To highlight the undervalued value of women in Victorian society, Elizabeth Gaskell develops the character of Margaret: a powerful, independent woman who does not allow herself to adhere to Victorian patriarchal conventions. Through Margaret's confident attitude, Gaskell demonstrates that women can be successful and independent. However, the disabled and unhappy character of Bessy Higgins, who serves as a representative Victorian worker in the text, contradicts this message. Throughout the novel, Bessy displays both admiration and resentment for Margaret, as her driven and confident attitude seems to be exactly what Bessy lacks. However, Bessy's low morale and death demonstrate her weakness and lack of perseverance. This also means that although Gaskell seems to promote and strengthen women's independence and self-sufficiency through the character of Margaret, he seems to believe that women like Bessy with an inadequate financial situation have little to no hope. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay From the beginning of the novel, Margaret plays an authoritative role in her family, presumably to prevent her parents from suffering from life's hardships. As her parents' only child living at home, Margaret takes charge of most of the practical aspects of her household and becomes the backbone of her parents as she strives to keep them happy. He demonstrates these qualities many times, especially when his father decides to leave the Church. Out of fear of her mother's reaction and in anticipation of the pain she will likely feel, Margaret responds with a “strong, bright look on her face” (39). Here, he attempts to hide his pain and take a strong stance to help his father. Agreeing to talk to her mother highlights her ability to take responsibility for such harsh actions, a trait rarely found in women of the Victorian era. Although “Margaret disliked it [and] shied away from it more than anything she had had to do in her life before” (39), she responds nobly to her father, expressing that “it was a painful thing, but it must be done” . , and [she] will do it better than [she] ever can” (39). This further demonstrates his devotion to his parents and his desire to keep his family stable. According to Victorian conventions, the responsibility for ensuring happiness and stability is the man's job, while "the career for women was marriage and the home was a place of comfort for husband and family from the stresses of industrial Britain" ( Thomas). However, Margaret does not succumb to the expectations of patriarchal society and does not allow herself to become weak or passive in front of her dominant male colleagues. He also does not deal with marital matters, focusing more on his parents' well-being and his interests in industrialization. Equally powerful and indicative of Margaret's devotion to her parents are her efforts in attempting to shield her mother's illness from her father. Margaret takes Dixon's position as Mrs. Hale's primary caregiver to take charge of her mother's illness. Demonstrating that men do not always possess more emotional and physical strength than women, Mr. Hale is unable to take an active role in helping his wife, just as he was unable to talk to her about his loss of faith in the Church. However, instead of succumbing to helplessness, Margaret fulfills her duty as a caretaker and does her best to recreate the happiness that left her family at this painful point in their lives. Throughout the novel,Margaret continually proves herself to be a strong, capable, and resilient young woman, and I believe that Gaskell incorporates this particular character into her novel to highlight a woman's worth. He manages to develop this message quite well through Margaret, who takes on the role of the stereotypical Victorian woman characterized by passivity and submissiveness and, ironically, gallantly ensures the well-being of those around her. Margaret is very different from the average Victorian woman in that she states her opinions and proves to be very courageous throughout the novel. Gaskell describes Margaret as "full of a sweet feminine defiance, always giving to strangers the impression of haughtiness" (34). To highlight how Margaret's personality is very different from that of other women of the time, Gaskell includes Mr. Thorton's impression of Margaret: "that as he looked at her [he felt] an admiration which he could not repress." During this particular time period it was rare for a man to admire a woman in this way, especially since "the qualities that a young Victorian gentlewoman needed were to be innocent, virtuous, docile, respectful, and ignorant of intellectual opinions" (Thomas) . However, Margaret is strong in her personal opinions and so different from the other women in this novel that Mr. Thorton, a strong and successful man, cannot help but be infatuated with her strong-willed behavior. In addition to her headstrong personality, Margaret displays many acts of courage, even though "Victorian women were expected to be weak and helpless" (Thomas). The most notable is when he puts himself in danger to protect Mr. Thorton during the strike. This is especially shocking in a society where men are expected to protect and care for women, who are seen as weak, fragile and sensitive. However, instead of being afraid, like Fanny and Mrs. Thorton, Margaret chooses to heroically defend Mr. Thorton as he attempts to resolve the strike itself. It is clear in this situation that neither Fanny nor Mrs. Thorton would ever put themselves in danger; however, Margaret, even though she is estranged from the family, has a desire to protect and help. She does not consider herself submissive or subservient to men, and therefore feels that it is her duty as a powerful young woman to attempt to solve the problems occurring in her society. Equally powerful in demonstrating Margaret's boldness is her response to her mother's death. . Margaret feels she "has no time to give in to regular crying. [Her] father and brother depended on her; while they gave in to grief she had to work, plan, consider" (275). Margaret seems less overwhelmed by the loss of her mother than the men in the family, but this is only because she does not allow the tragedy to prevent her from maintaining family stability. She allowed other family members to rely on her to keep everything intact. This is rare in a society where women are seen as “a fragile and delicate flower, incapable of making decisions” (Thomas). I believe that through these acts of courage, Gaskell demonstrates that although Victorian society views women as fragile compared to men, women can be just as strong, or even stronger, than their male counterparts. The other women in this novel do not display the courage that Margaret displays. For example, Margaret's cousin Edith serves as the perfect foil to Margaret's strength. She warns Margaret not to be strong-minded, to which Margaret replies, "Don't be afraid, Edith. I'll faint on your hands at the servants' dinner-time, at the first opportunity; and then, with Sholto playing with fire, and the baby who cries, you will begin to desire a strong woman, equal to any emergency" (509). Here, Gaskell makes the futility obviousof a powerless woman and at the same time highlights the overwhelming distinction between the two women. Mr. Thorton also notes the differences between his sister, Fanny, and Margaret when he says, “I see a great difference between Miss Hale and Fanny. I can imagine that she may have important reasons, which could and should cause her to overlook any apparent impropriety in her conduct. I didn't know that Fanny had important reasons for doing anything. Other people have to protect her. I believe Miss Hale is her own guardian” (305). This further establishes Margaret as a knowledgeable young woman, indifferent to the stereotypical image of a weak and helpless woman. Bessy Higgins, an utterly weak character, seems to admire Margaret, but is also envious of Margaret's independence and resilience. Bessy's angry and unpredictable personality is rooted in her dissatisfaction with her personal socioeconomic reality, being a victim of unhealthy factory working conditions. However, Bessy's condition was not unusual in an era when "children were expected to contribute to the family budget [and] often worked long hours in dangerous jobs and difficult situations for very little pay" (Daniels) . Since Bessy is the sole representative of the workers, readers are left with the impression that all the workers are as sick and suffering as she is. Furthermore, although Bessy seems very fond of Margaret and enjoys her visits, it is evident from Gaskell's writings that Bessy is unable to become the capable woman that Margaret is, presumably because she is of a lower class, considering that class status it is the fundamental element. the only big difference between the two women. In particular, “the economic differences between rich and poor became very evident [in the Victorian era]. The rich could afford elegant, well-built villas, while the poor had to tolerate the squalor of cramped quarters, one after another, surrounded by noise and filth” (WWMM). However, Margaret and Bessy share many commonalities aside from obvious differences in wealth. For example, Bessy shows how she is curious about the world, just as Margaret is, when she says, “I want to know so many things, and I am so tossed with wonders” (133). Also, like Margaret, she longs for wider vistas: "I have always longed to stand high and see far away, and take a deep, full breath in that air" (144). Furthermore, Bessy, having worked diligently to support her family, is similar to Margaret, as she has made it her duty in life to serve and protect her parents. Both women have been forced to overcome hardships, but I think Bessy realizes that her lack of wealth is perhaps the only thing stopping her from living the life she wants (or a life more like Margaret's) . Her family clearly needs money and Bessy is forced to work in cotton factories, causing drastic damage to her health. This realization causes Bessy to feel resentful towards Margaret, as she feels that Margaret "never knew desire, or care, or even evil, for that matter." His jealousy towards Margaret is evident when he lashes out at Margaret and says, “I could go mad and kill you, I could” (145). Although Bessy cares for Margaret and perceives her as a dear friend, she cannot come to terms with the fact that she is forced to live in poverty while Margaret does not care for her. wealth issues. Nicholas Higgins presents his financial situation to Margaret when he questions her: "you are only a young girl, but don't think that I can support three people – that is Bessy, Mary and myself – at sixteen." a shilling a week?” (480) Also, with Bessy's death and Margaret's triumph.