown and had
fallen in love with Miss Jessie arrives. Major Gordon had seen the news of Captain
Brown's death and is inquiring about Miss Jessie. The pair marry a short time later.
Several uneventful years pass before the narrator again visits Cranford and she
finds Miss Jenkyns on her deathbed.

ANALYSIS:
The narrator is absent for several seasons yet Cranford has remained essentially
the same. She notes, "There had been neither births, deaths, nor marriages ...
Everybody lived in the same house, and wore pretty nearly the same well-
preserved, old-fashioned clothes." The residents of Cranford have very little to
occupy them and spend their days in trivial pursuits such as drying lavender and
moving newspapers to avoid sun damage to carpets. Captain Brown's death and
the subsequent death of Miss Brown are a shock and the unoccupied ladies flock
around Miss Jessie. They assist in making funeral arrangements, cater to Miss
Jessie, and brainstorm ways which she may be able to earn a living. The arrival of
Major Gordon creates a stir and his subsequent marriage to Miss Jessie is
discussed at length.

CHAPTER 3
SUMMARY:
The narrator receives a letter from Miss Pole that requests that she visit her in
Cranford. A few days later, she also receives a letter from Miss Matty who asks if
she would visit her after leaving Miss Pole's home. The narrator happily agrees to
spend a week with each. The day after arriving in Cranford, the narrator drops in
on Miss Matty who remains in mourning for her deceased sister Miss Jenkyns.
Miss Matty has recently hired a new maid and asks that the narrator help to train
her in the ways of Miss Jenkyns. A week after the narrator is installed in Miss
Matty's home, a letter arrives from her cousin Major Jenkyns. He has taken a wife
while in service in India and would like to bring her to Miss Matty's for a visit. Miss
Matty is obligated to accept and becomes ridden with anxiety as she tries to
prepare for a man to be in the house. The narrator attempts to assist in the
arrangements but the frazzled Miss Matty confuses her new housekeeper so
thoroughly that the young woman stands "open-mouthed" as she tries to make
sense of her new employer.
Miss Pole explains to the narrator that thirty or forty years ago, a man named Mr.
Holbrook asked Miss Matty's father for permission to marry her. The request was
denied for undisclosed reasons. Mr. Holbrook now lives a few miles outside of
Cranford on a very large estate and is approximately seventy years old. One
afternoon the narrator and Miss Matty are in town to purchase fabric when an
elderly but stately gentleman enters the store. He hears Miss Matty's name and
greets her warmly. Mr. Holbrook escorts the ladies home and bids them goodbye.
Miss Matty retreats to her room and cries until supper for her long-lost love and
missed opportunity.

ANALYSIS:
Miss Jenkyns has died but her rules and preferences remain to be observed in her
sister Miss Matty's home. Wine is allocated in a precise fashion, oranges are not to
be cut, and meal times are strictly observed. Miss Matty is horrified when the
narrator suggests a minor change such as eating oranges however the consumer
feels best. When her cousin announces that he and his new wife from India will
visit, Miss Matty becomes extremely anxious. She has no idea how to make a man
comfortable in her home and is desperate to make a good impression. Major
Jenkyns arrives with his Indian bride and two servants. The ladies of Cranford are
fascinated by the male servant who wears a white turban, has tanned skin, and is
reminiscent of Blue Beard the pirate. The ladies are enthralled because they are
not used to men and certainly not to exotic bearded men.
Miss Matty's reaction to seeing her old flame is a result of being denied the
opportunity to marry him when they were young. The aristocratic women of
Cranford pride themselves on their independence but they held a subordinate
position in society at large during their younger years. Miss Matty had no chance
to speak up for herself regarding her desires for her future and was not even asked
if she liked her suitor. Her tears indicate that she certainly did feel a great deal for
him and now regrets the future that was denied to her.

CHAPTER 4
SUMMARY
Mr. Holbrook invites Miss Matty, his cousin Miss Pole, and the narrator to his
home. Miss Matty is reluctant to go because her deceased sister Miss
Jenkyns would not have approved. Miss Pole and the narrator press the issue and
the narrator decides to take matters into her own hands. The narrator writes an
acceptance letter in Miss Matty's name and sets a date and time for their arrival.
Miss Matty has never been to the country and never as far as Woodley which is
approximately four miles from Miss Matty's home. They are served supper with
two-pronged forks. Their host indicates that he hopes they ladies don't go for
"newfangled ways" and Miss Matty quickly answers that she certainly does not.
Spring peas are included and the ladies have no idea how to eat them in a civilized
manner. Their host proceeds to use the handle of his knife to shovel them into his
mouth. The narrator follows suit but her companions cannot bring themselves to
eat so savagely. After dinner Mr. Holbrook asks Miss Matty to fill his pipe and she
daintily fulfils his request. The ladies are offered comfortable chairs and while Mr.
Holbrook is out of the room, Miss Matty whispers that "It is very pleasant dining
with a bachelor ... I only hope it is not improper; so many pleasant things are."
When the ladies leave Mr. Holbrook's home, the narrator notes that Miss Matty had
a wonderful time.
Months later the narrator receives a letter from Miss Matty's housekeeper Martha.
Miss Matty has been ill for two weeks and Martha is becoming increasingly
concerned. The narrator quickly packs her things and travels to Cranford. Shortly
after her arrival, she visits Miss Pole who informs her that Mr. Holbrook returned
from Paris several weeks before but has been increasingly ill the last two weeks.
The narrator confirms that Miss Matty knows that Mr. Holbrook likely has very little
time left to live. Rather than talk about Mr. Holbrook, Miss Matty expounds on all of
her deceased sister Miss Jenkyns's attributes including a time that she nursed a
very ill Miss Matty. News arrives that Mr. Holbrook has passed and Miss Matty
appears to take the news well but the narrator notices her trembling. Miss Matty
later places a book which Mr. Holbrook gave her beside her Bible.
That evening Miss Matty calls for Martha and tells her that if she would like to
receive one gentleman caller once per week, she may do so.

ANALYSIS
Mr. Holbrook is a lifelong bachelor and his home and habits reflect this. His home
is beautiful but the ladies think it could be made all the more so with a female's
touch. He serves them supper with only two utensils and his guests are unable to
maneuver. For fear of appearing undignified, they leave their "delicate young peas"
untouched. When Mr. Holbrook flirts with Miss Matty by asking her to fill his pipe
after the meal, Miss Matty happily fulfills his request. In their youth it was
considered a great honor to be asked to fill a man's pipe for him. Despite the
incident with the peas, Miss Matty is apparently having a wonderful time as she
whispers to her companions that dining with a bachelor is very pleasant. She frets
that the occasion is probably not proper because it was enjoyable.
After a return visit from Mr. Holbrook, Miss Matty is cheered that he has called her
Matty just as he did decades ago. While he was there, Mr. Holbrook mentioned
that he would be traveling to Paris. Miss Matty worries that the food won't agree
with him. She betrays how close they had been in their past by telling that he
always had a strangely sensitive stomach for such a strong, strapping man. When
Mr. Holbrook becomes ill, Miss Matty does as well. She insists on speaking highly
of her sister rather than discussing Mr. Holbrook. Miss Matty has always deferred
to what Miss Jenkyns told her to do in regards to what Miss Jenkyns considered
proper. Miss Matty is trying to convince herself to not be angry with Miss Jenkyns
for the part she played in denying Mr. Holbrook's proposal. Miss Matty's maid
Martha has been interested in a young man named Jem Hearns for a very long
time but Miss Jenkyns always had a strict rule that housekeepers were expressly
forbidden from receiving gentleman callers or being in a relationship. In a rare act
of defiance against her dead sister's wishes, Miss Matty follows her heart and tells
Martha that she is welcome to pursue the relationship if she is in love with a man.
Miss Matty has deferred to Miss Jenkyns's concepts of propriety for her entire life
and this rebellion is unprecedented.

CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY
The narrator relates that everyone has their own careful habit of economical
obsession. She tells the story of a man who prized paper so much that he turned
envelopes inside out in order to reuse them. She admits that her own quirk is an
obsession with string and rubber bands which are a form of deified string. Miss
Matty is compulsive about candles. She lights one candle at a time in order to be
economical but she stares intently before blowing one out to ensure that it is of
equal height to its neighboring one. If anyone were to call, Miss Matty can put out
both candles which appear to be regularly lit together in order to not appear to be
cheap.
The narrator and Miss Matty undertake the task of destroying old letters because
Miss Matty is already feeling melancholy after Mr. Holbrook's passing and she
decides that it is as good a time as any. They take turns reading them to one
another before throwing them one at a time into the fire. They get to a stack of
letters written by Miss Jenkyns and Miss Matty now deems it appropriate to light
the second candle. The letters tell much about Miss Jenkyns's and Miss Matty's
brother that the narrator had never heard of. A young Peter wrote to his mother
while at school promising, "I will be a better boy; I will indeed: but don't, please, be
ill for me; I am not worth it; but I will try to be good, darling mother." Miss Matty can
no longer see for her tears and she takes this single note to her room where it will
be saved rather than burned.

ANALYSIS
Chapter 5 begins with a humorous essay which details people's various
economical obsessions. The mood changes when the narrator describes the
process of destroying letters. Notes are unearthed from the mid-1700s in
which Miss Matty's young parents professed their love for one another. The births
of both Miss Jenkyns and Miss Matty are discussed along with advice regarding
the care of infants from their grandmother. Miss Jenkyns's letters are read with the
utmost care but are then delegated to the fire along with all of the previous letters.
The process takes several evenings during which Miss Matty cries profusely. She
is most touched by a short note from her brother Peter. The narrator has never
heard of this brother and assumes that he must have died young. Miss Matty
retreats to her room after reading this letter repeatedly muttering "Poor Peter, poor
poor Peter."

CHAPTER 6
Summary
Peter was a practical joker as a young man. One day he dressed in Miss Jenkyns's
clothes and made a pretend baby out of a pillow and some shawls. He went out in
the yard, making a show of being a doting mother. Neighbors gathered at the
fence to view the spectacle and Miss Matty's father approached to see what they
were looking at. When he saw that it was his son, he tore the ladies' clothes off of
him and began beating him with his cane. After the beating Peter went in to his
mother, bade her goodbye, and kissed her on the cheek. Peter then disappeared.
A search party was formed but Peter was gone. He eventually sent a letter stating
that he had joined the military and boarded a ship. Miss Matty's mother tried to put
on a brave face but worry wore her down and she passed away a year later. A
parcel arrived from India the day after she died. Peter had sent her a beautiful
white shawl. Miss Matty's mother was buried in the shawl. Peter returned home
years later and he and Miss Matty's father forgave each other completely. Peter
was commissioned again and Miss Matty's father passed away. Peter was never
heard from again and is presumed to have died during a war in India.
Analysis
The narrator emphasizes the gentleness and refinement of Miss Matty. Characters
apologize for using words such as "hoax" and "confound." Miss Matty is so
scandalized by her story that she asks her maid Martha to retrieve eggs from the
farm at the opposite end of town so she doesn't overhear her story. She refuses to
tell the narrator any additional stories of Peter's pranks because "they might shock
you as they ought to do, and they were very shocking." Matty indicates that Miss
Jenkyns was never told of Peter's tricks because she "would have been much too
shocked" by them.

CHAPTER 7
SUMMARY
Miss Betty Barker visits Miss Matty and the narrator to invite them to tea and
cards. Miss Betty Barker owns a hat shop which only caters to the "elite" of
Cranford and refuses any customer without "aristocratic connection." She is very
particular about who she invites to her card parties. The well-to-do widow Miss
Fitz-Adam who left Cranford several years before and then returned is not given an
invitation. The presence of "Fitz" in her name indicates that she is not really of
"blue-blood status." Six ladies arrive at Miss Barker's for her small party and they
proceed to eat a "vulgar" amount of food. Mrs. Jamieson is the oldest and most
aristocratic of them and she nods off and begins to snore before the card playing
can commence. Miss Barker is flattered that Mrs. Jamieson is so comfortable in
her home. Before the evening ends, Mrs. Jamieson wakes and announces that her
sister-in-law Lady Glenmire will be coming to stay with her. The proclamation is
received with great interest but each lady glances down at her dress to see if their
clothing will be sufficient to meet the widow of a baron.

ANALYSIS
The aristocratic ladies of Cranford look down on those who serve expensive food
at their gatherings. The ladies who have been invited to cards nevertheless indulge
their dear friend Miss Betty Barker by graciously eating what she provides. Their
tea consists of heaps of cakes, oysters, potted lobsters, and brandy-soaked
macaroons. The meal is extravagant and inappropriate by the ladies' standards but
they manage to eat it all. After supper they are given a novelty called cherry
brandy. The ladies exclaim at its heat and sweetness but empty their glasses. Miss
Barker has not utilized "elegant economy" yet the party is unusually satisfied and
comfortable.

CHAPTER 8
SUMMARY
Miss Matty and Miss Pole are at a loss as to how to address Lady Glenmire. Miss
Pole visits Mrs. Forrester to learn how she feels it is best to proceed. They need
not worry because Mrs. Jamieson lets it be known that she does not wish for the
aristocratic ladies of Cranford to visit her sister-in-law at all. Mrs. Jamieson is eager
to give Lady Glenmire the impression that she only visits "country families." The
narrator is highly offended but remains silent and Miss Matty accepts Mrs.
Jamieson's request without question. Miss Pole hears of Mrs. Jamieson's rude
proclamation and she is uncharacteristically livid. During church the next two
Sundays, the snubbed ladies refuse to even look in Mrs. Jamieson's direction let
alone acknowledge her and the Lady's presence. The next Monday a servant
distributes invitations to Mrs. Jamieson's home. Miss Matty and the narrator intend
to decline the invitation however Miss Pole convinces them to "Forgive and Forget."
The ladies arrive at Mrs. Jamieson's with new caps, old gowns, and an inordinate
number of brooches. Miss Pole in particular has extravagantly covered herself in
gaudy jewelry. Conversation is stilted despite Lady Glenmire appearing to be a
very agreeable person. Tea is finally served after several awkward minutes but
Mrs. Jamieson has been very stingy with the sugar, the bread and butter are
extremely thin, and she gives all of the milk to her dog before the ladies can take
any. Lady Glenmire suggests more bread and butter and the ladies instantly relax.
Cards are brought out and Mrs. Forrester tells Lady Glenmire a long story about
how the lace she is wearing was once accidentally ingested by her cat but thrown
back up in much the same condition as it went down in.

ANALYSIS
For reasons that the ladies cannot understand, Mrs. Jamieson does not initially
want her aristocratic guest to meet her acquaintances. Miss Matty, Miss Pole, Miss
Barker, Mrs. Forrester, and the narrator are highly offended. After several days it
appears that Lady Glenmire has become bored and Mrs. Jamieson sends out
invitations to her friends for tea. The ladies find Lady Glenmire to be quite pleasant
and are especially pleased when they note that her dress was not of very high
quality. They suspect that she is actually rather poor and feel more at ease in her
presence. When Lady Glenmire asks for more bread and butter at tea, the ladies
are relieved that she seems to be a person of practicality and lacking in pretense.
CHAPTER 9
SUMMARY
The narrator has been absent from Cranford for almost a year due to familial
responsibilities. Miss Matty sends her an invitation to visit in time to watch the
magician Signor Brunoni perform in Cranford. The narrator gifts Miss Matty with a
new hat but she is disappointed because she was dearly hoping for a new turban
to wear to the magic performance. Miss Matty, Miss Pole, Mrs. Forrester, Mrs.
Jamieson, Lady Glenmire, and the narrator spend the evening before the
performance attempting to learn some basic magic and witchcraft. The ladies
dress in their best on the afternoon of the show and arrive as soon as the doors to
the Cranford Assembly Room open. The magician is so successful that the ladies
are astonished. Miss Matty and Mrs. Forrester are particularly struck and they
become fearful that they are watching something unchristian and evil. Their fears
are alleviated when the narrator announces that the rector is in attendance and is
"smiling approval."

ANALYSIS
The ladies are anticipating the performance so much that they unsuccessfully
attempt a little magic on their own. The evening of the show, they dress in their
finest for a rare night out. Miss Matty and Mrs. Forrester are struck with nostalgia
as they enter the once magnificent hall that has begun to decay from age and
neglect. They enter the room with the grace of long ago even though there is no
one in there yet apart from them. When they take their seats, they sit "gazing at the
tantalising curtain, and hardly speaking intelligibly, we were so afraid of being
caught in the vulgarity of making any noise in a place of public amusement." There
are very few people in attendance but the ladies wish to make an impression which
is both proper and dignified.
As the ladies watch the show, they cannot believe what they are seeing and they
become extremely disturbed. Miss Matty asks the narrator to check the crowd to
see if the rector is in attendance. She suggests "If he is, I think we may conclude
that this wonderful man is sanctioned by the Church, and that will be a great relief
to my mind." The narrator sees the rector "guarded by troops of his own sex from
any approach of the many Cranford spinsters." She reports that the event is
sanctioned by the Church and Miss Matty's fears are abated. The narrator also
notes that the rector is so desperate to avoid the ladies of Cranford that he has
been known to "rush into a shop or dive down an entry" to escape.

CHAPTER 10
SUMMARY
After Signor Brunoni's visit to Cranford, two robberies occur. The ladies of the
village are terribly frightened even though the offenders have been caught. The
narrator notes the idea that Cranford has been invaded by malicious intruders
"occasioned as many precautions as if we were living among the Red Indians or
the French." The ladies suspect Signor Brunoni must somehow be involved. Miss
Pole becomes so frightened that she gathers up her dishes and silverware and
spends the night at Miss Matty's. The narrator is anxious that robbers may have
seen Miss Pole exiting her house with her finery and have extra cause to break into
Miss Matty's house.
Only a couple days later, Mrs. Jamieson's aged, overweight dog is found dead.
Mrs. Jamieson is even more upset by his death than the death of her husband
years ago. She is unable to eat or sleep properly in her overwrought state. Mrs.
Jamieson decides to travel to her other estate and Lady Glenmire arranges to keep
her house for her. Mrs. Forrester decides to hold her annual tea in celebration of
the anniversary of her wedding day and the ladies debate the wisdom of traveling
"about two hundred yards" to her house. The ladies steel themselves to attend to
their friend in "retrospect of her not very happy or fortunate life." They "trot" to Mrs.
Forester's house then spend the evening talking about their fears and telling ghost
stories. The ladies return to their homes after the party at a "round and merry
pace."

ANALYSIS
Mrs. Forrester asserts that the people of Cranford "respect themselves too much,
and were too grateful to the aristocracy who were so kind as to live near the town,
ever to disgrace their bringing up by being dishonest or immoral." The ladies agree
and believe that "foreigners" must be to blame for the recent robberies. The
narrator's use of the phrase "Red Indians" was used to describe the Native
Americans of whom she has limited knowledge of given that Cranford was written
during the Victorian Era (1837–1901) . Victorian British believed that English
society was the most civilized and therefore superior to all others. Mrs. Forrester is
convinced that only the French would be so bold and that Signor Brunoni must
have been a French spy. He is also blamed for the death of Mrs. Jamieson's old
dog because he had "killed a canary with only a word of command." The Cranford
ladies proceed to scare themselves so much that they fear to be in their homes but
they are also afraid to leave.

CHAPTER 11
SUMMARY
Miss Pole and Lady Glenmire discover that Signor Brunoni is staying in a house
three miles outside of Cranford. His real name is Samuel Brown and he was
traveling with his wife, daughter, and brother when a wagon accident left him
injured. Lady Glenmire offers to pay for the Signor's medical expenses while Miss
Pole, Miss Matty, Mrs. Forrester, and the narrator procure a place for the family to
live and stock the home with supplies and food. Lady Glenmire learns that the
robberies had been exaggerated and were simply apples stolen from an orchard
by two little boys.
The narrator and Miss Matty are sitting by the fire and Miss Matty admits that she
wishes she had been able to marry Mr. Holbrook. What she wishes even more is
that she had had the opportunity to be a mother. Miss Matty has a recurring dream
in which she is the mother of a two-year-old girl. The narrator is reflecting on the
idea of marriage when she speaks with Signor Brunoni's wife. She tells a story of
living in and escaping India. She believes that her daughter would not have
survived the trip if they had not been taken in by a man named Jenkyns. The
narrator wonders if this Jenkyns could possibly be Miss Matty's lost brother Peter.

ANALYSIS
Signor Brunoni has been the object of the ladies of Cranford's fears ever since his
performance. They declared him guilty of evil and of being behind the recent
robberies. Now that they have learned that he is hurt, they rally their resources and
prepare a comfortable home for the Signor and his family. As they make
preparations and get to know the man, the narrator notes "Somehow we all forgot
to be afraid." When Lady Glenmire learns that the robberies were minor infractions
carried out by local boys, the ladies discard her revelation as being untrue. They
cannot believe that the robberies were not carried out by dangerous criminals
because it would mean that all of their fears of the past week had been based on
such a minor matter. The ladies tacitly agree to ignore Lady Glenmire's statement
because they are not willing to admit that they had let their imaginations get the
best of them.
As Miss Matty and the narrator discuss marriage and children, Miss Matty reveals
how much she wished to be a wife and mother. For decades she has had a
recurring dream of a two year old daughter who never ages. She encourages the
narrator to take a chance on marriage if the prospect ever arises in order to avoid
a heartache like her own.

CHAPTER 12
SUMMARY
Miss Pole informs Miss Matty and the narrator that she has heard a rumor that
Lady Glenmire is going to be married. No one asks Lady Glenmire if the rumor is
accurate but they spend a great deal of time speculating. They determine that it
will be best to wait for Mrs. Jamieson to return and then put her to the task of
learning any pertinent details.

ANALYSIS
The narrator, Miss Pole, and Miss Matty are too polite to ask Lady Glenmire about
her possible engagement without her saying something first. Mrs. Jamieson is Lady
Glenmire's sister-in-law and a much more forward woman who will have no
scruples about asking Lady Glenmire about the validity of the rumor. Mrs.
Jamieson can also be counted on to share what she learns. In the meantime the
ladies enjoy gossiping and speculating about the accuracy of the rumor. Their
biggest concern is whether or not she will retain her title.
The narrator has come to realize that spinsters who hear about another woman
getting married immediately begin to assess their appearance and clothing. They
suddenly become much more interested in how they must appear to others. Miss
Matty and Miss Pole spend the next fortnight discussing the attributes of various
items of clothing and accessories. They intersperse their talk with speculation
regarding the details of Lady Glenmire's affairs but neither can bring herself to
broach the subject with Lady Glenmire herself. Miss Matty visits a milliner and
orders herself a new silk gown because she has recently become painfully aware
that hers is outdated and worn.

CHAPTER 13
SUMMARY
Miss Matty is very excited about her new gown because it is the first item of
clothing that she has ever selected for herself. Her sister Miss Jenkyns always did
the choosing for Matty before and Matty had declined to assert her own
preferences. While at the milliners, Miss Matty and the narrator learn that Miss
Matty's bank is rumored to have gone under. Miss Matty offers to pay for another
customer's purchase and leaves without her own. That afternoon Miss Matty
checks her account ledgers and realizes that her yearly income will be reduced by
over eighty percent if the rumor is correct. The next day she receives confirmation
that she is now bankrupt.

ANALYSIS
Miss Matty's excitement about her new gown, made out of the fabric and design of
her choosing, is extinguished by the news that her bank has gone under. The
bankruptcy of a bank meant that all people who had assets invested in the bank
automatically lost their money. The majority of Miss Matty's money was in the
destitute bank because her sister Miss Jenkyns had insisted on investing with them
before her death.
Miss Matty is afraid for herself given her financial situation but she is grateful for all
that she does have. She has a home and people who she cares about in her life.
She believes that she may be able to survive on her new small income since she is
a single woman who needs very little. Her main concern seems to be that Martha
will have to be let go. Women of the working class in rural English villages had very
few options during the Victorian Era. They could not afford to be unemployed and if
local work was unavailable, they had to relocate to town to work in manufacturing
jobs. Industry jobs meant long hours and hard labor for low wages. Martha would
be forced to live an impoverished life with little hope of escape. Martha's only other
hope if she is left unemployed is to marry quickly.

CHAPTER 14
SUMMARY
The narrator returns from secretly mailing a letter to the man in India who she
believes may be Peter Jenkyns. She is greeted by Martha who tearfully tells her
that she will never leave Miss Matty regardless of whether or not she is paid. Miss
Matty asks the narrator to write her father to request that he provide Miss Matty
with a consultation. After tea Martha brings in her fiancé Jem Hearn. She
announces to Miss Matty that they intend to marry and would like to take a lodger
to live with them. Martha asks Miss Matty to be their lodger. Miss Pole, Mrs.
Forrester, and Mrs. Fitz-Adam call on the narrator to attend a secret meeting with
them. They have decided to donate secretly to Miss Matty even though none of
them have much to spare.
The narrator's father arrives and he takes stock of the situation. It is decided that
Martha and Jem will marry and live in Miss Matty's home. Martha will continue to
work for Miss Matty, Jem will put money towards the rent, and the donations from
Miss Matty's friends will provide the remainder. The narrator's father will help Miss
Matty to get licenced as a tea seller and she will open a small shop within her
home. Miss Matty agrees to their suggestions.

ANALYSIS
Miss Matty is concerned for everyone who kept their money in the same bank that
she did. As a shareholder she believes that it is her responsibility to help pay back
each and every one of them. She insists that the narrator's father help her to sell
some of her belongings in the hope that the proceeds will go a short way toward
helping people who were impacted by the bankruptcy. She agrees to the narrator's
proposal that she sell tea from her home since men rarely buy tea because "it was
of men particularly that she was afraid. They had such sharp loud ways with them;
and did up accounts, and counted their change so quickly!" Miss Matty has never
been married and has never lived with a man other than her father or brother. Men
are mysterious to Miss Matty and this element of the unknown makes her anxious
and timid.
Miss Matty has been a very kind employer to Martha. Most of the aristocratic
women of Cranford refuse to allow their household help to date for fear that they
will get married and quit their jobs. Yet Miss Matty believes that the opportunity for
true love should not be squandered. Miss Matty was not allowed to marry Mr.
Holbrook and she does not want to be responsible for breaking Martha's heart.
Martha repays Miss Matty's kindness by proposing that Miss Matty move in with
her and Jem when it appears that Miss Matty may not be able to keep her home.
CHAPTER 15
SUMMARY
Mrs. Jamieson returns to pass her judgement on the events that had occurred in
her absence. Miss Matty may still be part of the Cranford aristocracy even though
she will be selling tea and Lady Glenmire's marriage is acceptable given her
father's rank. She too will be allowed into their society. Lady Glenmire returns to
Cranford married to Mr. Hoggins who is the town surgeon. Martha and Jem Hearn
also get married. Miss Matty's tea business does well as "the whole country round
seemed to be all out of tea at once." The narrator returns to her own home,
content that Miss Matty's difficulties have been eased.
A year later the narrator returns to Cranford and learns that Martha is pregnant but
is afraid to tell Miss Matty. The narrator agrees to stay while Martha is in
confinement. She then visits Miss Matty in her shop and is pleased to see that Miss
Matty enjoys her employment and has made some profit. One day they are sitting
in the shop when a strangely dressed man stops in. It is Miss Matty's long-lost
brother Peter. Miss Matty does not recognize him at first but when she looks at him
fully, she asks, "Can you be Peter?" Peter later reveals that it was the narrator's
letter that encouraged him to return to England.
Peter has a solid income and he moves in with Miss Matty. The tea shop is
dissolved and the tea and candy are given away.

ANALYSIS
Miss Matty enjoys her new lifestyle but she is elated to see her brother. Peter had
been taken prisoner by the Burmese army but eventually earned his own release.
Upon his return to his unit, he is given all of his old letters with the word "dead"
stamped on them. Peter believes that his entire family has died so he decides to
remain in India and become an indigo planter. When he receives the narrator's
letter, he realizes that Miss Matty is still alive and he immediately sells his land and
possessions and returns to England.

CHAPTER 16
SUMMARY
Peter is very popular with the ladies of Cranford. He embellished his tales to
entertain them and they find him to be "so very Oriental." Martha has another child
and Miss Matty adores having the children in her home. With the help of Mrs.
Jamieson, Peter arranges for a return performance from Signor Brunoni. Peter
goes to great lengths to keep the conversation lively and friendly so everyone can
remain friends. He is determined for Miss Matty's sake to keep the peace in
Cranford.
ANALYSIS
Peter is a novelty to the ladies of Cranford since he has lived in a different country.
Peter has adopted some of the clothing customs of India and he has developed a
dark tan. The ladies refer to his exotic appearance as being "Oriental" since he has
lived in India and no longer appears to the ladies to be exclusively British.
Peter has not changed much since his youth and he is up to his old tricks. He
convinces Mrs. Jamieson that he once shot a cherub from the sky. Peter makes a
great effort to keep the peace amongst the ladies of Cranford in order to keep Miss
Matty happy. The narrator appreciates his efforts and ends her narrative with the
statement, "We all love Miss Matty, and I somehow think we are all of us better
when she is near us." The narrator, Peter, and the ladies of Cranford have come
together to ensure that Miss Matty lives comfortably and happily. Miss Matty is a
kind woman who is valued by her friends and they are able to express their
affection for her by taking care of her needs.

THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN (1872)

GEORGE MACDONALD
FANTASY
Published by Strahan & Co in 1872, George MacDonald's fantasy, The Princess
and the Goblin, details the adventures of Princess Irene and miner Curdie as they
outwit a horde of goblins.

When her mother fell ill, Princess Irene was sent to be brought up by country
people in a large, castle-like house on the side of a mountain. Now eight, she lives
with her nursemaid Lootie, and her father visits occasionally.

Irene is not allowed outside at night because of the goblins that live inside the
mountains. The goblins are night creatures and have hidden themselves away
because of some unknown political disagreement with a previous king. The goblins'
life underground has altered their appearance to look unusually grotesque, but
they've become more intelligent. They are resentful toward humans, especially
those of the royal line. The goblins torture anyone with the misfortune of meeting
them.
One day the princess gets lost in the castle. She climbs a tall tower and follows a
humming sound into a room. There, she sees an old woman with long white hair
sitting at a spinning wheel. The woman tells Irene that she is her great-great-
grandmother and that Irene is her namesake. She lives off of pigeons' eggs and
spins spiderwebs brought by the pigeons. Irene tells Lootie about her
grandmother, but Lootie doesn't believe her. The next day, Irene goes in search of
her grandmother but isn't able to find her and assumes she was dreaming.
A few days after she meets her grandmother, Irene and Lootie go for a walk. The
two wander too far, and darkness begins to fall. Just as a group of goblins begins
harassing them from the shadows, Curdie, a young miner, comes upon the pair.
He scares the goblins away by singing loudly, and Irene promises him a kiss at a
later date.

The next night, Curdie decides to stay in the mines, earning extra wages to buy a
red petticoat for his mother. Curdie overhears a family of goblins talking about how
they have very sensitive feet. He follows them to the goblin palace where he learns
about the goblins' plan to flood the mine and drown the miners.

A season or so passes, and the princess gets a prick on her thumb from an old
brooch. Her sore quickly becomes infected, and Lootie puts her to bed. Irene
wakes up in the night and wanders again to her grandmother's tower. Her
grandmother heals her with an ointment and Irene falls asleep in her grandmother's
bed. Irene wakes in her own bed, having promised to go back to the tower Friday
night.

That Friday night, a goblin creature climbs into Irene's window, and she runs out of
the house into the night. No longer pursued, she turns and sees her grandmother's
light in the tower window and follows it home. Irene's grandmother gives her a ring
with an invisible thread made from a spider's web.

The goblins catch Curdie sneaking into their cavern, and Curdie is successful at
warding most of them off by stomping on their feet. The goblin queen, however, is
wearing stone shoes and manages to capture and imprison him. Curdie is left to
starve in the goblin prison, but Irene is led to him by her magic thread, and she
rescues him. Curdie manages to steal one of the goblin queen's shoes on their way
out.

Following the thread, Curdie and Irene head up to the grandmother's room. Curdie
can't see Irene's grandmother and is cross with Irene for what he thinks is a cruel
joke. The grandmother explains that Curdie isn't able to believe yet and therefore
can't see her.

When Curdie arrives home, he tells the whole story to his parents. His mother
relates a story from her childhood when a great white pigeon rescued her from a
group of goblins. She implies that the royal line has some magical powers and that
Irene may have been telling the truth.

On another fact-finding mission, Curdie learns that the goblins plan to dig a tunnel
into the castle to capture Princess Irene. Upon her capture, they plan to marry her
to Harelip, the goblin prince.
Curdie regularly visits the palace grounds at night to see how far the goblins have
progressed on their tunnel. On one such night, the palace guards shoot Curdie
with an arrow and throw him into the castle prison. There, he develops a fever and
Irene's grandmother heals and releases him.

The goblins carry out their plan while Curdie is in the castle. Curdie stomps on the
goblins' feet and encourages the staff to follow suit, causing the goblins to flee. The
castle staff believes that the goblins seized Irene, but Curdie finds her magic
thread and follows it all the way back to his family's house.

Meanwhile, the goblins flood the mines. The miners have blocked their tunnels,
unbeknownst to the goblins, and the water floods the goblin caverns and comes up
under the castle and floods it as well. Curdie gets Irene, the king, and his staff
away safely. The king offers Curdie a position as a bodyguard, but Curdie wants to
stay with his parents and instead asks for a new red petticoat for his mother. Most
of the goblins have drowned, and they no longer pose a threat.

There have been a few different adaptations of the novel, including an animated
film that came out in 1992. The sequel, The Princess and Curdie, was published in
1883 and reunites the two protagonists in the interest of saving the king's life from
his corrupt ministers. George Macdonald was friends with JRR Tolkien and CS
Lewis, and his novels are known to have influenced their work.