North and South

“North and South has both met and made kind o’ friends in this smoky place.”

These words from Nicholas Higgins, a simple Milton worker, summarise the novel. It is indeed a story in which characters from different parts of England are changed inextricably because of one another. It all begins when Margaret, a woman with a fancy Southern upbringing, is forced to move to Milton, a Northern manufacturing town. This is the decision of her father, a former Vicar who relocates his family to Milton to work as a tutor. Despite her disdain of the working class, Margaret makes friends with workers Nicholas and Bessy Higgins, and witnesses firsthand the harsh realities of a labourer’s life. She becomes an advocate for workers’ rights, placing her at odds with John Thornton, a strict mill owner and her father’s new pupil. The two are constantly in conflict, Thornton believing he can treat his workers as he likes, and Margaret deeming a moral obligation to protect them.

A workers’ strike causes chaos, with Thornton’s men violently rioting. It all comes to a head when Margaret tries to protect Thornton from the mob and is hit. Thornton realises his love for Margaret and proposes to her, however she refuses him. Meanwhile, Margaret’s mother, a former Southern socialite, becomes deathly ill. She blames the smoky air of Milton, a fact that brings incredible guilt to Mr Hale once she dies. However, Mrs Hale’s final wish had been granted before she died: to see her son. Frederick was a sailor in the Navy, banned from England for helping start a mutiny on his ship. He risks capture to see his dying mother, and nearly makes it out of England unseen until a drunken man named Leonards tries to haul him off. There is a scuffle, and Leonards falls after a push from Frederick, dying a few days later.

A police inspector investigates Leonards’ death, coming to talk to Margaret, who was seen with her brother that night. Margaret denies her presence, lying to protect her brother. Thornton is the magistrate of Leonards’ case, and is confused upon hearing that Margaret lied to the police, given that he had seen her that night. He assumes Frederick is her lover, a fact that troubles him more than her lie. As he tries to suppress his love for Margaret, Thornton develops a relationship with his workers, particularly Nicholas Higgins, serving lunch and eating with his men. Margaret herself discovers that she lacks humility amongst her pride. Mr Hale dies suddenly, leaving Margaret inconsolable. She is taken under the care of Mr Hale’s friend Mr Bell and her family in the South. However, soon after she moves to London, Mr Bell dies as well, leaving her with a hefty inheritance. Margaret discovers that Thornton has had to give up his business and offers to lend him money to save his mill. The two express their love for each other, their embrace symbolising the coming together of the North and South.