Celebrating 20 years of the BBC's "North and South"

For those of us whose lives were changed by the discovery of the BBC’s 2004 adaptation of North and South, it’s not easy to describe just how deep that impact was. What we do know is that all the elements of a masterpiece—the cinematography, the screenwriting, the music, the story, the settings, and the acting by the cast—combined to make some kind of magic spell that still lingers—and still entrances the unwary who happen upon it.

Just before the Best Screen Kiss Ever (from the BBC’s 2004 adaptation of Elizaeth Gaskell’s North and South)

Those fortunate enough to have caught the original airing in November of 2004 may well remember the ensuing clamor to know more about Richard Armitage, whose performance in the mini-series was nothing short of mesmerizing.

If you know little about what happened after that first airing, or want to reminisce about those thrilling days—here’s a link to an accounting of how the mad rush to discuss North and South on the BBC’s message board crashed their site!

Not all of us, by any means, were there to discover it when it first aired. One of the greatest misfortunes in the history of this great mini-series, is that the American public broadcasting system was going through something of a downturn, and did not air this masterpiece on their national program called “Masterpiece.” I will forever lament this calamity. Although North and South was eventually aired in certain regions of the US, it never hit the country by storm in one fell swoop. We’ll never know what could have happened!

The first heart-stopping view of the imposing John Thornton. (from the BBC’s North and South)

Over time, it has been largely up to Netflix, YouTube, and then Amazon Prime to distribute North and South, and win the hearts of Americans and thousands upon thousands of others in every corner of the globe.

I didn’t happen upon it until 2009, on Netflix. My story about that can be found here.

The effect of this perfect storm of a production has been truly astonishing. Richard Armitage’s fandom exploded, Internet forums like C19 and The Armitage Army buzzed with discussion for years afterward, fans started up blogs, and thousands of people discovered the Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell and read her book.

And then there was the fan fiction. Oh. My. Goodness! I had not known about fan fiction before finding North and South, and duly spent several months of my free time gobbling up the continuation stories, variations, and what-ifs on the Internet forums I had desperately joined.

The fact that fan fiction began to flow from those captivated by the mini-series, is a high testament to its artistic power. This cinematic story stays with you long after the closing scene. The underlying passion of the otherwise in-control Mr. Thornton, and the depth of regret and sorrow that Margaret endures, sears into viewers’ hearts.

The longing to stay with this beloved couple longer and see them through various situations in our imaginations has compelled many to create their own version of events and publish them on sites such as An Archive of Our Own and Wattpad.

I’m still surprised at the outpouring of love for this film. I know that the leading reason my novel, A Heart for Milton, has been translated into Portuguese and Italian, is because of the ardent followers of the film who wanted more. And those of us who have published North and South fan fiction know that copies of our stories have been sold as far as Japan and India!

The love for this beautiful film production of North and South is truly worldwide—and ongoing. After 20 years, it still shines as one of the BBC’s best period dramas. It will surely live on as a well-loved classic for decades to come.

You’re invited to join North and South’s screenwriter, Sandy Welch, for an anniversary event sponsored by Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. Register here for the November 6th event. (Replays will be sent if you can’t make the live session.)

When did Thornton begin to think of marrying Margaret?

When did John Thornton begin to think of marrying Margaret Hale? The short answer is … we’ll never know. I doubt if even Thornton could pin a moment to the nascent thought.

But — and this is the fascinating part — we do know that the idea of marrying her was kicking around in his mind for quite a while before he blurted out his love for her in that ill-fated attempt to claim her as his own the morning after the riot.

And how do we know this? Because there are clues throughout the book which I’ll share with you.

But first, let’s recognize that courtship and proposing marriage were an entirely different ball game in the Victorian Era. It was entirely feasible that you could marry someone you’d only socialized with a handful of times. Courtship had one ultimate purpose: marriage. A man’s interest in courting a woman would indicate an interest in marrying her.

Now, we know from Gaskell’s story that Thornton is gobsmacked by Margaret at their very first meeting. He is instantly attracted to her. At the very least, he’s very intrigued by this woman. He has an interest in her. And he has never been interested in any woman before. Something about Margaret makes all his bells and whistles go off!

This first meeting with Margaret takes place in November, and Margaret and Thornton don’t interact with each other again until “early spring” when he comes to take tea with the Hales.

It’s his mother that openly hints at the idea of marriage between Margaret and Thornton.

“Take care you don’t get caught by a penniless girl, John.”

“I am not easily caught, mother, as I think you know. But I must not have Miss Hale spoken of in that way, which, you know, is offensive to me. I never was aware of any young lady trying to catch me yet, nor do I believe that any one has ever given themselves that useless trouble.”

Mrs. Thornton re-asserts a warning that southern girls may be looking for a rich husband, and he basically confesses that his only interaction with Margaret gave him the impression she would not be interested in him as a husband.

“Mother” (with a short scornful laugh), “you will make me confess. The only time I saw Miss Hale, she treated me with a haughty civility which had a strong flavor of contempt. She held herself aloof from me as if she had been a queen, and I her humble, unwashed vassal…”

Thornton is a man of reason and logic. He perceives that Margaret wouldn’t be interested in him as a husband, so it would be illogical of him to consider the possibility. Right? But since when do the longings of the heart obey the rules of logic?

Before he steps into the Hales’ house for tea we have to wonder: has he been thinking about her at all during those winter months?

I believe he has, for he’s scarcely stepped into the Hales’ drawing-room before he’s attributing the comfortable beauty of the room with Margaret’s nature! He’s only known her for half an hour and he believes he knows how a home with Margaret in it would look and feel.

Mr. Thornton likes what he sees. (all images are from the BBC’s North and South.)

And then comes the famous tea-cup scene where Thornton is fascinated with watching Margaret pouring tea. There is definitely a sexual attraction to her. Right about now he’s probably thinking he wouldn’t mind being “caught” by this southern girl!

With his mother’s warning about marriage echoing in his mind, and his senses enveloped and entranced by the warmth and beauty of Margaret and her cozy home, is it possible that the idea of having her for a wife wouldn’t cross his mind?

But any budding images of Margaret as a possible mate are fairly dashed by Margaret’s argumentative attitude in their conversations about the South and the moral obligations of masters to the workers. He feels her scornful disapproval of his kind.

And the next time Thornton has a discussion with the Hales at their home (his third interaction with Margaret), he doesn’t fare much better in gaining any sense of approval from Margaret. This time, Gaskell shows that he is desperately trying to get her to understand him:

“I know we differ in our religious opinions; but don’t you give me credit for having some, though not the same as yours?”

He was speaking in a subdued voice, as if to her alone. She did not wish to be so exclusively addressed.

[and later…]

“I shall only be too glad to explain to you all that may seem anomalous or mysterious to a stranger…”

Mr. Thornton paused awhile before he spoke…he was vexed at the state of feeling between himself and her.

You can feel his frustration here in this second argumentative discussion between them. If he had hoped to move himself up a level in her estimation, he was sorely disappointed. His attempts to develop this relationship in a positive direction are thwarted by Margaret’s moral reprisals of his business positions.

It’s during this second round of arguing that we catch a glimpse of how much he is interested in securing her attention for himself. Thornton’s jealousy flares up at the mere mention of another man’s name in relation to Margaret:

Who is Captain Lennox? asked Mr. Thornton of himself, with a strange kind of displeasure, that prevented him for the moment from replying to her!

Since Margaret shows no reciprocal sign of interest in him, Thornton is forced to smolder -- forced to keep his attraction to Margaret under wraps.

Ah, but a few months later Thornton lets slip a huge hint to his mother. When talk of who is coming to the dinner party leads Fanny and his mother to speak of Margaret in less than approving tones, John cuts into the conversation.

“Mother,” said he, stopping, and bravely speaking out the truth, “I wish you would like Miss Hale.”

“Why?” asked she, startled by his earnest, yet tender manner. “You’re never thinking of marrying her? - a girl without a penny.”

“She would never have me,” said he, with a short laugh.

“I wish you would like Miss Hale” sounds very much like a subdued confession as to where his affections lay! Notice that he didn’t deny thinking of marrying Margaret. His reply is only that she wouldn’t have him!

Mrs. Thornton gets negative points for her treatment of this soft confession. What a terrible comeback she gives her son! And she even grinds on about how Margaret thinks too highly of herself to have him.

Although Thornton is doubtless hurt by his mother’s caustic, careless replies, he shrugs off the conversation with this remark:

“Well, as I’m just as much convinced of the truth of what you have been saying as you can be; and as I have no thought or expectation of ever asking her to be my wife, you’ll believe me for the future that I’m quite disinterested in speaking about her.”

Again, saying that he doesn’t expect to ever ask her to be his wife doesn’t mean he hasn’t considered the consequences of doing just that. He has, and that is what he is admitting. His logical sense knows Margaret wouldn’t accept him. So he believes he can brush off the attraction to her at this point:

“I’m not a lad, to be cowed by a proud look from a woman, or care for her misunderstanding me and my position. I can laugh at it!”

But he’s not laughing when his passion for Margaret is roused into a furor by the events of the riot. After he declares his love for her and she fiercely rejects him, he’s sent into a spiral of misery.

It’s during his dazed and anguished walk in the countryside after his rejection that we see clearly that he did indeed carry a desire to marry Margaret for quite some time. And he’s kicking himself for letting his emotions overtake reason:

He went into the fields, walking briskly, because the sharp motion relieved his mind. He could remember all about it now; the pitiful figure he must have cut; the absurd way in which he had gone and done the very thing he had so often agreed with himself in thinking would be the most foolish thing in the world; and had met with exactly the consequences which, in these wise moods, he had always foretold were certain to follow…”

And there you have it. It’s possible the idea of having Margaret as his wife was planted in his mind the night he had tea at the Hales, but he kept the growing desire safely locked up in his heart, because he knew that she wouldn’t accept him.

Safely locked up, that is, until she threw her arms around him at the riot and he carried her lifeless body up the stairs of his home. Then all his logic couldn’t hold him back from trying his luck.

Although his attempt to win her hand that day was a disaster, maybe—just maybe—his impassioned declarations of love planted the idea of marrying him in Margaret!

Thanks for reading! Need a good book for Christmas travels or holiday relaxing? Check out the seasonal books written by fans of North and South HERE.

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A new North and South Christmas story

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I’m always excited to see more North and South stories published. So I’m happy to interview author Claudia Lomond, whose Christmas story was just released for sale this week!

When and how did you fall in love with North and South?

I first watched the mini series when I was about 15 and developed a bit of a crush on Richard Armitage (along with millions of others!). I’d watch it whenever I saw it repeated on TV, but one day in early 2019 I got a huge urge to watch it and then…here we are! I immediately started to write my first North and South fanfiction “A Life Together” and set to work reading all the brilliant stories by other authors.

Were you a writer before this? How long have you been writing fan fiction? And where can we find your other North and South stories?

I have been writing fanfiction since I was 14. As a child I was diagnosed with severe ME/chronic fatigue syndrome and as a result was off school and pretty much bed bound for three years and with lasting disabilities for the rest of my life. During my time in bed I would use my limited energy to write stories about the things I watched and read. I have consistently been publishing fanfiction since then (way back in 2005) in a variety of different fandoms (and thankfully under several usernames because I never want to look at my old stories again). Some of my main fandoms have been Phantom of the Opera, Doctor Who, Labyrinth and (of course) North and South.

You can find my completed and in progress work on fanfiction.net, Archive of Our Own and Wattpad under the username darkpartofmydestiny. I write a variety of genres but I think I am known within the N&S fanfiction community for my slightly saucier stories, so do check the rating before you read!

I have also written several articles that have been published in online magazines. I love writing and am passionate about helping others find their voice.

Is this your first time publishing your writing?

Claudia Lomond

It is my first time publishing fiction. I am very excited!

What made you decide to publish?

I’ve been a keen reader of variations and continuations for various fandoms online, as well as romance novels published via Amazon and Kindle Unlimited and have really wanted to branch out into commercial publication for a while.

One of my closest friends, Lizzie, also known as Elizabeth Hades on fanfiction sites, has been encouraging me to commercially publish for several years and her belief in me has really made me able to take this step. The Christmas Foundling was previously available on fanfiction websites, and I decided that this short and sweet Christmas story was the perfect place to start my self-publishing journey.

I am also moving to another country early next year and I really want to build a career that I can take from place to place with me!

Can you tell us a little about your story? What do you hope readers will get from reading it?

The Christmas Foundling is set on Margaret and John’s first Christmas as a married couple. On their way back from a midnight church service, they discover a baby abandoned by the mill gates with only a note addressed to “Miss Margaret” to tell them anything about the mother’s identity. Margaret deals with her conflicted emotions of wanting to care for the baby and a desperate search for the child’s mother.

I hope that readers will come away with a feeling of warmth and the spirit of the season. The story for me is a tale of charity but also of Margaret’s own journey - she sees the child without judgement or pity, and encourages others to do the same. She acts with love, even if others around her do not understand.

Have you found your John Thornton?

I have! I got married on 4th November this year so I am very newlywed! He is incredibly supportive of my writing and supports all of my slightly chaotic schemes. I do sometimes feel like the Margaret to his John - he works very hard and I have to prise him away from his desk late at night!

---

Buy on Amazon

What an exciting time for Claudia! She’s barely home from her honeymoon and now she’s publishing her first fiction novel! I hope you’ll join me in wishing her well on her new adventures in marriage and in publishing.

If you want to collect a few more Yuletide stories, check out More Than Thornton’s Christmas page with book selections here.

What Margaret Hale wears matters

The clothes women wear conform to the style, decorum, and cultural approval of the day. It was only a half century ago when women in Western cultures were freed from the stricture of always wearing skirts and dresses. Throughout the 1970s it became more and more acceptable for women to wear ….pants (gasp!).

Previous ages were far more strict as to what the appropriate mode of dress of women was. We are all aware that in the Victorian Era, both men and women wore what would be considered unreasonable layers of restrictive clothing today.

There were always choices, however, for those who had the means to purchase new clothing. And since Margaret Hale was a girl of the Victorian Era, she couldn’t overthrow the rules of dress alone even if she had wanted to. But she could, and did, choose to wear clothing that reflected her values.

Apparel becomes a focus in the very first chapter of Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, where Margaret models Edith’s luxurious Indian shawls for Aunt Shaw’s friends. Right away, we discover that although Margaret enjoys and appreciates the beauty of these expensive shawls, she has no particular desire to possess them. She doesn’t feel a need to wear or have impressive, fancy clothes.

She is, in fact, exhausted by all the running around required to coordinate the perfect wedding for her cousin Edith, which undoubtedly included much shopping for an extravagant trousseau. Margaret, by contrast, describes her wish for a simple wedding with very little fuss. Margaret doesn’t see the need for spending time and effort over appearances. She hones in on the essentials of life - the meaning behind events. Margaret doesn’t dream of putting on a show for others at her wedding.

Thornton fell for her in this get-up?

Margaret Hale is very comfortable and confident in her own individuality. She doesn’t feel the need to imitate anyone or to draw attention to herself. She prefers to dress in pleasant clothing without much ornamentation. She’s a no-nonsense, down-to-earth country girl at heart.

Thornton notices her style at the outset when he sees her for the very first time in the hotel sitting room. It’s her dignity and commanding presence that strikes him, and part of this is conveyed in what she wears. She’s not dolled up in frilly ruffles and ostentatious patterns or plumes. She’s dressed simply and carries herself with a natural, self-confident pride. It’s this strength of character – not needing to dress in flamboyant style to feel important – that attracts Thornton. 

...a young lady came forward with frank dignity, — a young lady of a different type to most of those he was in the habit of seeing. Her dress was very plain: a close straw bonnet of the best material and shape, trimmed with white ribbon; a dark silk gown, without any trimming or flounce…

According to the original novel, when Thornton comes to tea at the Hales it is only the second time he’s ever seen Margaret. While he’s checking out the comfortable details of the Hales’ home, he is definitely taking a careful look at Margaret:

She stood by the tea table in a light-colored muslin gown, which had a good deal of pink about it. She looked as if she was not attending to the conversation, but solely busy with the tea-cups, among which her round ivory hands moved with pretty, noiseless daintiness.

Margaret appears to him as the very image of feminine grace here. Her blouse in this scene is very light and delicate. She is a woman, and naturally expresses the soft, tender caring for others that is characteristic of the feminine nature. She can be both strong and confident and gentle and caring. The soft look of feminine clothes also suits her.

This balance between masculine and feminine characteristics in Margaret is fascinating to Thornton. He sees both sides of her character, her practical strong side and her more tender, sweet side.

Did you know that Thornton is noticing Margaret’s every outfit? He is.

Gaskell lets us know that Thornton is noticing Margaret’s wardrobe along with everything else about her! It’s really quite endearing that he remembers every visual image of her.

After she cruelly rejects him, he wanders the country dazed with the pain of her refusal, thinking about her:

He only caught glimpses of her.; he did not understand her. He saw her in every dress, in every mood, and did not know which became her the best. Even this morning, how magnificent she had looked, — her eyes flashing out upon him at the idea that, because she had shared his danger yesterday, she had cared for him the least!

Now, what about Margaret’s drop-dead dinner party outfit? Was it too feminine? Was it too revealing? Did wearing it degrade her — or empower her?

Clearly, this elegantly coifed and presented Margaret is a far cry from the everyday Margaret Hale who wears dull brown and traipses around Milton with a nondescript frisbee hat instead of a dainty bonnet. (See an earlier blog post about bonnets in North and South)

This is not a practical dress in the least. It’s an evening dress appropriate for formal social gatherings in that era. But note how Margaret’s dress compares with Fanny’s. Margaret’s gown has no fringes, flounces, lace, or contrasting colors. Her gown is a simple solid color with a tasteful embellishment of ruffled fabric for the sleeves and neckline.

Margaret’s dress conforms to the dress code appropriate of her day, yet she chooses a more subtle style. Here’s a great drawing of the evening gowns of the 1850s, the decade North and South was published.

Remember now, Margaret didn’t even really want to go to the dinner party. She went because her mother wanted her to go. And Margaret let her mother decide what dress she would wear. She herself was not concerned about impressing anyone. Her thoughts were far more consumed with the suffering of the strikers, the Boucher family and Bessy Higgins.

What had possessed the world (her world) to fidget so about her dress, she could not understnand…

Despite Margaret’s rather nonchalant attention to her attire for the Thornton dinner party, she looked fabulous! Her dress showed off her ample figure, as it was supposed to. And her natural dignity and grace made her stand out from the crowd. She was a commanding presence in very feminine attire. According to the book, at least two dinner party attendees asked about “that fine distinguished-looking girl.” She caused quite a stir!

And did John Thornton notice?

Did he ever!

He was struck anew with her great beauty. He had never seen her in such dress before; and yet now it appeared as if such elegance of attire was so befitting her noble figure and lofty serenity of countenance, that she ought to go always thus apparelled.

I summed up Thornton’s strong attraction to Margaret’s kind of beauty fairly well in a previous post:

The beauty he sees in her is tied to the qualities she exudes: self-possessed dignity, serene freedom, natural grace, gentle frankness, unshrinking self-confidence and strength. He seems to discern the essence of Margaret Hale in one short occasion. She's a rather amazing blend of both masculine and feminine natures. And Thornton is drawn to her expression of these qualities, so many of which he himself possesses and venerates.

Margaret Hale wears her clothes well, they represent her practical, sensible side and the tender caring nature at her core.

She would definitely have loved to see the introduction of trousers for women in the coming century!

Higgins' wife and Hannah's husband: the missing spouses of North and South

I realized recently that I’ve never given much thought to Higgins’ past life with his wife. Were they a reasonably happy family? There’s no indication that they weren’t. And yet, Nicholas Higgins never speaks about his wife. Is it too painful to mention? Does he keep his emotions private, not wanting pity?

It’s only through Bessy’s words that we learn anything at all about her mother.

to Margaret:

I think I was well when mother died, but I have never been rightly strong sin’ somewhere about that time. I began to work in a carding-room soon after, and the fluff got into my lungs. and poisoned me.

….Mary’s schooling were to be kept up, mother said, and father he were always liking to buy books, and go to lectures o’ one kind or another — all which took money, so I just worked on….

and to Nicholas:

O, father, what have ye gained by striking? Think of the first strike when mother died—how we all had to clem [starve]….

There is, of course, a practical reason that Gaskell made Higgins is a widower. She needed Bessy to be motherless so that Margaret would become an important mothering presence in their house. Bessy wouldn’t have been as hungry for attention from Margaret if she’d had a caring mother at home.

The fact that Nicholas Higgins is a widower also makes his decision to adopt Boucher’s children that much more heroic. He takes on the responsibility of raising a handful of young children without a wife to help him. That’s an impressive moral commitment!

The absence of a wife and mother in the family also changes the depth of the relationship between Bessy and Nicholas. We see that without a wife to turn to, Nicholas has grown very close to his oldest daughter, Bessy. A strong bond between father and daughter has developed since the death of his wife.

Of course, the most significant missing spouse in North and South is Hannah’s husband, George Thornton. The entire development of John Thornton’s character—the trajectory of his life—hinges upon his father’s suicide and the ensuing long struggle to rise from the debt and social censure George Thornton left his young family. Without his father’s death, it’s not likely John would have risen to the role of cotton mill master.

The determination to maintain their honor and integrity by paying back the debt while living in the shadow of society’s abandonment, drew mother and son together in a powerful bond of trust and reliance. The relationship that forms with his strong-minded mother in the wake of his father’s death remains the pillar of John Thornton’s life until he falls for Margaret Hale.

Although his absent role in the novel is vital, we know precious little about Hannah’s husband. She never speaks about him, except to tell Aunt Shaw that her husband is dead.

John speaks of his father only once, in telling his early history to the Hales at tea. Mr. Hale fills in the more sordid details of the senior Mr. Thornton’s death to his family—details which he obtained from Mr. Bell, an outside source.

Although George Thornton left his young family to suffer the consequences of his great mistake, neither Hannah nor John ever speak ill of him. Hannah continues to wear mourning black all her life, indicating that she still loves her husband.

There is one other instance in which it may be assumed that John is speaking of his father. On the dreadful night that John realizes that he cannot afford to continue running his factory, he tells his mother of the dire financial situation he is in and speculation offer that was presented to him:

“... how do you stand? Shall you—will it be a failure?” her steady voice trembling in an unwonted manner.

“Not a failure. I must give up business, but I pay all men. I might redeem myself - I am sorely tempted…”

“How? Oh, John! keep up your name—try all risks for that. How redeem it?”

“By a speculation offered to me, full of risk; but, if successful, placing high above the water-mark, so that no one need ever know the strait I am in. Still if it fails…”

“And if it fails,” said she, advancing, and laying her hand on his arm, her eyes full of eager light. She held her breath to hear the end of his speech.”

“Honest men are ruined by a rogue,” said he gloomily.

“Honest men are ruined by a rogue” he says. Is John referring to his father? Was George Thornton deceived into investing in some risky venture? It’s very likely that John and his mother believe that their father was preyed upon by unscrupulous men. This conviction allows them to continue to honor the memory of their father/husband with a degree of respect instead of resentment.

The history of his father’s tragic experience with financial speculations creates John’s strict moral stance about investing. He refuses to put himself in any danger of disaster like his father fell into. His father’s tragic death has impacted his life in almost every way.

Gaskell uses single parent situations in her other novels as well, and it so happens that it’s the development of the father-daughter relationship that she uses most. In Wives and Daughters there’s a precious relationship between Molly Gibson and her widowed father. The fact that Molly is missing a mother is integral to the unfolding plot. A father-daughter relationship is also vital to Gaskell’s very first novel, Mary Barton, in which Mary Barton tries to help her widowed father.

The loss of a spouse or parent was fairly common in Gaskell’s time. Through her stories we can see how these absences change the patterns and courses of life for those who continue on.

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The healing effect of nature in 'North and South'

Turning to nature in times of great turmoil or sorrow can be therapeutic. The beauty, stillness, and majestic vastness of nature can calm our thoughts and give us a more expansive perspective.

Reading North and South again, I was struck by how often Margaret turned to nature for solace and strength. This is especially true at the close of the story, when she is far from Milton and evaluating how to go forward with her life.

We know from the very beginning of the book that Margaret has a strong connection with nature. Her eagerness to go home to Helstone every summer has a good deal to do with the freedom she feels there to roam the countryside and take in its beauty every day.

Margaret used to tramp along by her father’s side … revelling in the sunshine and the herbs and flowers it called forth.

[Margaret] was so happy out of doors, at her father’s side, that she almost danced…

(Chapter 2)

Once in Milton, it’s more difficult for Margaret to escape to a place of beauty, but she does seek nature by taking walks to the fields around the town. She is coming back from one of these walks when she meets Bessy Higgins. Impulsively, she shares the beauty with Bessy, by giving the sickly girl the wildflowers she had picked.

Unfortunately for Margaret, the chance to get away to nature is almost non-existent during the long months of her mother’s sickness and her father’s subsequent grief.

Gaskell tells us, however, that after being chastised by Mrs. Thornton for her impropriety, Margaret takes a brisk walk to the country to try to avoid reflecting too deeply on her distraught feelings.

It’s not until Margaret moves away from Milton—not until her parents have both died—that she has time to really think about all that has happened to her and how she feels.

After an emotional day visiting Helstone again, Margaret confesses to Mr. Bell her lie and what Mr. Thornton must think of her. Although she asks Mr. Bell to explain her circumstances to Mr. Thornton someday, she still believes that she has lost Thornton’s love forever.

That night she feels her loneliness deeply:

…she sate long hours by the open window, gazing out on the purple dome above, where the stars arose, and twinkled and disappeared behind the great umbrageous trees….A sense of change, of individual nothingness, of perplexity and disappointment, over-powered Margaret.

“…I am so tired—so tired of being whirled on through all these phases of my life, in which nothing abides by me, no creature, no place…”

(Chapter 46)

Photo by Tyler Domingue

She looks to the heavens again after Mr. Bell dies:

…when night came—solemn night, and all the house was quiet, Margaret still sate watching the beauty of a London sky…the faint pink reflection of earthly lights on the soft clouds that float tranquilly into the white moonlight, out of the warm gloom which lies motionless around the horizon….On such night as this she remembered promising to herself to live as brave and noble a life as any heroine she ever read or heard of in a romance….straight alone where she stood, in the presence of God, she prayed that she might have strength to speak and act the truth for evermore.

(Chapter 48)

And finally, in the most poignant and enduring episode of relying on nature to nourish her, Margaret spends several days on the beach, just thinking…thinking, as she stares out to sea:

She used to sit long hours upon the beach, gazing intently on the waves as they chafed with perpetual motion against the pebbly shore, —or she looked out upon the more distant heave, and sparkle against the sky, and heard, without being conscious of hearing, the eternal psalm, which went on continually. She was soothed without knowing how or why.

..all this time for thought enabled Margaret to put events in their right places, as to origin and significance, both as regarded her past life and her future. Those hours by the sea were not lost, as any one might have seen who had had the perception to read, or the care to understand, the look that Margaret’s face was gradually acquiring.

…she had learnt, in those solemn hours of thought, that she herself must one day answer for her own life, and what she had done with it….

(Chapter 49)

During this sacred time of considering the endless power and beauty of the seaside, she makes her decision about her place and purpose in the world. Margaret regains her spiritual strength and takes command of her situation. She lets her London family know that she will now be deciding for herself how to spend her time and efforts. She begins to spend time doing what she feels is important, which includes going to some of the more wretched places in London to try to make a difference in the lives of those who truly need her compassion and care.

And all this she does with the conviction that she will never marry—never live in Milton again. She believes John Thornton could no longer be in love with her, a liar.

So, with the aid of nature’s vast, infinite persepctive, she carves out a secondary dream of a purposeful life, in which she can give her love to those who need it. How beautiful it is, then, when her first dream of happiness is fulfilled—when she discovers Thornton’s steadfast love and a whole new life waiting for her in Milton.

Do you remember a time when you found comfort or peace from nature?

What are your favorite places to absorb the beauty of nature?

The search for home in North and South - Margaret's quest

It could be said that Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South is largely about Margaret Hale finding her home.

The word 'home' has rich meaning and conjures the same deep emotions as the word 'love' -- simply because the two concepts go hand in hand. Home is a center for love. That home means different things to different people who live in the same place, shows that our sense of home is also very individual. We each have a sense of what home feels like in our hearts, of what we hold most dear to our sense of purpose and place.

Home is something you treasure, and it's not the same for everyone. It can be difficult to put into words or make someone else understand what home means to us -- what home is to us. Margaret can't explain her home when Henry asks her to describe Helstone:

"...I cannot tell you about my own home. I don't quite think it is a thing to be talked about, unless you knew it."

Poor Margaret is thrust from one home to another three different times in the book: from London to Helstone, from Helstone to Milton, and from Milton back to London again. Through all these changes, the reader gets a good glimpse of how Margaret operates in three very different environments. And Margaret has the chance to experience contrasting cultures and venues. As she moves about from place to place, she is all the while developing her own individual values and sense of purpose. She is learning what it is that she really wants to create a satisfying home.

So what are the qualities of home she seeks? The sense of 'home' that she longs for changes as she matures, but the core values she wants to live don’t really vary. She wants to be where she can be free, where she feels a connection with the people around her, where she is valued, understood, and has a voice. In short, she's looking for a place where she is free to love and is loved in return.

The longing for home a powerful desire to belong -- to find a place where you feel needed and accepted, a place where you can shine. We find the most comfort and support in surrounding ourselves with people who think and feel the same and are involved in a deep-felt purpose.

The Margaret we first meet in the book is in a surrogate home. Contained by formalities, moving within the protected well-bred social circles of London, Margaret acts as an auxiliary to Edith, who is the true center of all activity at Harley Street. Margaret doesn't seem fully alive here, where the primary purpose of life is entertainment and social display. There's a side of her that is shut down while she's in London, a side of her that Edith and Henry do not know. 

We see Margaret come alive when she arrives Helstone. She is loves to roam the forest and enjoys visiting and helping the people of her father's parish. She's happiest outside in the wide-open beauty of nature, going wherever she likes. She doesn't miss the luxuries or social scenes of London at all. She is perfectly happy fulfilling "the important post of [the] only daughter in Helstone parsonage."

Here in Helstone she finds great freedom and purpose. She feels genuinely part of the community around her. The beauty of nature found everywhere in Helstone inspires a sense of happy freedom in her. It's no wonder she calls Helstone "about as perfect a place as any in the world.”

She resists coming to Milton, where the scenery is bleak and everyone seems so busy. But what begins to draw her out of her unhappiness is finding a connection with the Higgins family. Margaret loves engaging with humanity and the larger world. She’s passionate about supporting those around her.

In Helstone, she was used to visiting and helping the poor country people that lived in her father's parish. In Milton, she becomes interested in supporting the working poor. She finds the energy of the town engaging. The future of England is being forged in the factories of Milton, and Margaret develops a fondness for the spirit of its people.

When she returns to London, she feels the oppression of being caught in her cousin's sphere of elegant security. She is once again relegated to nurse-maid and social assistant. There's no engagement with the broader community of humanity and nothing of any great purpose is being accomplished, until she is made an heiress and makes the firm decision to do what she believes is important.

Margaret begins to fill her need to live a more purposeful life by becoming involved in helping the poor in London. This gives her a sense of freedom and fills some of her time with meaningful activity. But she still isn’t truly “home” in London, surrounded by a family who doesn’t comprehend her values. She won’t be home until she’s partnered with the one person who understands and cherishes her strong desire to help improve the lives of others. She finds her home with John Thornton, in Milton.

It’s ironic that a girl who loves the country so much finds her true home in dirty and smoky Milton, isn’t it? But heck, I think a girl could live just about ANYWHERE as long as John Thornton comes with the “home” package!

Next time we’ll talk about the Thornton side of the search for home.

How to recognize a Victorian marriage proposal

Modern-day marriage proposals are generally very clear. The question “Will you marry me?” is put forth and the intended partner gives a “yes” or “no” answer. Sometimes an elaborate scheme is invented in which to make the momentous event a spectacular occasion which might be viewed by hundreds or thousands on social media. But still, today’s proposals include a clear question.

Ah, but if you were thrown into the Victorian Era you might be caught unawares that a gentleman has made an offer of marriage to you and awaits your response!

So how would you know if a gentleman friend or acquaintance is proposing to you in the Victorian Era? Well, if Gaskell’s North and South is any guide, you will know the gentleman has made his matrimonial intentions clear if he does the following:

• takes your hand

• declares his love for you

That’s it! This is how both proposals went for the unsuspecting Margaret Hale.

When Henry Lennox appeared in Helstone, she had no idea that he envisioned her as his future wife. She thought they were just friends. Surprise, surprise!

‘Margaret,’ said he, taking her by surprise, and getting sudden possession of her hand, so that she was forced to stand still and listen…..I have been hoping for these three months pas to find you regretting London - and London friends, a little, - enough to make you listen more kindly’ (for she was quietly, but firmly, striving to extricate her hand from his grasp) ‘to one who has not much to offer, it is true - nothing but prospects in the future - but who does love you Margaret, almost in spite of himself.'

Mr. Thornton’s proposal, however passionately made, follows the same basic technique: get a hold of the girl’s hand and declare your love.

‘I choose to believe that I owe my very life to you….and it doubles the gladness, it makes the pride glow, it sharpens the sense of existence till I hardly know if it is pain or pleasure, to think that I owe it to one — nay, you must, you shall hear’ - said he, stepping forwards with stern determination - ‘to one whom I love, as I do not believe man ever loved woman before.’ He held her hand tight in his….’’

In both of these instances, Margaret understands that she is being proposed to. She has apparently read and comprehended A Girl’s Handbook to Detecting and Rejecting Sudden Marriage Proposals. Those of us in the 21st century might have taken these rather awkward professions of love as a giant hint that the guy is really, really interested in dating us.

I confess that for years I resisted calling the scene at the end of episode two “the proposal scene,” since John never actually asks Margaret to marry him. The same with the book. Although the dialogue is different, the question of marriage isn’t posed to Margaret there either. The word “marry” or “marriage” isn’t even mentioned at all.

But I was wrong. I was judging the “proposals” by modern customs. Although I couldn’t discern a clear marriage proposal in Thornton’s passionate torrent of words, Margaret certainly understood that she was being proposed to.

‘Margaret began to wonder whether all offers were as unexpected beforehand,--as distressing at the time of their occurrence, as the two she had had.’

And yes! For heaven’s sake, whatever happened to the courting stage, guys?! Give a girl some time to get used to the idea!

So there it is, ladies. A Victorian woman may not even be aware that a romantic interest is forming in a gentleman friend or acquaintance before the proposition of marriage is sprung upon them.

And now— if you should by chance be swept back in time and catch the eye of a handsome mill master—you’ll be better prepared to recognize his marriage proposal.

Did Margaret Hale bake?

Fanny hovers over the offered sweets. Were these bought from the bakery?

With so many people spending more time creating in their kitchens this stay-home year, could there be a more timely topic to round out the year?

There’s no indication that Margaret spent time in her kitchen either in Helstone or in Milton. According to Gaskell’s North and South, the Hales kept a cook in Helstone, besides having a house-maid and Dixon, a ladies maid. In Milton it was difficult to find help and Dixon had to take up regular household duties that had once previous been beneath her.

When Mr. Hale announces that Mr. Thornton is coming to tea, Margaret offers to help with some of the day’s work, but it’s not to do any of the baking:

“…we will give [Mr. Thornton] a welcome, and some cocoa-nut cakes. Dixon will be flattered if we ask her to make some; and I will undertake to iron your caps, mamma.”

Mrs. Hale is distressed at the thought of her daughter helping out with the laundry down in the kitchen. Evidently, a gentleman’s daughter was not expected to have to do daily drudgery. It appears likely that Margaret may never have learned to cook or bake.

Certainly, Margaret would never have set foot in the kitchen at Aunt Shaw’s unless it was to relay orders. Learning to cook and bake would not have been on the list of things for Edith to learn. She would never have been expected to do the cooking. Both girls would have been taught, however, how to serve tea.

Alas, does this mean that Margaret would never bake a special batch of treats for her husband once married? Who knows! Both Margaret and John both pushed against being constrained by tradition or class rules. If she had the impulse to bake something herself, I’m sure she would do so. But Margaret Thornton wouldn’t need to do housework or kitchen work.

Apple pie

I, on the other hand, have been enjoying playing in the kitchen. I’ve been spending more time than ever baking and am grateful for a productive hobby to keep me busy while staying home with the family for months on end.

I also love watching and re-watching The British Baking Show. I sometimes put it on for background noise while I’m in the kitchen.

Although I would LOVE to have food made for me, I think I would miss baking. It’s a creative outlet that satisfies — in more ways than one!

My mother was always baking pie, brownies, cookies or cakes. Dessert means “I love you” in my family’s parlance.

Baking is making a tremendous resurgence right now. Are you spending more time baking? What have you made?

The traditional Christmas cookies for the kids to decorate.

Confessions of a limited Richard Armitage fan

My introduction to Richard Armitage is a common story. At least is used to be, before The Hobbit movies began rolling out.

Like thousands of other soon-to-be-smitten fans, my very first glimpse of the actor was as the imposing mill master in the BBC’s North and South. The opening scene is definitely not my favorite, but I was completely won over by the vulnerable Victorian industrialist by the end of episode two.

Unbuttoned and emotionally unravelling, John Thornton wants desperately to believe what his mother is saying.

That was October 2009. And I didn’t know that watching Richard Armitage bring John Thornton to life on screen would change my life. But it did.

I searched his name on the Internet. Who was this man, and why hadn’t I ever heard of him before?! I discovered, to my delight, that I wasn't the only one with a new obsession after watching North and South. C19.Proboards.com introduced me to the Richard Armitage fandom. And I — for the first time in my life — become a fan girl.

But here’s my guilty confession: I don’t think I’ve earned all the points necessary to be a genuine card-carrying Armitage fan.

You see, my interest in Armitage has centered rather heavily on his role as John Thornton. I’ve only ventured to see a very limited portion of his work. I’ve watched and loved Sparkhouse. And I thought he was sweet in The Vicar of Dibley. But I never really watched him as Guy of Gisbourne, or Lucas North. Just a little.

But I think I get fan points for going to the theater to watch Captain America, solely to exalt in seeing his name appear in the credits on the big screen that very first time. I was really excited.

And I was uncharacteristically jumping up and down with glee when I first heard he had landed the role as Thorin. I was ecstatic. Richard was going to be famous! It was a very special time to be in the Armitage fandom. We were all so very excited for our boy to be introduced to the world scene.

I watched all three Hobbit movies when they came out, even though I’m not really a big Tolkein fan. I did it for Richard. All to seem him in his glory.

But I haven’t seen him in anything else. I saw Castlevania’s first season. But I never got around to watching the rest. I don’t watch much tv —that’s my main excuse. But I still feel like I fall short of being a full-fledged fan. There are so many other shows I haven’t watched. And I haven’t even begun to listen to his audible books!

To all of my fellow Richard Armitage fans, I love our solidarity in fond admiration for a very handsome and incredibly talented actor. It’s been a great joy to “meet” so many of you!

To celebrate the blogging fandom, today is a celebration of those who have ever blogged about Richard: #RABlogReunion.

I didn't start this blog until 2016. But I’m still here. Still writing the occasional blog post about a story I love. A story that came to life on screen with phenomenal power due to Richard Armitage.

What have I been doing since I became an Armitage fan?

I’ve written two North and South variation novels, have helped compile an anthology of N&S short stories (Falling for Mr. Thornton), and am dabbling with writing a third variation. My focus has slipped on writing — real life concerns have been rather exhausting. I still visit and moderate the C19 site, but not nearly as often as I used to. The fanfiction sharing there has waned.

But if the era of my more eager fanhood has waned, I’ll always cherish those earlier, crazier days when the image of Richard as JohnThornton was never far from my mind — those days when I laughed and chatted and plotted with other Armitage fans online nearly every day.

Thanks, Richard, for enriching my life. Your contribution as an artist has had a profound effect on so many.