NORTH AND SOUTH BY ELIZABETH GASKELL
Elizabeth Gaskell's North and south is one of the most influential novelsof the industrial age with its clear depiction of social, economic andpolitical conditions prevailing in that era. We are all well aware pf thefact that capitalism was the biggest problem in the industrial age and itwas viewed as the sole enemy of mankind since it gave rise to numeroussocial and economic problems for the urban poor. Gaskell has captured allthese problems skillfully in her novel thus focusing on the major problemsof these times. However it is not just the social or economic conditionsthat make this novel a success, but also the depiction of the religion andreligious controversies that set this work apart from other novels of 19thThe author has tried to maintain an objective stance on the subject ofreligion but she has written clearly about doubts and various otherproblems that Christianity suffered during this troubled times. As manhimself was undergoing severe social and economic problems, his religiousbeliefs also suffered a setback and author has transferred these doubtscarefully yet clearly onto the pages of her novel. Many people believe thatit is Nicolas Higgins who represents the center of rel
Gaskell's study of religious skepticism" (p. The discussions on the subject of death and immorality and whatChristianity has to say about them frequently take place in which Margaretand Bessie Higgins and Nicholas Higgins participate enthusiastically. "Ibelieve what I see and no more" he claims. She's bad enough as it is, with her dreams and her methodee fancies, andher visions of cities with goulden gates and precious stones" (p. "For Margaret and Higgins, social evil, sincehumanly created, must be open to human remedy through practical measuresand the power of the Gospel to modify behavior--which means that socialevil must first of all be seen and assessed by a middle-class woman. His religious skepticism is most pronounced whenMargaret urges him to see divine hand in his daughter's untimely death. On one occasion when Bessie is talking about life after death andsuch other issues, Margaret tells her to allude to only the practical partsof the Book of Revelation. Despite her views clashingwith that of Higgins, Margaret and Higgins essentially believe in the samekind of religious freedom. It's simple, and not far to fetch, nor hard to work" (p. While peoplesuddenly began doubting religion is unclear from the novel, however itappears that the problems of the age had created doubts in the minds ofsome people who later decided to leave established religion and adopt amore flexible form of religion. Because of this hewithdrew from the ministry, an act applauded by his closest friends and byhis daughter. Oh! Margaret,how I love the holy Church from which I am to be shut out!' He could not goon for a moment or two. That she did so is perhaps to be expected. De Witt Sander (1929) explains theconnection between religious controversies that arouse in the book andGaskell's personal experience:"Margaret's father had been a clergyman in the Church of England, but hadcome to question parts of the creed.
Common topics in this essay:
Church England,
Nicolas Higgins,
Margaret Higgins,
Gaskell's North,
Oh Margaret,
Bessie Christian,
Margaret Hale's,
Nicholas Higgins,
Bessie Gaskell's,
Charles Kingsley,
religious controversy,
industrial age,
religious doubts,
life death,
religious beliefs,
church england,
social economic,
margaret higgins,
nicolas higgins,
established religion,
higgins religious controversy,
religious controversy gaskell,
modern religious beliefs,
|
Acceptance Essays
