My last class at BYU was a graduate seminar taught by the charming Nick Mason, who led us through a {sometimes uncomfortable} exploration of evolving social conscience as represented in literature . Class conflict was present in all the mid-19th C novels we read. Emerging industrialization, union workers, the disappearance of artisans & the growing middle class were creating unprecedented tensions.
Enter the intelligent, unheralded Elizabeth Gaskell, whose book
Mary Barton introduced me to mill workers and unions and child labor of the 1800s. Fast forward to the present, in which I checked out the BBC drama
North and South {based on a Gaskell novel} this past weekend and watched it obsessively. And fell in love--not only with John Thornton as portrayed by Richard Armitage {soooo hot!} but with the gorgeous cinematography. There is the powerful parallel story of tension between mill master and employee, cultured middle-class English girl from the South and rough-around-the-edges entrepreneur from the North. Such great acting. {And, did I mention how hot John Thornton is?}
Elements of the story resemble
Pride & Prejudice, mostly in the love story. There are the two strong personalities that clash, the woman having a mistaken bad impression of the man, they both having to overcome personal pride to acknowledge their "simmering, restrained passion" for each other. John Thornton is definitely a Darcy-esque brooder {swoon}. But while
P&P is a lighter social satire {witty, explores human nature but with only a narrow slice of British society},
North and South is gritty. It explores survival and class conflict and has more serious social and political themes. Such as the ones we discussed in my final graduate seminar.
I've put this Elizabeth Gaskell novel on hold at the library and can't wait to read it, but this is all really to say: Ladies, do yourselves a favor and watch this 4+ hour movie. You will fall completely in love with Mr. Thornton.
And, you're welcome. You can thank me later.
If you have an emerging reader, go to your library and get these books now. If you have two young readers, as I do at my house, better yet--they can each read a character.
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