Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life

The Wilsons are former neighbors of the Bartons and John’s closest friends. Their patriarch, George Wilson, understands why Barton hates the wealthy mill owners, but he often tries to empathize with them, unlike his friend. After the Carson Mill where he works burns down, Wilson tells Barton, “Mr. Carson spoke to me after th’ fire, and says he, ‘I shall ha’ to retrench, and be very careful in my expenditure during these bad times, I assure ye;’ so yo see th’ masters suffer too’” (76). He goes to great lengths to help his fellow workers who are worse off than his family, such as the Davenports. His sudden and untimely death early in the novel indicates the gritty realism of its message, and a refutation of the comfortable morality/reward paradigm of conventional fiction.

Jane Wilson is a good friend to John Barton’s wife before the latter’s death and becomes a confidant to her daughter despite their turbulent relationship. Jane worked at a cotton mill, where she was permanently injured shortly before her marriage, something that affects her physically and emotionally for the rest of the novel. She characterizes the damage caused to individuals and families by the exploitation of industry. She is particularly attached to her son Jem after the consecutive deaths of her twin sons, and she tries to keep him close to her despite his growing attachment to Mary Barton. Jane is shown accompanying Jem and Mary to Canada, giving her a new life and proximity to her son and family. She therefore becomes a symbol of hope. Jane and her sister-in-law Alice help to take care of one another through numerous hardships. Through these women and their bond, the novel explores women’s contributions within deprived communities, often overlooked.

Jem is the principal Wilson of Mary Barton, though he is mainly characterized by his deep love for Mary. Mary and Jem grew up together, but she was always cold to him. Jem silently loves her: “He did not dare to look to any end of all this; the present, so that he saw her, touched the hem of her garment, was enough. Surely, in time, such deep love would beget love” (49).

The novel shows that he is humble in his expectations, at least in the beginning. Jem accidentally confesses his love for Mary at an untimely moment, leading her to pull even further away from him. Her rejection changes Jem’s personality, as he instantly turns on her after she refuses his proposal. He is shown giving in to jealousy, violence, and hatred, leading people to believe he is responsible for Harry Carson’s murder. Yet throughout this time, he stays true to Mary, selflessly refusing to reveal that John Barton is the murderer. In contrast to characters like Harry, Carson, and Barton, Jem is presented as an honest, moral, and hardworking man and is rewarded at the end of the novel for his good character.

Margaret Jennings and her grandfather Job Legh are neighbors of Alice Wilson and come to be acquainted with the Bartons through her. Both members of the family work to support one another—Margaret as a seamstress and Job as a mill worker—and their mutual dedication and support makes them role models. As an intergenerational man-woman pair, they are a subtle contrast to John and Mary, presenting a more gently loving model of family life. Margaret is primarily characterized by her kindness and goodness and quickly becomes friends with Mary. She is a moral influence on Mary, making her consider things in a more selfless light when Mary veers toward her own destructive self-interests. Margaret’s loss of vision gives her character’s wisdom a folkloric seer-like quality, and her inner worth is represented by her naturally beautiful singing voice, which enables her to make a successful alternative career. Mary encourages Margaret in this, showing the mutual value of their friendship.

Like Margaret, Job presented as someone with depths beyond his humble appearance. The narrator describes him as a man of science whose interests go far beyond his work at the mills. After the sudden death of his daughter, Job raised Margaret on his own and cares for her deeply, though Margaret knows he is often undemonstrative. Though Job is a mill worker and union member, he often disagrees with more vocal members like Barton, and the two become friends while debating these topics. Gaskell presents Job as a sensible, intelligent, and moral man who cares deeply for the struggles of others but does not, like Barton, turn toward extremism. Though he bases his beliefs on factual evidence, he is also led by empathy and helps build consensus between polarized characters like Carson and Barton. Margaret and Job are the most morally pure characters of Mary Barton, and they both are rewarded with happy endings for their goodness toward others.