By Navya Sahay
Gaskell's 1854 novel, "North and South" isn't really what's in right now. I mean if you are sitting bored to death on a Friday night and really want to immerse yourself in a period Netflix drama, you aren't going to find one on North and South (as far as I know, but hey, Netflix has everything these days!). But even though it might not be most hyped or "in" novel right now, it is one that should be. I mean Pride and Prejudice is pretty hot right now. Modern readers just love it, especially the Will they?/Won't they? dynamic between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. And Austen well deserves the praise she gets for writing the first proper haters turned lovers novel. However, what Austen started in Pride and Prejudice, Gaskell not only perfected in North and South, but she added several new dimensions to it that led to surprising layers of depth and social commentary.
North and South is a social novel. It sparks interesting debates about capitalisation, industrialisation and the rights of the common, hard-working labourer whose frustration with his poverty-stricken circumstances are very realistically portrayed. I mean when you consider that this novel was written by a woman in 1850s England, back when women did not have rights of their own, much less the authority or permission to debate about the rights of others, you are astounded by the extremely modern, intelligent thinking of Gaskell. She may be known primarily for the biography she wrote of Charlotte Bronte, but North and South is, in my opinion, a literary masterpiece that has been unjustly overlooked.
The novel is brilliantly realistic because it presents to the reader characters from all types of classes. In other victorian novels, aristocrats seem to be the focus and the working class is not even depicted. But in North and South, they both are presented and the reader sees the tensions that arise between classes due to the economic problems that are manifestations of this very class system. The heroine of the novel is Margaret Hale, a woman who represents the "South" of England, where industrialisation has not spread and the beautiful country life is glorified. Daughter of a former vicar, she represents the intellectual, quiet and civilised society. When forced to move to the thriving industrial town of Milton in the "North" of England, she is exposed to a different lifestyle altogether (one that drastically alters her delicate sensibilities and proud outlook of life) where she meets hardened labourers like Nicholas Higgins who is a revolutionary in the industrial world, launching strikes to demand for higher wages. Margaret is a sympathetic heroine to the plight of people like Higgins and his daughter Bessy (who meets her death because of the toxic mills she worked at). Her sympathy with them and her own initial disdain for North England causes her to clash with wealthy mill-owner John Thornton, a self-made man and later, her love-interest. I am not going to reveal any more about the novel's plot or characters because I strongly urge all of you to read the book.
Some of you might be hesitant to pick up the book because it is written in 1850s, and is a classic which usually means it is hard to understand on account of the hard vocabulary that was characteristic of literature at that time. However, fear no further, North and South is very readable and easy to follow. It engages you effortlessly from the first line. It is in every way a modern novel. If you have read Pride & Prejudice, North and South will certainly not be an issue. Anyone can read it and everyone should. Whether you are a book-lover or not, here's a novel this is universally important because it discusses the socio-economic class system so thought-provokingly. Whether you are from the north or the south of the Equator, the novel will appeal to you, regardless! :)
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