The first relationship to be damaged by the poor economic climate is that of Mary and her Father. Gaskell begins the novel with the death of Mary 's mother, which is a pivotal moment in the life of the Barton family that predominates over the rest of the plot, which has become divided into periods of before and after. Prior to the death of the elder Mary, the family is spending an afternoon resting in the countryside which is described as having "a charm about them, which strikes even the inhabitant of a mountainous district, who sees and feels the effect of contrast in these common-place but thoroughly rural fields, with the busy, bustling manufacturing town he left but half an hour ago" (Gaskell, 5). Already contrast has come into play, with
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As with the contrast in setting used to demonstrate a change in the Barton family, Gaskell also uses Harry Carson’s affair with Mary in order to demonstrate the superficiality of this relationship when placed opposed to her sincere love for Jem. There is no emotional connection between Mary and Harry Carson, it seems as though he desires her merely for corporeal reasons or to posses as a sort of trophy while Mary appears to depend entirely on Harry’s social standing as a way to fuel her naïve dreams of becoming a member of the upper class. The first indication of this occurs after Jem confesses his feelings for Mary, only to be rejected. When Mary returns home, she consoles her harsh response by telling herself “Well, when I’m Mrs. Harry Carson, may happen I can put some good fortune in Jem’s way” (78) and then proceeds to fall asleep, dreaming of “what was often in her waking thoughts; of the day she should ride from church in her carriage, with wedding bells ringing, and take up her astonished father and drive away from the old dim work-a-day court for ever, to live in a grand house, where her father should have newspapers and pamphlets and pipes and meat dinners” (78). What Gaskell describes here are the dreams of a child, hoping for a better but highly unrealistic future. It is also important to note that there is no
As with the contrast in setting used to demonstrate a change in the Barton family, Gaskell also uses Harry Carson’s affair with Mary in order to demonstrate the superficiality of this relationship when placed opposed to her sincere love for Jem. There is no emotional connection between Mary and Harry Carson, it seems as though he desires her merely for corporeal reasons or to posses as a sort of trophy while Mary appears to depend entirely on Harry’s social standing as a way to fuel her naïve dreams of becoming a member of the upper class. The first indication of this occurs after Jem confesses his feelings for Mary, only to be rejected. When Mary returns home, she consoles her harsh response by telling herself “Well, when I’m Mrs. Harry Carson, may happen I can put some good fortune in Jem’s way” (78) and then proceeds to fall asleep, dreaming of “what was often in her waking thoughts; of the day she should ride from church in her carriage, with wedding bells ringing, and take up her astonished father and drive away from the old dim work-a-day court for ever, to live in a grand house, where her father should have newspapers and pamphlets and pipes and meat dinners” (78). What Gaskell describes here are the dreams of a child, hoping for a better but highly unrealistic future. It is also important to note that there is no