The worst fate to befall the literary reputation of Elizabeth Gaskell was being known as Mrs Gaskell.  That was enough for critics to dismiss her as merely a Good Woman for over a hundred years. Having now recovered her first name, Gaskell is held in high regard for her engagement with major social issues, her detailed world building, and the respect she shows to all her characters. Join us as we explore her life and her writing, her friendships with Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte, and just how daring (and entertaining) a writer this good woman was.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• North and South
• Cranford
• Wives and Daughters
• Cousin Phillllis
• Ruth
• Mary Barton
• Sylvia’s Lovers
• Life of Charlotte Bronte

COURSE OUTLINE

• Reputation
• Early life: Parents, class, religion, education, juvenilia
• Marriage: Gaskell, minister’s wife, religion, charity, class, mother
• Writing: Mary Barton, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, _Cranford, Ruth, North and South, o_ther genres, ghost stories
• Later life: Biography of Charlotte Bronte, prosperity, travel, daughters, Wives and Daughters, death
• Legacy: Screen adaptations, Gaskell Museum, what she deserves to be remembered for

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Outline her life story, her relationships, personal and professional
2. Evaluate the quality and significance of her work
3. Compare the screen adaptations with her stories