There is a famous phrase that can be summed up as, looks can be deceiving. This means that a view, image, or description of something or someone can make one person to assume one thing about the person or thing. Although with further evaluation, the assumption can be completely wrong. Oftentimes in society, assumptions are almost second nature to everyone, placing assumptions and stereotypes on everything. Throughout The Old Nurse Story, Gaskell uses imaginative words to describe the setting and characters, leaving readers with images of the text. In the story, Miss Furnivall mansion, and characters Miss Furnivall (young and old), and Mrs. Stark, are prime examples of how Gaskell uses words to describe the setting and characters. Moreover in
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“Miss Grace, for she was the younger sister. Such a beauty she must have been! but with such a set, proud look … and her gown of blue satin was open in front to a quilted, white stomacher” (Gaskell 2107). From this part of the text, the reader can clearly draw that Miss Grace was a beautiful young woman and one with class, etiquette, and wealth. With the time period of the story being in the 1850s and the setting being in England, women were usually well mannered and did not take part in anything that would question their status. Knowing that one could assume that Miss Grace is a perfect role model, but after learning more about her and Miss Maude her sister, the assumptions from Hester would be dropped quickly. Especially with Miss Maude being the older sister, the assumption would be for her to be responsible and lead by example for Miss Grace. The way Miss Grace and Miss Maude fought over the dark foreigner and how Miss Maude kept her daughter a secret to her father and sister was shameful. Gaskell misleads Hester again because when she first see the picture she though Miss Grace to be sweet, beautiful, and innocent. Then after she hears the story about Miss Grace her initial thoughts go away. Hester would have been deceived, especially if Dorothy had not told her about Miss Furnivall
“Miss Grace, for she was the younger sister. Such a beauty she must have been! but with such a set, proud look … and her gown of blue satin was open in front to a quilted, white stomacher” (Gaskell 2107). From this part of the text, the reader can clearly draw that Miss Grace was a beautiful young woman and one with class, etiquette, and wealth. With the time period of the story being in the 1850s and the setting being in England, women were usually well mannered and did not take part in anything that would question their status. Knowing that one could assume that Miss Grace is a perfect role model, but after learning more about her and Miss Maude her sister, the assumptions from Hester would be dropped quickly. Especially with Miss Maude being the older sister, the assumption would be for her to be responsible and lead by example for Miss Grace. The way Miss Grace and Miss Maude fought over the dark foreigner and how Miss Maude kept her daughter a secret to her father and sister was shameful. Gaskell misleads Hester again because when she first see the picture she though Miss Grace to be sweet, beautiful, and innocent. Then after she hears the story about Miss Grace her initial thoughts go away. Hester would have been deceived, especially if Dorothy had not told her about Miss Furnivall