Margaret Harkness
Margaret Harkness, born in 1854 in Worcestershire, England, was a notable figure in late-Victorian literature, recognized for her contributions to social-problem novels that addressed the stark realities of poverty in London. Coming from a privileged background, Harkness defied societal expectations by opting against marriage and pursuing a career as a journalist and novelist. Influenced by prominent social thinkers like Friedrich Engels and Eleanor Marx, she became increasingly politically active, dedicating herself to the welfare of the working class in the slums of London.
Writing under the pseudonym John Law, Harkness portrayed the struggles and dignity of the poor through her vivid storytelling. Her first novel, "A City Girl: A Realistic Story," challenged stereotypes about poor women, while "Out of Work" provided a nuanced perspective on the unemployed. Harkness sought to educate her middle-class readers about the dire conditions faced by the working class, advocating for social change to prevent a potential revolution. Despite her novels being overlooked for many years, they have gained renewed interest due to feminist movements in the 1970s, highlighting her relevance in discussions about class and gender in literature.
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Subject Terms
Margaret Harkness
Writer
- Born: February 28, 1854
- Birthplace: Upton-on-Severn, Worcestershire, England
- Died: October 10, 1897
- Place of death: Florence, Italy
Biography
Margaret Harkness was born in 1854 in Worcestershire, England, to Anglican priest Robert Harkness and to Jane Waugh Law Harkness, a minor member of the British aristocracy. She was sent to a finishing school at Bournemouth with her second cousin, the popular writer Beatrix Potter. Not wanting to marry, Harkness moved to London in 1877 to train as a nurse, but found greater happiness in 1881 as a journalist. At this time, she also began to write novels and became friends with social philosopher Freidrich Engels and Eleanor Marx, the daughter of Karl Marx, who both influenced her greatly. She became more politically active, indeed radical, and started to work in the London slums. During the 1880’s and 1890’s, a great number of writers came to view the slums of London as representing social inequality, and the novels they produced were called late-Victorian social-problem novels. Margaret Harkness, who wrote under the name John Law, produced works of particular note.
In all her novels, Harkness paints vivid, albeit sad, portraits of poverty in the London slums. In her first novel, A City Girl: A Realistic Story (1887), she denigrates the stereotype that poor women are sexually profligate. The protagonist, Nellie, who dreams of becoming a lady, works in a clothing factory while supporting her alcoholic mother and her no-good brother. After attending a political meeting with her fiancé, George, she meets and falls in love with the married Arthur Grant and shortly thereafter finds herself pregnant. Soon, after being socially ostracized, she finds help from the Salvation Army and brings the baby up alone. Later on, when she meets Arthur once again, the baby is dead. The middle-class Arthur accepts his part in the tragedy, and with the counseling of the Salvation Army, marries Nellie. In Out of Work (1888), Harkness upsets the stereotype of the unemployed as idle and feckless. The protagonist, carpenter Jos Coney, who has recently relocated to London from the country, is unable to find steady work and is forced to work on the docks. After his fiancée, Polly, breaks off their engagement to marry a Methodist minister, Jos finds himself free to return to the countryside, where ultimately he starves to death.
Harkness desired to shed light on the perils the British working class endured by educating her middle-class readers to discredit the stereotypes of the poor, and warn them to make changes to forestall a social revolution. Harkness’s novels present historically sound views of turn-of-the-century England by providing a portrait of working-class life and the impact of the era’s socialist movement. She generated sympathy for the poor while maintaining their dignity. Although Harkness’s novels have been placed on the back shelves of libraries, a renewed interest prompted by the 1970’s feminist movement has prompted new attention to her work and the reprinting of her books.