Urbanization in North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell Essay

The title of the novel, North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell reinforces the idea of the conflicts that surround urbanisation as the north (Milton) represents industrialisation and all things new while the south (Helstone) encompasses urban living and the past. This essay aims to discuss the different layers of conflict between the north and the south and how the novel may be read as both an industrial novel and a romance novel. This essay aims to discuss how the novel tackles the conflicts in society which eventually leads to the romantic interests of the novel representing a connection between the two worlds of the past and the present. The Victorian era prevailed under the reign of Queen Victoria, thus the realist novel emerged during†¦show more content†¦The South is initially shown to be quiet and represents the past urban life. There are no strikes, no class conflicts and education is valued. Initially, the contrast between the North and the South as seen by Margaret favours the South, she also has nostalgia for the past which may be seen in the way she talks about Helston and she has anxieties facing modernity which is greatly seen in Margaret’s descriptions of the consequences of industrialisation and the condition of workers and landscapes. Individual conflicts are represented by Margaret as she is the narrator and her thoughts and personal opinions get reflected back to the reader. There life was simpler and there were no class tensions, the air was healthy, the people were interested in education and conversation, their manners genteel. In the North, however, the air was dirty, factories cau sed illness and death and money was valued more than learning. Margaret speaks of Helstone in a dreamy fashion to Henry Lennox in a very poetic and imaginative speech, â€Å"And I too change perpetually—now this, now that—now disappointed and peevish because all is not exactly as I had pictured it, and now suddenly discovering that the reality is far more beautiful than I had imagined it. Oh, Helstone! I shall never love any place like you.† (p 391) For her it is an idyllic, pastoral haven where she is secure and happy. This emphasises onShow MoreRelatedVictorian Novel9605 Words   |  39 Pagesindustrial revolution till the 19th century the process of migration was rapidly increasing. English cities were becoming more modernized and more attracting for the foreigners. Thus London became the centre of a world. The resultant process of urbanization channeled its consequences into the creation of the novel: certain literary techniques were employed into the novel. London’s characteristics, topography, communities were some of the elements that stimulated the development of the novel. II KEY