The Changing Roles In the Victorian Family in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the changes in some Victorian norms in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. The study shows how Elizabeth Gaskell struggles against the patriarchal society to give power to women of her age. Throughout North and South, mainly through the protagonist Margaret Hale, Gaskell shows that women are strong and they deserve to live a respectful life. In this regard, the dissertation is divided into two chapters. The first chapter involves an overview about the Victorian society and literature. It aims to shed light on the social life during the 19th century in Britain and circumstances, in which the work produced and affected the writer, and to define the Victorian literature with a reference to the famous writers of the era. The second chapter provides an analysis of the work under study. The aim through it is to examine Elizabeth Gaskell’s transgression of the Victorian norms through some selected characters.