Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell

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Through attention to detail, repeated comparison, shifting tone, and dialogue that gives the characters an opportunity to voice their feelings, Elizabeth Gaskell creates a divide between the poor working class and the rich higher class in Mary Barton. Gaskell places emphasis on the differences that separate both classes by describing the lavish, comfortable, and extravagant life that the wealthy enjoy and compares it to the impoverished and miserable life that the poor have to survive through. Though Gaskell displays the inequality that is present between both social classes, she also shows that there are similarities between them. The tone and diction change halfway through the novel to highlight the factors that unify the poor and rich. In the beginning of the story John Barton exclaims that, “The rich know nothing of the trials of the poor…” (11), showing that besides the amount of material possessions that one owns, what divides the two social classes is ability to feel and experience hardship. John Barton views those of the upper class as cold individuals incapable of experiencing pain and sorrow. Gaskell, however proves Barton wrong and demonstrates that though there are various differences that divide the two social classes, they are unified through their ability to feel emotions and to go through times of hardship. Gaskell’s novel reveals the problematic tension between the two social classes, but also offers a solution to this problem in the form of communication, which would allow both sides to speak of their concerns and worries as well as eliminate misunderstandings. Initially Gaskell creates a rift between the social classes by comparing the differences in their residences and lifestyles. The scene where John Bart... ... middle of paper ... ...d feel sympathy for him. Although Mr. Carson is not “poor”, Gaskell uses this word to describe Mr. Carson to place him on the same standing as Barton and show that they are not so different. The word “employer”, used by Barton, is a stark contrast to the previous title of “master” that he had given Mr. Carson; the change reveals Barton’s change of heart as he realizes that the enemy is not the employer but their inability to communicate with each other. Through Barton and Carson’s dialogue Gaskell shows that though there may be differences between the two social classes, the real problem is their inability to communicate with each other which leads to misunderstandings, hate, and antagonism and often tragic consequences. Works Cited Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn, and Macdonald Daly. Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life. London: Penguin Books, 1996. Print.

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