North and SouthWith an Introduction and Notes by Dr Patsy Stoneman, University of Hull. Set in the mid-19th century, and written from the author's first-hand experience, North and South follows the story of the heroine's movement from the tranquil but moribund ways of southern England to the vital but turbulent north. Elizabeth Gaskell's skilful narrative uses an unusual love story to show how personal and public lives were woven together in a newly industrial society. This is a tale of hard-won triumphs - of rational thought over prejudice and of humane care over blind deference to the market. Readers in the twenty-first century will find themselves absorbed as this Victorian novel traces the origins of problems and possibilities which are still challenging a hundred and fifty years later: the complex relationships, public and private, between men and women of different classes. |
Contents
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION | 3 |
Haste to the Wedding | 5 |
Roses and Thorns | 14 |
The More Haste the Worse Speed | 21 |
Doubts and Difficulties | 29 |
Decision | 38 |
Farewell | 49 |
New Scenes and Faces | 54 |
Morning Calls | 88 |
A Soft Breeze in a Sultry Place | 93 |
The Mutiny | 99 |
Masters and Men | 103 |
The Shadow of Death | 117 |
What is a Strike? | 123 |
Likes and Dislikes | 130 |
Angel Visits | 137 |
HomeSickness | 61 |
Dressing for Tea | 70 |
Wrought Iron and Gold | 73 |
First Impressions | 81 |
Men and Gentlemen | 147 |
The Dark Night | 155 |
A Blow and its Consequences | 161 |