- Northrop Frye
"I don't see how the study of language and literature can be separated from the question of free speech, which we all know is fundamental to our society."
- Northrop Frye
Comments
These two chapters of North And South deal mainly with the shifting relationships of Margaret Hale, John Thornton, and Nicholas Higgins. Though Thornton and Higgins of course know of each other, they meet face to face for the first time when Nicholas comes to look for work. Their interaction is confrontational; Thornton is facing potential bankrupcy due to the strike, and one of the stike leaders- Nicholas- has the gall to walk through the door, asking for a job. Higgins, on the other hand, is still smarting over the failure of the strike- for which he blames Thornton to a large degree- and resentful that he's in a position where he has to ask his bete noire for employment. Nicholas swallows his pride and explains about caring for Boucher's family. Thornton is sceptical and not inclined to sympathy in any case, pointing out caustically that Higgins is now doing the very thing for which he condemned Boucher. This accusation, though harsh, is indisputably true. Any workers who did not want to join the strike were shunned and/or harrassed. Higgins himself tore a strip off of Boucher for his weakness in breaking down and begging work at the mills. But Higgins only had himself and two grown daughters to keep- and both daughters were working, until Bessy got too sick. It wasn't that much of a hardship for him to get by on strike pay, while Boucher had a wife and six small children to keep fed. Now that Nicholas has made himself responsible for them, he too finds that he can't afford his union principles, and Thornton calls him on it. Despite their acrimonious exchange, Thornton is given pause by the fact that Higgins waited for five hours to talk to him. This makes him think that perhaps the man was telling the truth about his situation, and it moves him to investigate further. When he discovers that Higgins has indeed assumed the burden of caring for Boucher's family, John is troubled by the thought that, in his ill humour, he was less than fair in his treatment of Nicholas. He takes the time to find out where Higgins lives and goes there to speak to him. This action tells us a great deal about Thornton's character: honest to a fault, he is willing to acknowledge his failings not only to himself, but to Nicholas. He apologizes to Higgins for scoffing at his claims and even suggests that, in this matter, Higgins is the better man, unhesitatingly supporting the Boucher's children despite their falling out, something Thornton says he's not sure he'd have done if he was in Nicholas' position. Of course, as we have seen before, Thornton's gruff manner covers a genuinely kind spirit which John generally keeps hidden, not wanting people- especially the workers- to think he is weak. He says that he would not have helped and then he does, offering Higgins a job which will enable him to support the Bouchers. For his part, Nicholas has little liking for Thornton although he has always respected the fact that he has only ever dealt honestly, if not easily, with the workers. He asked for a job- and now accepts the job- because he has little choice in the matter. He does so without losing his pride though, and Thornton doesn't require this of him. When Nicholas asks John if he thinks the two of them can get along, John essentially says that it's not important that they do: only that they can work together. The two even manage to find some humour in the situation. This guarded truce between the two men- master and strike leader- gives some hope that, at some point, the resentment and anger between the masters and workers may be overcome and they may deal more easily with each other. If they start thinking of each other not as enemies or "The Other" but as men with whom they disagree, but in the end have the same end and purpose: to run a successful and profitable mill, they may be able to actually achieve this aim. In this case, both Thornton and Higgins have given a little and come to an understanding, if not liking, of each other and that's an important first step. Unfortunately, as the relationship between Thornton and Higgins improves, that between Margaret and John seems to be in a downward spiral, as I'll discuss in my next post on North & South. (To Be Continued...) Related Posts:"Chivalry!-why, maiden, she is the nurse of pure and high affection-the stay of the oppressed, the redresser of grievances, the curb of the power of the tyrant-Nobility were but an empty name without her, and liberty finds the best protection in her lance and her sword." This statement is made by Wilfred of Ivanhoe in Walter Scott's 1819 novel Ivanhoe. The injured Ivanhoe is being cared for by Rebecca, daughter of Isaac of York, in Torquilstone (the castle of Front-de-Boeuf) where they are being held captive. The castle is under seige and Rebecca is peering from the window, describing the battle to the restless Ivanhoe, who is still too weak to rise from his bed. As Ivanhoe feverishly wishes that he could be out there, fighting alongside the Black Knight, Rebecca expresses her inability to understand why, already injured, he would wish to again take part in a battle, with all the pain and death it entails. Ivanhoe tells her that, as a Jew, she can't understand the rules of chivalry- the social, moral, and religious code a Christian knight was to live by, which includes honour, courage, justice, courtliness, and a duty to help the weak and oppressed. Of course, she might comprehend chivalry better if more of the knights in this tale- besides Ivanhoe- displayed it, but that's another issue for another day. "Alas," said Rebecca, leaving her station at the window, and approaching the couch of the wounded knight, "this impatient yearning after action--this struggling with and repining at your present weakness, will not fail to injure your returning health--How couldst thou hope to inflict wounds on others, ere that be healed which thou thyself hast received?" "Rebecca," he replied, "thou knowest not how impossible it is for one trained to actions of chivalry to remain passive as a priest, or a woman, when they are acting deeds of honour around him. The love of battle is the food upon which we live--the dust of the 'melee' is the breath of our nostrils! We live not--we wish not to live--longer than while we are victorious and renowned--Such, maiden, are the laws of chivalry to which we are sworn, and to which we offer all that we hold dear." "Alas!" said the fair Jewess, "and what is it, valiant knight, save an offering of sacrifice to a demon of vain glory, and a passing through the fire to Moloch?--What remains to you as the prize of all the blood you have spilled--of all the travail and pain you have endured--of all the tears which your deeds have caused, when death hath broken the strong man's spear, and overtaken the speed of his war-horse?" "What remains?" cried Ivanhoe; "Glory, maiden, glory! which gilds our sepulchre and embalms our name." "Glory?" continued Rebecca; "alas, is the rusted mail which hangs as a hatchment over the champion's dim and mouldering tomb--is the defaced sculpture of the inscription which the ignorant monk can hardly read to the enquiring pilgrim--are these sufficient rewards for the sacrifice of every kindly affection, for a life spent miserably that ye may make others miserable? Or is there such virtue in the rude rhymes of a wandering bard, that domestic love, kindly affection, peace and happiness, are so wildly bartered, to become the hero of those ballads which vagabond minstrels sing to drunken churls over their evening ale?" "By the soul of Hereward!" replied the knight impatiently, "thou speakest, maiden, of thou knowest not what. Thou wouldst quench the pure light of chivalry, which alone distinguishes the noble from the base, the gentle knight from the churl and the savage; which rates our life far, far beneath the pitch of our honour; raises us victorious over pain, toil, and suffering, and teaches us to fear no evil but disgrace. Thou art no Christian, Rebecca; and to thee are unknown those high feelings which swell the bosom of a noble maiden when her lover hath done some deed of emprize which sanctions his flame. Chivalry!--why, maiden, she is the nurse of pure and high affection--the stay of the oppressed, the redresser of grievances, the curb of the power of the tyrant--Nobility were but an empty name without her, and liberty finds the best protection in her lance and her sword." Related Posts:"Chivalry!-why, maiden, she is the nurse of pure and high affection-the stay of the oppressed, the redresser of grievances, the curb of the power of the tyrant-Nobility were but an empty name without her, and liberty finds the best protection in her lance and her sword."
|
About MeI'm a lover of good books, classic movies, and well-written shows (as well as some pretty cheesy ones, to be completely honest). Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
Fun SitesOdds & Ends |