Mrs. Thornton is a strong woman who is fiercely proud of her son's success as a businessman. She has little patience for what she perceives as weakness of character and so has little use for Mrs. Hale, whom she suspects just fancies herself ill. For that matter, she has a certain contempt for her own daughter's frivolous ways, though this is demonstrated by her being indulgent and placing no demands on Fanny- obviously not expecting much from her. Mrs. Thornton does detect a stronger character in Margaret which would command her grudging respect except for one thing: she suspects John of being enamoured of Margaret and has no desire to see him entangled with the daughter of an impoverished former vicar. Rather contradictorily, sensing that Margaret does not even consider John as a possible suitor, Mrs. Thornton resents her for not seeing his worth and dismisses her as being haughty and above herself.
What is great about North And South is that the characters are not flat and one-sided; they are complex, flawed individuals. This part of the novel doesn't always reflect well on Margaret: she is unjustly prejudiced against the north, and Mr. Thornton in particular. As time goes on and she gains more perspective, her opinions begin to change. Though they remain conflicted, they become based on what she observes rather than what she assumes. This is also something that occurs in North & South- character development. Mrs. Hale, for example: as her illnesses change from fancied ones to actual serious ailments, her attitude changes as well. She becomes more stoic, emotionally stronger, and even reflects that she didn't appreciate what she had in Helstone when she had it. Mr. Hale, often shown to be weak and ineffectual, becomes a good sounding board for both Mr. Thornton and Nicholas Higgins. An unprejudiced and compassionate observer, he listens to both sides with empathy, hoping to foster in each an understanding of the opposing view, or to at least diffuse the virulent resentment festering between them. Nicholas Higgins is a study in contrasts. The fiery union leader is also a loving father. The outspoken agnostic also has a great deal of respect for the thoughts and opinions of Mr. Hale, the former vicar. As the novel progresses and as circumstances demand, we will see him alter his behaviour and modify his opinions even further. Mrs. Thornton is a strong woman who is fiercely proud of her son's success as a businessman. She has little patience for what she perceives as weakness of character and so has little use for Mrs. Hale, whom she suspects just fancies herself ill. For that matter, she has a certain contempt for her own daughter's frivolous ways, though this is demonstrated by her being indulgent and placing no demands on Fanny- obviously not expecting much from her. Mrs. Thornton does detect a stronger character in Margaret which would command her grudging respect except for one thing: she suspects John of being enamoured of Margaret and has no desire to see him entangled with the daughter of an impoverished former vicar. Rather contradictorily, sensing that Margaret does not even consider John as a possible suitor, Mrs. Thornton resents her for not seeing his worth and dismisses her as being haughty and above herself. Mr. Thornton is also an interesting character. In many ways he is more sympathetic through this part of the book than is Margaret. Though sometimes harsh in his opinions- his total disdain for the workers' discontent and unrest, for example- a lot of his points make sense, especially when you take his background and experience into account. Margaret does see some validity in his arguments, but through her friendship with Bessy Higgins she also sees the suffering of many of the millworkers and cannot accept Thornton's blunt dismissal of their concerns. What is obvious however is that, whether in agreement or in conflict, Mr. Thornton and Margaret will never be indifferent to each other.
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"The Fairy Tale accustoms a child for a series of clear pictures to the idea that these limitless terrors had a limit, that these shapeless enemies have enemies in the knights of God, that there's something in the universe more mystical than darkness, and stronger than strong fear." - G.K. Chesterton As we pick up the narrative, the Hale family has arrived in Milton and it's a culture shock for them. They find it noisy, crowded, and dirty. Mr. Bell has contacted one of his tenants, Mr. Thornton, a local mill owner, and asked him to help the Hales find a place to live, which he does. It's while performing this duty that Thornton and Margaret become acquainted. It is not a successful first meeting. Margaret, though polite, is tired and upset and only sees him as the embodiment of this new place which she finds overwhelming. Thornton, in spite of himself, is attracted to her but senses her indifference- if not outright disapproval- and resents her for it. He and Mr. Hale, however, get on very well and Thornton begins taking lessons in the classics from Mr. Hale. It is during one of his visits for this purpose that the antagonism between Thornton and Margaret becomes verbal. He defends the mindset and methods of the northern mill owners and manufacturers. Margaret, however, is more in sympathy with the workers and staunchly maintains that the ways of the gentrified south are superior and more humane foer the working class. To explain his position, Thornton opens up and relates a little of his own history. After the financial ruin and suicide of his father, Thornton had to leave school and go to work to support his mother and sister. He managed to work his way up from being a draper's assistant to his current position as a mill owner, an employment and social mobility which would have been impossible in the south. Margaret is moved by his history but unconvinced that this excuses his attitude toward his workers. Furthering their discord is the simple fact that they frequently misunderstand or misjudge each other. For example, the manners of the northern people are quite different than those of the southerners. The northern people are more open and free-speaking; Margaret is at first shocked by girls she doesn't know addressing her in the street, commenting cheerfully on her dress, because that would never happen in London. When she comports herself in the more reserved way she is used to, Mr. Thornton reads this as pride and superiority on her part. He is offended, for example, when he offers Margaret his hand and she doesn't take it because in the north this is a snub. Margaret, however, is merely unsure how to respond because in the south it's considered very forward to take the hand of a man with whom you don't have a close relationship. Despite his conflicted feelings for Margaret, Thornton asks his mother & sister to visit the Hales, which they reluctantly do. It is not a successful visit; neither the Hale women nor the Thornton women are particularly impressed with each other. Mrs. Thornton is proud, blunt-spoken, and fiercely protective of her son. In contrast, her daughter a selfish and silly character, interested mainly in herself and her desire to join London society. During this time, Margaret also becomes acquainted with a family at the other end of Milton's social spectrum: the Higgins- Nicholas and his two daughters, Bessy and Mary. The eldest girl Bessy becomes a good friend to Margaret. Nicholas works at one of the local mills and is a union leader who is extremely active in the cause of workers' rights. Bessy worked at the same mill until she contracted lung disease from inhaling cotton fluff. When this happened, her father sent her to work at Thornton'smill, because it has a device installed which removes a good deal of fluff from the air. It's too late for Bessy however, who is now too ill to work and is slowly dying. She has accepted her fate and is at peace with it due to her deep faith in God. Her father, on the other hand, is extremely bitter and questions the existence of a God who allows the inequalities and tragedies he sees in the world. The introduction of these individuals and their developing relationships takes place against the backdrop of Milton's society and its troubles. Rising tensions between the various characters is mirrored by escalating tension in the town as a strike of the millworkers becomes inevitable. Related Posts:“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” – Henry David Thoreau In lieu of Sunday Movie Night, we had a paint night instead. Below is my finished project: Suffice to say, I won't be giving up my day job. But it was all kinds of fun. I also knit a hat for one of the nieces this weekend, which is more in my comfort zone: Related Posts:A couple of my friends are in Israel right now; here are some pictures of Nazareth: Jerusalem: "The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world; it is more, it is the history of earth and of heaven." -Benjamin Disraeli I believe in the sun even when it is not shining And I believe in love, even when there’s no one there. And I believe in God, even when he is silent. -Author Unknown- (Found written on a cellar wall in Cologne Concentration Camp) It's Holocaust Memorial Day and it seems especially poignant this year as we see anti-semitic attacks on the rise worldwide. Even more alarming, it's not just random racists; political leaders such as sleazy Jeremy Corbyn of Britain's Labour Party -and his henchpeople- are unapologetic antisemites and fear no repercussions for this, due mainly to the wobbly-kneed fecklessness of the UK Conservative Party. If the people of Britain have any sense left, they'll toss that terrorist-loving degenerate out on his ear, and his shameless myrmidons after him. Antisemitism has no place in civilized society, but we've gone from saying "Never again" to having to say, "It's got to stop." It's insanely evil. Related Posts: The idiom "turn a blind eye" means to deliberately refuse to acknowledge that something is true or real. For example, overindulgent parents might turn a blind eye to their child's misdeeds. The most well-known explanation for the development of this phrase dates back to the Battle of Copenhagen which was fought in 1801 between the navies of Britain and Denmark/ Norway. The British fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker while Amiral Horatio Lord Nelson was his second in command. The two men disagreed on battle strategy and during the action, Parker signaled with flags that Nelson should disengage and retreat. Nelson was sure though, that if they remained in the fray, they would win the battle. He decided to ignore the order; according to his biographer Robert Southey, he said to the captain of the ship he was on and said, "Leave off action? Now damn me if I do! You know, Foley," turning to the captain, "I have only one eye- I have a right to be blind sometimes," And then, putting the glass to his blind eye, in that mood of mind which sports with bitterness, he exclaimed, "I really do not see the signal!" (The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson, 1813) Nelson did not withdraw and his actions in the battle carried the day, securing a win for the British. When news of Parker's poor judgement reached London, he was relieved of his command which was then given to Nelson. As it turns out, though, while he popularized the expression "turn a blind eye," Nelson did not originate it. The British novelist and playwright Francis Lathom wrote a novel in 1799 entitled Men And Manners which contains a version of the expression: "Lady Gab was yesterday married to General Howitzer." "Gracious! you don’t say so? Why, he’s the very man for whom she had, her whole life, declared the greatest aversion." "Why," replied Sir Harry, "the world is ill-natured enough to say, that as her ladyship and the general were engaged in a rubber, about three weeks ago, at the Viscountess of Loo’s, the general’s glass eye, by accident, fell upon the table -" "Glass eye!" interrupted Lady Varny." "I only speak from report," returned he; "yes, a glass eye; and that her ladyship, who has an excellent taste for nic-nacories, was so charmed by its structure, that she immediately resolved on giving him her hand, for which he had long been a private suitor." "It is lucky for the poor man he has a blind eye to turn to her," cried Lady Varny [...] There are earlier recorded uses of a version of this phrase as well, one being found in Family Secrets: Literary and Domestic, a book by English poet/playwright/novelist Samuel Jackson Pratt in 1797: "Son, John, said Sir Armine, "You should consider that the business of the drama, like that of life, cannot be carried on without sometimes putting in practice a temporary suspension of the faculties, both of ears and eyes. Upon that great stage, the stage of the world," continued Sir Armine, "we are obliged to seem deprived of half our senses, in order to preserve ant share of our good humour:- nay, we are frequently reduced to seem both deaf and blind to certain inconsistencies in others or in ourselves; and few are those who have not been under a necessity of turning the apparently deaf ear, and the blind eye, to our own conduct, or on that of our neighbours." Still earlier, the clergyman and philosopher John Norris used a variety of the idiom in his A Discourse Of Walking By Faith, written in 1698: "To be Crucify'd to the World, and to have the World Crucify'd to us; to be dead to its Pleasures, and insensible of its Charms, to turn the deaf Ear and the blind Eye to all those Pomps and Vanities of the World which we renounc'd at our Baptism; and to have it no longer in our Hearts, but under our Feet." This seems to be the earliest written use of a form of this expression, though of course it's impossible to say if it was used verbally before this, or in written works long since lost. Related Posts:The movie clip below is from the 1938 film Angels With Dirty Faces. James Cagney stars as Rocky Sullivan, a hardened criminal who has returned to his old neighbourhood after spending three years in prison for armed robbery. He's there to track down his former accomplice (played by Humphrey Bogart) who owes him $100,000. In this scene, Sullivan makes the acquaintance of the local gang of teenage petty thieves. They admire his hardcore reputation and he decides that this admiration can be harnessed for his own purposes, recruiting the boys for use in his renewed criminal activities. Sullivan's actions put him in direct conflict with his childhood friend Jerry Connolly, now the parish priest. Years before when they were kids, the two were caught in the act of robbing a railway car. The two boys ran; Connolly got away but Sullivan was nabbed by the police and sent to reform school. He went on to a life of crime while Connolly reformed himself and became a priest, determined to save other kids in the neighbourhood from becoming what Rocky is now. Despite their former friendship, he is determined to bring Sullivan down. This is the original movie trailer:
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