An Analysis On Labor-Capital Relationship In North And South

North and South is Elizabeth Gaskell's second novel about Industrial Revolution.Written in 1855,this novel reflects the social status of the industrial revolution.When discussing North and South,most scholars analyze the cultural conflicts,women's problems and social conditions of the Victorian period as reflected in the novel.This thesis analyzes the labor-capital relationship in North and South through Marxist literary criticism on economy and discusses Mrs.Gaskell's concept of labor and capital,and explores Mrs.Gaskell's proposed solutions to the conflicts between employers and employees.There are five chapters in my thesis.The first chapter is a brief introduction to the origin of this thesis and the research achievements of scholars at home and abroad on North and South in recent years.The second chapter explains the specific meaning of “productivity”,“production relations” and “class contradictions” according to Marxist literary criticism,and the significance of using Marxist economic theory to analyze literary works.The third chapter analyzes the specific manifestations of conflicts between labor and capital in North and South,including workers' strike and the factory owner's suppression on workers.The fourth chapter analyzes the solution to the contradiction between labor and capital in North and South.By a close analysis of the novel,the thesis divides Gaskell's settlement of labor-capital contradictions into three ways: the compromise between the bourgeoisie and the working class,the establishment of the union organization and the government legislation.Through the analysis of three solutions,we can see that Mrs.Gaskell hopes the bourgeoisie can take the initiative to understand the workers,and that the two sides should cooperate to promote good communication and reach consensus;at the same time,the union should coordinate workers' internal contradictions,and rationally consult with the bourgeoisie;in addition,the government should make laws and regulations for the solution of labor-capital conflicts.The last chapter is the conclusion,which makes a comment of Gaskell'sproposed solution to the contradiction between labor and capital.The thesis concludes that although Gaskell's solutions are not perfect due to the limitation of her own experience,class position and religious belief,they remain still meaningful for solving the contradiction between labor and capital in contemporary society.