North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

This Victorian novel is an obvious rip-off of Jane Austin's marriage plot books, particularly Pride and Prejudice, combined with a very talky consideration of social and political issues in England at the time, particularly of the labor problems between workers and management. The two aspects don't always meld very well, and the entire book comes off as a bit strange in consequence.

The "north" and "south" of the title come from the south of England, which was largely rural and agrarian, and the north of England, which was developing as an urban manufacturing area. Our heroine, Margaret Hale, relocates from the south to the north when her father leaves the clergy of the Church of England as a dissenter and becomes a tutor. Thrown into a social situation entirely foreign to her, she comes to feel sympathy for the millworkers who are striking for higher wages, befriending one family in particular. Meanwhile, her father forms a friendship with one of his pupils, John Thornton, a mill owner. (This mill owner is taking time off from his business to be tutored in the classics. How unlikely is that?)

Margaret and the mill owner frequently verbally clash, as they discuss (at length) the situation of the strike. In addition, Margaret feels some class disdain for him and his ilk because they are involved in "trade." When he unexpectedly proposes, she rejects him as the last man she would ever choose. And yet, she cannot keep him out of her mind. Can't you imagine how this romance ends?

Perhaps not surprising, since the romance plot is predictable, the most interesting aspect of the novel is the discussion of the social and political issues. Gaskell uses the device of dialogues between her characters to advance her views, similar to a much later novelist, Ayn Rand. One is always tempted to skim-read these sections; however, in this case it is very interesting to see how similar the viewpoints of the workers and the owners in Victorian England are to those of today. Unions are particularly examined, with the good and bad aspects discussed, much of which would be pertinent now.

Also of interest is the depiction of class prejudice in England, which Gaskell is obviously criticizing. And yet, she displays her own prejudices, which are humorous to modern ears. For instance, of a family which behaves in an irresponsible and childish way, she has Margaret say as an explanation, "I should guess from their tones that they had Irish blood in them."

I found this book interesting, but it is easy to see why Gaskell is not considered as a member of the first tier of Victorian novelists.