Elizabeth Gaskell's Mary Barton

Elizabeth Gaskell's Mary Barton

Although the people of a single nation share the same homeland, contradictory these people live in separate worlds. In the lives of the privileged and the unfortunate they are separated between their positions in the social ladder, which is defined by their financial stability. In Elizabeth Gaskell's, Mary Barton the different worlds of the wealthy is contrasted to those of the poor. Gaskell's attention to detail emphasizes the division among the two social classes, demonstrating the lavish and luxurious lives of the upper class as it is contrasted to those of the impoverish and disheartening lives of the lower class, while also developing characterization, illustrating the character's reactions to the opportunities that they have and don't have. The inclusion of dialogue becomes displays the inequality between the two social classes, reinforcing the superiority of the upper class over the lower class. Gaskell's passage becomes a social commentary on the power that one class has over the other, while the other struggles to survive through the hardships.

From the beginning the separation between the wealthy and the poor is apparent. In the first line of the passage, the narrator describes, "Wilson had about two miles to walk before he reached Mr. Carson's house, which was almost in the country" (1-3) The physical separation between the Carson family and the towns people, by living out in the country, sets the tone of the separation between the upper class and the lower class. The distance is representative of the distance of the upper class. Also the fact that Mrs. Carson, who symbolizes the wealthy, is upstairs while the servants are downstairs working just reiterates this distance. With Wilson walking through the streets Gaskell creates the setting for the lives of the poor, as she describes the "two-miserable looking women [who] were setting off on their day's begging expedition." The women illustrate the miserable and desperate lives the poor live in. This image is suddenly juxtaposed by the expensive house of Mr. Carson, as if it were abruptly pushed aside, with no care to the world, to the poor. With Gaskell's descriptive details, the wealth of the Carson family is made concrete: "Mr. Carson's house was a good house, and furnished with disregard to expense. But in addition to lavish expenditure, there was much taste shown, and many articles chosen for their beauty and elegance. Adorned his rooms" (10-14). The Carson's are seen as having expensive and tasteful choices in the furniture that adorn their house, expensive and tasteful choices, which they can obviously afford. Not only can they afford the posh house, but also multiple servants at their beck and call. The Carsons are rich enough to pay someone else to do the work around the house and ultimately take care of them, such as making breakfast. "The servants [were] very busy with preparations for breakfast" (18-19). The Carson's wealthy is, again, seen through the fully stocked kitchen that the servants are working in, a "kitchen hung round with glittering tins, where roaring fire burnt merrily, and where numbers of utensils hung round" (22-24). The servants are also in an environment where there are mouth-watering "broiled steaks, [...] toasted bread, and boiled eggs" (28-29). The Carsons are wealthy enough to have such a fulfilling meal, and it is only just for breakfast; there is still lunch and dinner and perhaps, snacks in between. As a representation of the lower class, Wilson and the servants would be lucky enough if they got three meals a day. They would be lucky enough if they had less than half of the possessions the Carson's have.

Not only does the Carson's wealth emphasize the poverty in which the lower class lives in, but also develops the character of Wilson, a worker for Mr. Carson. When Wilson makes that two-mile walk to Mr. Wilson's house it demonstrates his perseverance in getting to the house. It can also be concluded that he does not really have a choice because he has limited resources. Wilson does not have any other form of transportation except for his own two feet. The lack of transportation can only be because of the lack of money, emphasizing he is part of the lower class. When Wilson, finally arrives at the Carson's house, he sees the elegant and expensive belongings of the family--"As Wilson passes a window which a house maid had thrown