Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
"Wives and Daughters," a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, explores the complexities of family dynamics, societal expectations, and romantic entanglements in a small English town during the Victorian era. The story centers on Molly Gibson, the daughter of a widowed doctor, who navigates her changing family life when her father remarries. The new marriage introduces a stepmother and stepsister who present challenges in their relationships, highlighting themes of gender roles and social status. While Molly forms a deep friendship with her stepsister Cynthia, their differing personalities lead to complications, particularly in matters of love.
Cynthia's romantic interactions with Roger Hamley, the younger son of a local squire, unfold against the backdrop of familial obligations and societal pressures. Throughout the narrative, Gaskell intricately examines the struggles between personal desire and social duty, culminating in a resolution that reflects both hope and the realities of their world. The novel not only provides insight into the lives of women at the time but also critiques the rigid social structures that define their experiences. As such, "Wives and Daughters" remains a poignant exploration of love, ambition, and the quest for identity within the constraints of Victorian society.
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Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
First published: serial, 1864-1866; book, 1866
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Domestic realism
Time of plot: Mid-nineteenth century
Locale: Hollingford, England
Principal characters
Molly Gibson , the only child of a widowerMr. Gibson , the town physician, Molly’s fatherClare Hyacinth Kirkpatrick , Gibson’s second wifeCynthia Kirkpatrick , Molly’s stepsisterOsborne andRoger , the sons of Squire and Mrs. Hamley
The Story:
When Molly Gibson’s widower father, the town doctor, marries the widow Clare Hyacinth Kirkpatrick, Molly loses her preeminent position in her father’s household and acquires a frivolous, silly stepmother as well as a stepsister with whom she has little in common. The marriage is undertaken for practical reasons on both sides; the father thinks that his motherless young daughter needs the protection and tutelage of a mature woman, and the widow is grateful for a rise in social status and material comfort in place of the struggle to make a living as a governess. The marriage is not a happy one because of differences in temperament and intellect.
Molly and Cynthia, the two young girls, do become fast friends, however, although they are very different in character and personality. Each girl admires the other for qualities she herself lacks. Cynthia captivates Roger Hamley, the younger son of Squire Hamley, and they become unofficially engaged just before Roger leaves England to do two years of scientific research in Africa. Molly never speaks of her own love for Roger.
While Roger is gone, Cynthia writes to him to break off the relationship because she realizes that she does not love the young scientist; moreover, she receives a more advantageous proposal from Walter Henderson, a young lawyer whom she met while visiting relatives in London.
Squire Hamley counts on his son Osborne, Roger’s older brother and the heir to the Hamley estate, to save the family’s declining fortunes by marrying into a wealthy family. Osborne is, however, secretly married to a penniless Frenchwoman whom he met in France. When he develops a heart ailment, Osborne returns home ill and depressed. He dies before he reveals to his father that a son was born, but his wife, Aimée, comes to Hollingford when she hears of Osborne’s illness.
The squire immediately dotes upon his young heir, but he is unable to accept Aimée. Molly tries hard to reconcile the two; when Roger returns to England upon learning of his brother’s death, the squire acknowledges his daughter-in-law and agrees that she should live nearby where she can care for her son.
Roger hopes to persuade Cynthia to marry him, but when he sees her with Henderson, he himself realizes that he was merely infatuated with her and that he really loves Molly, who loved him steadfastly so long. They reach an understanding before Roger leaves to complete his contractual obligation to his research sponsors. They look forward confidently to the future, when they plan to marry, leave Hollingford, and live in London.
Bibliography
Foster, Shirley. Elizabeth Gaskell: A Literary Life. New York: Palgrave, 2002. This accessible introduction to the author relies on the best available biographies. It offers interesting comparisons of Gaskell’s novels with others of the period and emphasizes women’s issues as addressed by Gaskell.
Gérin, Winifred. Elizabeth Gaskell: A Biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. A highly personal rather than scholarly discussion of Gaskell’s work. Includes a chapter on Wives and Daughters.
Horsman, Alan. The Victorian Novel. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990. Includes a chapter on Gaskell, in which Horsman analyzes the way she discussed the problems of a changing society in her work. The analysis of Wives and Daughters emphasizes the effect of outsiders in a self-contained society.
Hughes, Linda K., and Michael Lund. Victorian Publishing and Mrs. Gaskell’s Work. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999. Places Gaskell’s writing in the context of the Victorian era, describing how she negotiated her way through the publishing world by producing work that defied the conventions of her times but was also commercially successful. Wives and Daughters is discussed in chapter 1.
Lansbury, Coral. Elizabeth Gaskell. Boston: Twayne, 1984. Introductory overview of Gaskell’s life and work. One of the chapters considers Wives and Daughters in detail.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Elizabeth Gaskell: The Novel of Social Crisis. London: Elek, 1975. An evaluation of Gaskell’s work. Emphasizes the economic and social aspects of Wives and Daughters.
Rathburn, Robert C., and Martin Steinmann, eds. From Jane Austen to Joseph Conrad. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1958. This collection includes an essay by Yvonne French, who presents an overview of Gaskell’s life and work and gives a balanced analysis of Wives and Daughters.
Rubenius, Aina. The Woman Question in Mrs. Gaskell’s Life and Works. 1950. Reprint. New York: Russell & Russell, 1973. Discusses women’s issues and focuses on the treatment of these matters in Wives and Daughters.