Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life

This section of the novel widens the social setting and network of the narrative as the plot enables comment of larger social structures, including the law, justice, and public opinion. By including the opinions of outsiders, the novel develops the theme of Different Perspectives: The Need for Empathy. This is part of the novel’s sustained examination of how social structures affect individuals, especially those at the bottom of the social scale but the plot point raises the stakes in this section, as Jem’s conviction will mean his execution. The rumors that circulate around the murder and the trial have a great impact on many of the central characters of Mary Barton. Mary’s train ride in Chapter 25 gives her a glimpse into what the general public thinks about Harry, Jem, and herself, something that only amplifies the pain she feels about being involved in the scandal. Public notoriety was considered shameful by Victorian society and a young woman listening to strangers speaking her name would have been shocking for readers. Once the trial begins, the narrator often comments on how Jem is viewed by people in the court. On Pages 361-363, spectators in the court discuss Jem’s physiognomy, trying to discern if his looks give away any clues that he could be a murderer—following a theory the Victorians often believed in called phrenology. The narrator is horrified by how these spectators treat him, saying, “Poor Jem! His raven hair (his mother’s pride, and so often fondly caressed by her fingers), was that too to have its influence against him?” (363). The narrator’s feelings mirror those of the characters who believe in Jem’s innocence like Job, Jane, and Mary, who find it equally hard to see how the people in the court view Jem. After he is found not guilty, Jem is still judged by the rumors that circulate about him. Even after his innocence is proven, the initial claims made against him stick more than the verdict of the jury.

During the murder trial, morality is often questioned by the main characters, who sometimes struggle to do the right thing. Mary is convinced that Will must be found and she must be the one to do it, still feeling some guilt about Jem being associated with Harry in the first place. She goes to great lengths to do what is right by the man she loves, even when it seems that all hope is lost and Will’s ship has sailed. Jane too faces difficulty doing what she believes is right. Though weak and taking care of her dying sister-in-law, Jane is determined to go to Liverpool so she may tell the truth about her son and ensure he is proven innocent. Mirroring the moral influence of other characters, the Sturgises’ kind acts toward Mary, a total stranger, highlight the importance of doing what is right by others. These actions all address the theme of Personal Morality Amidst Social Struggles, showing how all of these characters are led by their morals and convictions despite the struggles they are facing.

Motifs of honesty and lying are frequent in these chapters, particularly regarding the characters who are sworn to tell the truth in court. After being unable to find Mary and Will, Job lies to Jane about them being safe, knowing it is the right thing to do to ease her already anxious mind. Yet as he continues to make up lies about this story, Job questions the ease with which he avoids the truth, complicating his view of the morality of the situation. Once he is put on the stand, Will is accused of being paid to lie about Jem’s alibi, to which he responds:

Will you tell the judge and jury how much money you’ve been paid for your impudence towards one who has told God’s blessed truth, and who would scorn to tell a lie, or blackguard any one, for the biggest fee as ever lawyer got for doing dirty work? (376).

Similarly, Jane is adamant that she has told the truth about her son, yet she also stresses that the questions asked of her do not tell the full story and that Jem is truthfully innocent. The trial brings out many questions about honesty and falsehood, forcing Mary to be honest about her feelings toward Jem. Under cross-examination, she is placed in a false position, where she must choose between feminine modesty or a declaration of her feelings for Jem. She chooses the latter, which would have been considered transgressive at the time.

Mary’s reputation is now at risk and relies on Jem being willing and able to marry her. This is the cause of the emotional crisis that she experiences in the next section.