y's child's guardian to Mrs. Fitz Allen, he threatens to tell Lester unless Mary gives in to his desires. After she refuses, Jardon is murdered by his discarded mistress Babette. When Mary is suspected of the murder, she goes to live with her child until Babette confesses, and Lester writes to Mary that he wants both her and the child.
             Mary Barton, a historical novel written by Elizabeth
             Gaskell, focuses on the trials and tribulations of the 19th
             century working class. Mary, a hardworking yet dainty young
             woman, serves as a looking glass by which the pain and
             pathos of her time is magnified tenfold. Through Mary, the
             reader gains an unsurmounted knowledge of social problems
             which presided over everyday life in 19th century England.
             Although the twisted love story and murder plot sometimes
             take center stage, the underlying issues are quite evident.
             Perhaps the most important issue, which sparks interest not
             only in the average individual but in the historian as
             ...