An Analysis Of Margaret’s Female Social Space In North And South

North and South is a novel written by British social problem female writer ElizabethCleghorn Gaskell (1810–1865), published in1855. It is her last social problem and industrialnovel. The novel tells about a typical southern girl’s growth in the industrial Milton. Thissouthern girl has influenced the male around and challenged the male authority through herunique features. Her life experience in Milton indicates that female in mid-Victoria age hasbegun to walk out and taken part in the public activity. And also it reflects female pursuit toindependence. In recent years, the study to North and South mainly focuses on its comparisonwith Mary Barton from perspective of emotional structure, theme etc. But the study to thisnovel from the angle of Margaret’s female social space and her female image is still avacancy.Space theory, as a totally new literary theory in the later of20thcentury, has provided anew perspective to literary study. In accordance to Henri Lefebvre in his The Production ofSpace, space is a place from which social relations and social order can be derived. It shouldbe divided into physical space, mental space and social space. Social space is a special socialproduct, and a container of social relations. Social space includes social relations, and endowsthe social relations their own proper space. As a kind of social relation, gender relationdivides the social space in to private space, public space and transitional space. The genderpower relations are combined, intervened and overlaid with one another. Being one of thesocial elements, Margaret in North and South reintegrates the social space and realizes atransgression in female space. Her transgression has embodied how female go out and extendfemale private space in mid-later Victoria age.This essay is based on the division of space into female private space, transitional spaceand male power public space. The aim is to explore how women break away the traditionalthought of “men outside the home, women inside” through female image in different spacesand realized the transgression from private space to public space in later period ofIndustrialization. Thus, women are able to change their traditional social image and thereforeto gain a larger social space. The social transgression like this has reflected women’smaturation under the industrial effect. It also tells us that female has begun their journey on self-realization and independence with the propelling of Industrialization. At first, we canknow how Margaret exercises her domestic ability in Hales’ family. She is also being incharge of the all the family matters in her father’s place. Margaret is the parental female of anactual male dominated space in traditional Victoria family. Next, it is easy to know howMargaret walks across private space and enters into social-a blurred space existed betweenprivate and public space. During the unaccepted crossing, the status as a philanthropist andnatural female party attendee with her father is her cover to walk outside without anycriticisms and despises. Then, the description of Margaret’s public appearance can be stated,which is owing to protections to two feminilized male and her identity as a conciliator ofHiggins and Thornton. Finally, she realizes her self-control and breaks the boundaries ofgender division to the social space, thus walks into the public space. In a word, this essaydemonstrates the reality of female pursuit to independence in the mid to later of Victoria age.By elaborating such kind of social phenomenon, the novel has conveyed Mrs. Gaskell’s desireto female independence.