Topic > Margaret Hale enters the public sphere in the North and South

Margaret Hale in Gaskell's novel The State of England; North and South enter the public sphere of industrialized Milton. As a form of Bildungsroman, this "Manchester" novel illustrates the depiction of industrial life and their hold on the relationships between workers and masters, labor and capital, while describing Margaret's first encounters with this world. It is suggested that middle class women when they enter the public sphere, in this case just a woman; Margaret enters Milton, faces some form of danger. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the North and the South the greatest danger Margaret faces is the potential threat to her personal livelihood, both physically, morally and physiologically, exemplified in Chapter XXII A Blow and Its Consequences, where she is struck by a stone intended to Mr. John Thornton. Margaret's sheltered and somewhat passive childhood in Helstone arguably juxtaposes her existence and entry into the public sphere in Milton. “Idyllic Helstone” represented Margaret's feminine lifestyle of discussions regarding fine silks and reading novels, and the reader infers a great sense of gender role reversal upon entering and residing in Milton. Margaret arguably adopts a more traditionally masculine role in Milton, first noted in the fact that she is the one who has to make the arrangements for choosing and purchasing her new home, not her father, Mr. Hale. This gender fluidity from one perspective allows Margaret to live a life challenging the status quo of what she believes is an unjust society, where “masters and men” and the treatment of “hands” as monetary nexuses represent social inequality. There are alternative interpretations of what inspired Margaret's desire to question this injustice. Margaret is undoubtedly a product of her father finding the strength to challenge the Articles of the Anglican Church, which is the most pertinent reason for her arrival in Milton originally. Alternatively, it is through Margaret's affection towards Mr. Thornton that she reinforces her opinion on social injustice, making it abundantly clear where she stands, first alongside and then ahead of Thornton in addressing the strike. Margaret denies her feelings for Thornton on many occasions, perhaps so as not to appear weakened by emotion, and an example of this strong outwardness is when her character fiercely denies that it was "a personal act between you and me". This external strength is juxtaposed in this chapter when Margaret is struck by a stone “intended for [Thornton]” which produces a “dark red thread of blood.” This bold act of courage on Margaret's part involves not only asserting her opinion, but also her place in society, and the realization of a more masculine character is required, exemplified in her emasculating language when she tells Thornton to "Get down and face them like a man” manages to physically locate herself in Milton’s “masters and men” politics Margaret then uses the reshaping of gender boundaries as a means of overcoming the physical danger she places herself in during the “turn-out.” Margaret's entry into Milton's public sphere takes her out of her interiority. This entry into the "real world" is positive for her character, since otherwise interiority can distort her sense of reality and identity psychic consequences of an overwhelming experience, Gaskell draws on the language of dreams and trance. Through this he suggests that the experience of emotional upheaval, which Margaret often faces,.