The Function Of Tea In Mrs. Gaskell's Mary Barton And North And South

Mary Barton(1848)and North and South(1855),two industrial novels of EIizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell,are often paired in literary criticism for their engagement with industrial life,labor conflicts and Christianity.However,little attention has been paid to the frequent appearance of tea as presented in the two novels.The depiction of tea includes the tea set,tea table,tea drinking,tea gathering and the tea party.This thesis,with the history of British tea as the starting point,with the ideas of Material Cultural Studies proposed by Ian Woodward as guidance,attempts to dig out the function of tea by focusing on the relation between tea and people in the two novels.Through a detailed interpretation of the two novels,this thesis reveals that tea is far from being a commodity under Gaskell's pen,because it plays a vital role in nourishing people's body,enhancing emotion and promoting social communication.However,the differences in consumption patterns of tea drinking and tea sets make tea drinkers endowed with typical features of social status and class identity.The introduction part of this thesis mainly contains some brief information of the author,important researches both at home and abroad,a brief introduction of the history of British tea and tea literature in the nineteenth century as well as the ideas put forward by Ian Woodward.Chapter one analyzes the relationship between tea drinking and body.Tea which is a hot restorative drink can be drunk day and night.Then it is quickly integrated into meal patterns,which can warm the cold meals.In the two novels,characters will choose to drink tea no matter when they are hungry or sick.By describing characters' desire for tea,Mrs.Gaskell reveals that tea is entrenched in the lives of British masses.Tea,crossing the boundaries of gender,age and class,nourishes everyone by providing energy,eliminating fatigue,and relieving pain.Chapter two explores the correlation between tea and emotional need.With the popularity and accessibility of tea,the consumption of tea has shifted from the public to the private home.At the tea table,Edith makes tea with the aim to flaunt her capacity of being a good wife.However,the lack of physical labor causes her to fail to make tea,but this indicates her love for Captain Lennox.John Thornton's gaze at Margaret Hale's ivory and skillful hands reveals his desire for intimacy and domestic felicity.The emotion of Edith is released and the emotional need of Thornton is satisfied through tea.The respective gathering of the Hales and the Bartons is closely linked with tea.At the same time,Gaskell also portrays ideal women in nourishing the families by producing domestic felicity through making tea.By depicting the tight connection between tea and emotion,Mrs.Gaskell shows that tea can satisfy people's emotional need.Chapter three discusses the role of tea in social interaction.Tea becomes a crucial part of social interaction in the nineteenth century.In Mary Barton,tea unites people from the working class,shrinking the physical and psychological distance.In North and South,the shared consumption of tea enables Mr.Hale and Nicholas Higgins to establish a friendship.The relationship between Mr.Hale and John Thornton has changed from the superficial exchange of knowledge to deep emotional communication under the sharing of tea.But different habits of drinking tea and tea sets also reflect the class difference.Through portraying the change in the relationship,Mrs.Gaskell has praised tea for its role in promoting social communication.Under Gaskell's pen,tea,acquiring cultural and social significance,is far more than a commodity.It plays a prominent role in the daily life and serves as an epitome of British tea culture in the nineteenth century because it becomes a nourisher,a bond of emotion,and a mediator in social interaction while it is also a marker of social status.What's more,the depiction of tea has reflected the cultural meanings.Firstly,tea's assimilation into the British diet indicates the fluidity of cultural identity of tea.Secondly,the popularity and availability of tea reflects the imperial expansion of the Britain.