Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life follows the hostilities and tension between workers and masters unfolding in Manchester. The plot revolves around the protagonist Mary and her close friends and father. Her development follows her from girlhood to motherhood. She matures away from her inclination towards money and status, to true love and happiness. Because of these inclusions, the novel should be categorized in the contested concept of bildungsroman. Ultimately, the protagonist’s development throughout the novel is symbolic. It is meant to mirror the realizations and growth that the author believes will alleviate the struggles between the manufacturers and the working class; these include compromise, maturity,
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Fitting into the spectrum requires some prerequisites. Firstly, the protagonist’s development must be caused by either outside influences, internal forces, “or, most commonly, through a combination of both outward and inward shaping of the protagonist and his/her world” (170). In the case of Mary Barton, her development comes from both inside and outside forces. Barton is not a passive heroine in any way and instead plays a dynamic role in the novel’s events. When she first appears in the novel, Jem Wilson forcibly kisses her. She then blushes “more with anger than shame” and slaps his face for his impertinence (Gaskell 12). Throughout the novel, her actions continue to influence her world and those around her. “It is her actions for good or ill that provide the catalyst for events” (Lansbury 24). Her flirtation with Harry Carson and her initial rejection of Jem set the stage for the rest of the novel. However, after realizing that she loves Jem and cannot marry Harry for his money, “she saw her danger, and turned away resolutely and for ever” (Gaskell 132). It is Barton’s own internal influence and decisions that determine her future …show more content…
Barton’s expressed sexuality towards Carson and society’s view of it are negative, but her suppression of her feelings for Jem lead to their estrangement and allows for his eventual arrest. Mary listens to the advice of Margaret, who tells her that “you must just wait and be patient. You may depend upon it, all will end well, and better than if you meddled in it now" (Gaskell 143). It is expected that women will allow the men to manage the courting. Margaret describes it as “meddling,” which would really be the acknowledgment of feelings. Putting forth those feelings would be too forward and uncouth for a woman so Mary refrains from speaking to Jem. Instead, she intends to wait for him to reintroduce their courtship. This leads to disastrous results as Jem believes Harry is the beholder of Mary’s affections. If Mary had been allowed to speak her true feelings, he would never have been arrested as he would not have fought with
Fitting into the spectrum requires some prerequisites. Firstly, the protagonist’s development must be caused by either outside influences, internal forces, “or, most commonly, through a combination of both outward and inward shaping of the protagonist and his/her world” (170). In the case of Mary Barton, her development comes from both inside and outside forces. Barton is not a passive heroine in any way and instead plays a dynamic role in the novel’s events. When she first appears in the novel, Jem Wilson forcibly kisses her. She then blushes “more with anger than shame” and slaps his face for his impertinence (Gaskell 12). Throughout the novel, her actions continue to influence her world and those around her. “It is her actions for good or ill that provide the catalyst for events” (Lansbury 24). Her flirtation with Harry Carson and her initial rejection of Jem set the stage for the rest of the novel. However, after realizing that she loves Jem and cannot marry Harry for his money, “she saw her danger, and turned away resolutely and for ever” (Gaskell 132). It is Barton’s own internal influence and decisions that determine her future …show more content…
Barton’s expressed sexuality towards Carson and society’s view of it are negative, but her suppression of her feelings for Jem lead to their estrangement and allows for his eventual arrest. Mary listens to the advice of Margaret, who tells her that “you must just wait and be patient. You may depend upon it, all will end well, and better than if you meddled in it now" (Gaskell 143). It is expected that women will allow the men to manage the courting. Margaret describes it as “meddling,” which would really be the acknowledgment of feelings. Putting forth those feelings would be too forward and uncouth for a woman so Mary refrains from speaking to Jem. Instead, she intends to wait for him to reintroduce their courtship. This leads to disastrous results as Jem believes Harry is the beholder of Mary’s affections. If Mary had been allowed to speak her true feelings, he would never have been arrested as he would not have fought with