Feminism In Elizabeth Gaskell's Major Novels

Abstract

This study sets out to relate Gaskell as a literary artist and innovator to her declared position as a feminist moralist. In portraying marital breakdown, bastardy, singleness and seduction, Gaskell was ruthlessly hacking away the Victorian concept of femininity and becoming close to what feminists had in mind. Gaskell, who was fully aware of women's problems and their strife to have an identity, was trying to create a new type of strong, educated, independent and working woman. Elizabeth Cleghom Gaskell (1810-1865) is one of the very great novelists of the Victorian era whose fame is only now becoming fully recognized. For too long, she has been under rated. Many critics misjudged her literary skill, in comparison with her contel'nporaries like Jane Austen, the Brontes or George Eliot. Recent Criticism, however, has emphasized her rare literary ability. Her novels are worthy of study because they reflect the problems of England in the early and mid-nineteenth century. She wrote six important novels, one fine nouvelle, Cousin Phillis, and one of the best English biographies, The Life of Charlotte Bronte, as well as many short stories.