Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life is the first novel written by Elizabeth Gaskell, published in 1848. It was originally published anonymously. It has a Spiritual Successor in Gaskell's much more famous novel North and South.
Mary Barton loses her mother as a child and is raised by her father, who becomes increasingly involved in the trade unions. When Mary grows up she gets dragged into a love triangle between her childhood friend, Jem Wilson, and a mill-owner's son, Henry Carson. Henry is shot dead shortly after fighting with Jem about Mary. Naturally, Jem becomes the main suspect.
The book has been adapted into several theatre shows, a radio drama, and a 1964 miniseries (believed lost).
It can be read on Gutenberg
.
Contains examples of:
- Babies Ever After: The last chapter shows Mary and Jem have a son.
- Bittersweet Ending: John Barton, Esther and Alice are dead. Even after his innocence is proved, Jem's reputation is ruined and he can't get work in Manchester. But he and Mary get married, emigrate to Canada, and have a baby, while Margaret gets her eyesight back and is going to marry Will.
- Clear Their Name: Jem is arrested for Henry's murder. The only person who can give him an alibi is his cousin Will, who's a sailor and whose ship is about to leave. Mary has to go to Liverpool and hire a boat to take her out to Will's ship, so she can tell him what's happening and he can come back in time to testify at the trial.
- Death by Childbirth: Mary Barton Sr. dies giving birth to a stillborn baby. John Barton blames her death less on the birth and more on the stress caused by her sister Esther disappearing shortly before the birth. When he meets Esther again he accuses her of as good as murdering Mary Sr.
- Death of a Child: Mary's brother Tom (and her unnamed stillborn sibling), Esther's daughter Annie, and the Wilson twins all die young. Sadly Truth in Television for the 1830s/40s.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: John Barton dies in Mr. Carson's arms.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: Neither the employers nor the employees look good in this novel. The employers are more concerned with making money for themselves than helping their employees, and the employees turn to violence and murder when their demands are refused.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted. The title character shares her name with her mother. This causes confusion in-universe, when Esther tries to speak to John about Mary Junior but he thinks she means Mary Senior.
- Outliving One's Offspring:
- John and Mary Barton outlive their son Tom. John outlives another child, who dies at birth (along with Mary).
- The Wilsons outlive their twin sons.
- Esther outlives her daughter Annie.
- Job outlives his daughter and son-in-law.
- The Carsons outlive their son Henry.
- Practically Different Generations: Jem Wilson is eighteen years older than his twin brothers.
- Single Mom Stripper: Esther's lover abandons her and their daughter, forcing her to become a prostitute to survive.
- Unconventional Courtroom Tactics: Will arrives at the trial and gives evidence proving Jem was miles away at the time of the murder. The prosecuting lawyer accuses him of having been bribed to say this.
