Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell Criticism
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810-1865), an esteemed figure of nineteenth-century English literature, is renowned for her novels that intertwine social reform with psychological realism, such as Ruth and North and South. Her works often explore themes of social injustice, focusing on women's roles and the challenges they face in a restrictive society. Gaskell's narratives, like Mary Barton, reflect her concern for moral responsibility, reflecting the tension between individual freedom and societal pressures, as discussed by Catherine Gallagher. Her portrayal of deeply personal issues avoids didacticism, emphasizing realistic situations and characters, as noted by W. Craik and Rosemarie Bodenheimer. Gaskell's nuanced depiction of class, gender, and authority challenges traditional societal norms, as argued by Patsy Stoneman.
Born in London, Gaskell was raised in a Unitarian household, fostering her lifelong commitment to social causes. Her literary career was notably influenced by personal tragedies and her involvement in Manchester's industrial society, leading to a prolific output of novels and short stories published in Dickens's Household Words. Her biographical work on Charlotte Brontë, while controversial for its sentimental portrayal, exemplifies her blend of biography and autobiography, a technique explored by Gabriele Helms.
Gaskell's novels, often labeled as 'industrial,' provide a vivid portrayal of the societal transformation during Britain's industrialization, as explained by Raymond Williams. Her works, characterized by their rich detail and empathy, have been praised for their realistic depiction of domestic life and social issues, despite once being critiqued for their perceived conventionality. Recent scholarship, however, acknowledges the progressive tensions within her narratives, highlighting her anticipation of major social changes, as noted in the analysis by Chappie and Pollard.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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An introduction to The Letters of Mrs. Gaskell
(summary)
In the following introduction to Gaskell's collected letters, Chappie and Pollard discuss the significance of the letters as reflections and commentaries on her experience and writing.
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Mary Barton
(summary)
In the essay that follows, Craik contends that although Gaskell's Mary Barton is concerned with issues of social reform, it avoids a didactic tone in order to emphasize realistic situations and characters.
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Private Grief and Public Acts in Mary Barton
(summary)
In the following essay, Bodenheimer contends that Mary Barton can be read as a novel of mourning—one which deals with two primary issues: what to do in response to injustice, and how such responses might traverse the divide between the private and public spheres.
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The Social Problem
(summary)
In the essay that follows, Mitchell discusses Gaskell's Ruth as a novel that attempts to respond to the problem of prostitution, in part by criticizing the presupposition that "fallen women" should be ostracized from society and by suggesting that the general public has a certain responsibility for this problem.
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The Industrial Novels
(summary)
In the following essay, Williams argues that Mary Barton and North and South belong to a tradition of literature that he calls 'industrial,' given their attempt to portray in careful and sympathetic detail the suffering engendered by Britain's self-transformation into a modern power.
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Causality versus Conscience: The Problem of Form in Mary Barton
(summary)
In the essay that follows, Gallagher studies the influence of Gaskell's Unitarian understanding of moral freedom and responsibility on the writing of Mary Barton.
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Mothers and Daughters I: Gaskell's Stories of the Mother's Word and the Daughter's Fate
(summary)
In the following essay, Homans claims that Mary Barton and 'Lizzie Leigh' are both enactments of a dialogue between mother and daughter, a dialogue that hinges on the transmission of the written word.
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Two Nations and Separate Spheres: Class and Gender in Elizabeth Gaskell's Work
(summary)
In the following essay, Stoneman argues that Gaskell's writing, rather than reflecting the bifurcation of society along class and gender lines, tends to blur the sharpness of these distinctions through role reversal, the behavior of domestic servants, and the description of the 'inhuman possibilities of authority.'
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Gaskell's Ghosts: Truths in Disguise
(summary)
In the following essay, Martin discusses the role of the supernatural in Gaskell's novels and shorter works.
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'Filled in with Pretty Writing': Desire, History, and Literacy in Sylvia's Lovers
(summary)
In the following essay, Schor contends that Sylvia's Lovers is a plotting of desire—especially female desire, which 'works its own narrative transformations' and gestures towards a history, writing, and identity particular to women.
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Cranford and the Victorian Collection
(summary)
In the excerpt that follows, Dolin examines Gaskell's Cranford as a paradigm of the Victorian experience, specifically because it is organized as a collection of anecdotes centering around women's lives.
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The Education of Cousin Phillis
(summary)
In the following essay, Rogers contends that Gaskell's short story "Cousin Phillis" describes the predicament of the well-educated woman in Victorian Britain; his analysis also focuses upon the significance of the title character's name.
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The Coincidence of Biography and Autobiography: Elizabeth Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë
(summary)
In the essay that follows, Helms considers the manner in which Gaskell comes to understand herself in relation to Charlotte Brontë and thus combines the genres of biography and autobiography.
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An introduction to The Letters of Mrs. Gaskell
(summary)
- Further Reading