The Essential Reads

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 12 "Morning Calls", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr. Thornton has some difficulties in convincing his mother to visit the Hale’s. Though he bought her a carriage to make her life easier, she refused to let him keep horses. She didn’t think that she would make enough visits to warrant the price. He rents horses for her for the day. Mrs. Thornton’s relationship with her children is strange, though she uses terms like “dear” and “love” with her daughter and only calls her son “John,” and talks to him as if he were just a normal person, not her son, she cares far more for her son than her sickly daughter. The following day, Mrs. Thornton tells her daughter, Fanny, that she is going to have horses for the day and asks if she would like to see the nurse. Fanny says that she has a headache and would prefer if the nurse could come to visit her at home. When John enters, he tells his sister that she will, regardless of headache, be visiting the Hales with her mother. He leaves before she can try to protest. Mrs. Thornton is curious as to why her son wishes them to meet these Hales so much.At the Hale’s, Mrs. Thornton notices that place is full of knickknacks, and notes to herself that it must be a lot of time-consuming work to dust everything, and that for people with little income, time spent is money wasted. Mrs. Thornton sits with Mrs. Hale, and Fanny with Margaret. Fanny asks lots of questions to Margaret about music and seems to be testing Margaret’s patience as she gives rather cold answers. Fanny asks her then if she has ever been to London, and when Margaret says that she lived there for several years, Fanny is full of glee, saying that she would love to be able to go there. Margaret is confused as to why she has never been there, but Fanny says that her mother won’t let her go there, she is too attached to Milton. On this, Mrs. Thornton asks why the girls are speaking about her. Fanny gives a response that vexes Margaret. Mrs. Thornton then presses Margaret to know what she knows of Milton, whether she has been to nay of the factories. Margaret says that she does not really care for factories. Mrs. Thornton is very proud of Milton and says that if Margaret will consider lowering herself to visit one, then a visit could indeed be arranged. Later on, in the cab Mrs. Thornton says that they shall maintain a civil relationship with the family but warns her daughter against becoming close with Margaret. Fanny says that she does not need to worry about that. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 11 "First Impressions", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr. Hale talks to his family about Mr Thornton, and he says to his daughter that he half expected her to run away when he mentioned that he was a shop-boy. Margaret disagrees with her father and says that this was actually the only point of his story that he liked and respected. Mr. Hale then tells his family more about Mr. Thornton’s childhood, what he heard from Mr Bell. It was a very hard childhood, but he did his best to make up for his father’s debts and in the end paid all of his father’s debts off. Margaret then goes on to say that she does not like Mr. Thornton, in spite of his relationship with her father. He retorts that it does not matter as he like Mr. Thornton and then goes to say that he is concerned about Mrs. Hale’s health. It is true that Mrs. Hale’s health has not been good since the move to Milton, and Dixon is often seen crying by Margaret. And her mother is often seen praying alone is her room. Margaret determines that she will try and take some of the burden off of her mother and find a house maid. A few days later, still finding now luck in finding a housemaid, Margaret runs into Bessy Higgins in the street and strikes up a conversation with her. She asks how she has been and the sick girl replies that while she is coughing less, she is still not better. Margaret then asks her if she wishes to die, after a long pause, the girl replies that if she has to continue living the way that she currently lives, then she would be glad if the doctor’s words of her not seeing another winter would be true. They talk for a little more and Bessy says that she and her father were upset by her not following up on her promise to visit. On this, Margaret asks if she can come directly home with her. At her home, they go into the living room, and Margaret is shocked by how much of a tole the short walk took on the girl’s health. She gasps for air and Margaret tries to help her to water, after which the girl closes her eyes. Margaret tries to tell her to remember that god gave her the life that she has but is shut down by Nicholas Higgins who entered the home after they did. He says that he only believes what he sees and scolds Margaret again for breaking her promise to visit. Bessy awakens again but then falls truly ill in spasms. Margaret tries to help her and everyone gives the girl some space. When she awakens, her father takes her upstairs only after Margaret promises to visit them again on the next day. When Margaret goes home however, she is told by her father that Mrs. Thornton is going to visit the next day, causing Margaret to worry about keeping her engagement at the Higgins’. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 10 "Wrought Iron and Gold", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:Mr Thornton comes over for tea rather late and is very anxious. At half past 7 the door is opened for him by Dixon. Mr. Hale greets him kindly and introduces his guest to his family. Mr. Thornton gets the idea that all of the cakes and biscuits that are laid out are very habitual to the family, especially Margaret, whom he observes setting the table and fiddling with a bracelet on her arm. He wishes that he could have watched Margaret longer, but it is time for tea. Margeret’s beautiful eyes look up to her father’s and Mr. Thornton is struck by her. Mr. Thornton and Mr. Hale talk none-stop, leaving no room for anyone, giving Margaret the opportunity to take in her guest’s figure. Her father, who is tall, seems small compared to Mr. Thornton. Mr Thornton’s face is also very strong, with a heavy brow and almost perfect teeth, which shine like the sun when the man smiles. Margaret is called back to the conversation by hearing her father quote Chevy Chase after Mr. Thornton talked about the fantastic minds of the early manufactures. Margaret is roused to defending her darling South, when she feels that Mr. Thornton has talked badly about it in comparison to his North. She says that he does not know anything about the south, and that there is far less suffering down there as opposed to in Milton, where the men are worked down to the bone. Thornton replies that she does not know the North either, but with a tone of voice of kindness, knowing that he hurt her. Mrs. Hale then pipes up to say that he in spite of the things their guest loves about Milton, he does have to admit that it is dirty and says that she needs to have the curtains washed once a week as opposed to once a month, if that, in the South. Thornton cannot defend Milton on that front but takes it as an opportunity to say how the Parliament has forced that upon them. The south forces laws onto the Northerners without knowing what life is like in the North (same as today…) Mr. Thornton says that he paid to have his chimney changed to burn the smoke too before this law was passed, but that if he had waited longer, until after the law was passed, he would have resisted against the parliament, feeling like they shouldn’t be able to force him to run a business in a certain way. Mr. Thornton goes to give a recap of the early days of the industrial revolution and talks about how these “early masters” became new kings in the area, dictating what hours people could do business with them and having a complete control over the trade. Mr. Thornton believes that if someone wishes to do business with him at midnight, he should be at the buyer’s beck and call. He says that the “early cotton lords” were tyrants over workers. He goes on to say that what he loves about the North is that a man, regardless of position, can rise through the ranks, causing Margaret to say that he must believe that all poor people exist because they have not worked as hard as he has then. He can only reply by talking about himself. He tells them that his father died when he was young and was thus forced to work from the age of 15 or so. He earned very little to support a family of 3 on, but his mother made sure to put away some of the money he made too, which then allowed him to become the man he is today. This history has caused him to believe that through suffering, instead of self-indulgence, you can become anything and believes that anyone that can read and write could become like him. He soon afterwards leaves, shaking hands with Mr. and Mrs. Hale, and receiving a curtsy from Margaret, causing him to think that the girl is far too proud…

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 9 "Dressing for Tea", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The next day Mr Hale is hesitating to tell his family something. Eventually, much to Mrs. Hale’s dislike, he says that he has invited Mr. Thornton to tea. Mrs. Hale is very confused, firstly she does not know what to serve him and supply him with for entertainment, but secondly, she has no second maid to help prepare everything. Margaret says that she will help and tries to reassure her mother that Mr. Thornton’s entertainment will be talking to her father. She is looking forward to properly meeting Mr. Thornton, though she wishes that she could have had more time to prepare for the evening instead of it being thrust upon herself. She is extremely fatigued after helping Dixon prepare everything and Mrs. Hale is stunned that her life has come to this…her daughter doing housework. She scorns Mr Thornton’s name. Margaret tries to correct her mother’s behaviour, but Mrs. Hale remains still unconvinced. At the other side of town, in Mr Thornton’s house, a perfectly dressed older woman is repairing a tablecloth. Hearing a footstep in the corridor she calls out “John” surprised to hear her son’s footstep. Seeing him, she asks what he is doing, and was he not supposed to be having tea. He replies positively to this and says that he has come only to change his clothes. This perplexes his mother, as in her day, people went for tea after work, they didn’t come and change before meeting people, and in any case, what does he want in having tea with “an old parson.” He corrects his mother that Mr. is a gentleman and his wife and daughter are ladies. Mrs Thornton asks why he never mentioned his wife and daughter before, and her son replies that he has never met the mother and has only met the daughter once and thus felt it wasn’t relevant. His mother makes a remark about staying safe from the claws of a southern girl who would only want his money. He says to his mother that he is not easily caught. Again Mrs. Thornton says something about southern girls wanting rich husbands, causing her son to tell her about how he was treated by Margaret when they first met. Leaving, he defends again Mr. Hale, and says that if she is awake, he will tell her about Mrs. Hale after tea.SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell chapter 8 "Home Sickness", narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :D⁠https://ko-fi.com/theessentialreads⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/join⁠Summary:The change is wallpaper is not enough to convince the family that Milton is their new home. It would need much more for that. Dixon and Margaret are unpacking boxes as fast as possible to get Mrs. Hale settled as fast as possible. There is a deep fog that settles in the morning, and Mrs. Hale is not convinced that she will be able to make a home of this place. Mr Hale is not convinced either and he laments that he should have tried to live in some country place in Wales. Margaret, when alone, is in a state of despair whenever she thinks about having to stay in Milton for the foreseeable future. Margaret thinks about Helston when she sits down on a packing box and tries to distract herself by reading a letter she received from Edith. She and captain Lennox have settled in Corfu, where they are to be stationed for at least a year. Edith describes the place well and tells all about their easy life there. She reminds Margaret too about the night when she met captain Lennox, a date she remembers well. Margaret thinks then about if anyone from the London set will remember her…The family needs to find another maid to help them, but each girl that comes for an interview is rejected by Dixon. Mr. Hale spends much time with his new pupils and it is noted that many people in the area are undereducated because their parents send them to work in factories at a very young age. Mr. Thornton is the eldest of Mr. Hale’s students, but the majority of them are older. Mrs. Hale does not care much for her husband spending so much time in contact with his students. Margaret spends much time out in the town trying to look for a girl to help them at home too and comes across many of the people of Milton while they go to and come from the factories. In the street she is accosted by the women because she is nicely dressed and they want to know where she got her clothes from, and she is accosted by the men because she is pretty, and they call out to her in the street… In the Spring, Margaret goes to a field with her father to collect flowers and one of these such men came too with his daughter. Margaret gives a flower to the sickly girl, and her father is grateful for it. Margaret converses with the man while they walk back into town and tries to befriend him and his family. It is eventually agreed that Margaret will visit them. SEO stuff I don't want to do. Elizabeth Gaskell's classic, "North and South" sees Margaret Hale's live uprooted as her family moves to the north of England. Initially disgusted by the ugliness of the industrial town of Milton, Margaret develops a strong sense of social justice after seeing the poverty and suffering of local mill workers.