“We must be mutually dependent”: Exploring Gender and Politics in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South

This thesis explores different aspects of the Victorian Age and how they are reflected in the work of Victorian novelists, with a particular focus on Elizabeth Gaskell and her novel "North and South". Gender roles and politics in Victorian society will be discussed from a general point of view, but also specifically correlating to passages in "North and South", its themes, characters, and plot points. The aim is to show that the book reflects the essential dichotomy of the Victorian Age, and that with its suggestion of a possible coexistence between opposite realities, it promotes a human, compassionate approach against the individualistic, commercial mindset of industrial society.