How Does Gaskell Present The Industrial Revolution In Mary Barton
Elizabeth Gaskell. Mary Barton. Ed. Edgar Wright. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Questia. 9 Mar. 2006.
In her novel, Mary Barton, Elizabeth Gaskell delivers a powerful and descriptive account of the living conditions during the Industrial Revolution in Manchester, England. Gaskell is able to deliver such a story through her aggressive approach in detail. The novel portrays life in Manchester as brutal and depressing. As the reader you don't just review topics discussed in class but you get to apply in class discussions to interpret the characters and the era through their eyes. I believe Gaskell provides an accurate portrayal of life in an industrial city in the mid nineteenth century. Living conditions are portrayed realistically and are not just byproducts of a fictitious story. …show more content…
People had to struggle with low supplies of food that is too expensive to afford. Throughout the novel several characters die from starvation. Children fatality rates were high during the revolution. Along with food shortages the health care was essentially nonexistent. Doctors had no real knowledge of medicine or surgery. Gaskell uses the death of a child in her story to ignite the emotions of the workers. This frustration would unite the workers and lead to the assassination of the cotton mill owner. Gaskell is also able to show some of the political concerns of the workers. Many of the working class had no political awareness. The industrial revolution would lead to more, but during a majority of the revolution most of the workers had no political awareness. In the novel John demonstrates common political concerns involving working conditions. Gaskell uses John to symbolize the first steps in making reforms to the working standards. He is the representative for the local trade union. He would attempt to get a set of reforms ratified, but all of his proposals for working condition reforms were
In her novel, Mary Barton, Elizabeth Gaskell delivers a powerful and descriptive account of the living conditions during the Industrial Revolution in Manchester, England. Gaskell is able to deliver such a story through her aggressive approach in detail. The novel portrays life in Manchester as brutal and depressing. As the reader you don't just review topics discussed in class but you get to apply in class discussions to interpret the characters and the era through their eyes. I believe Gaskell provides an accurate portrayal of life in an industrial city in the mid nineteenth century. Living conditions are portrayed realistically and are not just byproducts of a fictitious story. …show more content…
People had to struggle with low supplies of food that is too expensive to afford. Throughout the novel several characters die from starvation. Children fatality rates were high during the revolution. Along with food shortages the health care was essentially nonexistent. Doctors had no real knowledge of medicine or surgery. Gaskell uses the death of a child in her story to ignite the emotions of the workers. This frustration would unite the workers and lead to the assassination of the cotton mill owner. Gaskell is also able to show some of the political concerns of the workers. Many of the working class had no political awareness. The industrial revolution would lead to more, but during a majority of the revolution most of the workers had no political awareness. In the novel John demonstrates common political concerns involving working conditions. Gaskell uses John to symbolize the first steps in making reforms to the working standards. He is the representative for the local trade union. He would attempt to get a set of reforms ratified, but all of his proposals for working condition reforms were