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.
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.
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