Review dan Ulasan Novel Mary Barton - Elizabeth Gaskell

Mary Barton, a poignant novel and the first Elizabeth Gaskell work that was published in 1848. This is the second novel that I have read from her. As always, her narrative is well constructed and easy to read. Elizabeth Gaskell is good at mixing romance with social critique and political commentary, so, she has never disappointed me so far.

The original title of this work is Mary Barton: A Tale Of Manchester Life. True to the title, the work portrays the lives of people in Machester as an industrial town. Gaskell underscores their working class, poor people, their starvation, their slumming area, their pride, their social gap, also the way of living between workers and masters. The author realistically depicts the conditions in the city of Manchester during The Great Depression in 1839.

The titular character, Mary Barton, is Gaskell's heroine. A young and beautiful woman from working class family, ambitious become a "lady", and want to marries whealty men who can escaped her and her family from poverty. When her mother died, Mary lives with her only father, John Barton as a workers at the mill and the representative for workers' rights and joining Chartism movement.

Mary had an affair with the mill owner's son, Harry Carson, assuming that he would marry her. Readers may think that Mary is shallow, but she doesn't have another choice. She thinks she can make it with her beauty. It's sad to think her mother and her older brother died because there was not enough money to buy medicine. Mary rejected Jem Willson, who loved her, for Henry. 

Henry Carson's privilege contrasted sharply with the dire poverty and hardship of workers. They envy the ease of life of the upper class while they are suffering. Food shortages and malnutrition. Why don't the masters increase their wages? Then, something terrible happened, something that turned Mary's life. Can she be the 'lady' she wants to be?

What had happened to the life of Mary Barton, had changed her personality. Her bold and her integrity win the hearts of the readers, and she deserves the title of heroine. Mary is surrounded by her neighbors and friends who are loyal and support her. There are many subplots which are told about Mary's blind friends, Margaret, who has a beautiful voice, Alice Willson who become the mother role model for Marry, and the mysterious disapperance her aunt, Esther.

All the thematic expositions, of birth, death, social class, and love, are centered on Mary Barton. The tale about master vs workers as if it never ends. From The Movement of Chartism through this day, workers are getting better rights from year to year. This book is an interesting read, made me a little bit smarter. Sadly, because too many characters died, nevertheless, it ended up beautiful.

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬✬(5/5)

​Title : Mary Barton
Author : Elizabeth Gaskell
Publisher : Penguin Popular Classics
Year : 1994 (First Published in 1848)
Pages : 372 pages
ISBN : 9780140621020

.

Review Jude The Obscure - Thomas Hardy

The story revolves around the protagonist, Jude Fawley. He dreamed become a scholar at university in another town, Christminster. It's says dream because Jude is from a working class family, and didn't afford to pay his tuition. Jude teaches himself Classical Greek and Latin in his spare time, while working in his great-aunt's bakery, with the hope of entering university.

His one reckless action in his youth, committed on the seduction of a butcher girl, had set his dream apart. Jude marries Arabella Donn, after she lies that she's pregnant, they have unhappy marriage, then Arabella leaves him. This sets in motion the events that form the main storyline until Jude meet his cousin, Sue Bridehead. This moment marks the beginning of Jude's deep emotional attachment to Sue, a relationship that becomes central to the novel. 

The first impression the reader forms on Jude is a person who is firm with his dreams but powerless because his circumstances and societal expectations have thwarted him. His sincere actions call for a lot of sympathy. Sue's independence shifts to defiance of traditional gender roles. She is an extremely intelligent woman who rejects Christianity and flirts with paganism. She is both admirable but deeply flawed. Hardy also associates Sue with many of his heroines, like Tess d'Urbervilles (Tess of d'Ubervilles) and Eustacia Vye (The Return of The Native). The rest of the characters: Richard Phillotson, Arabella and Little-Father-time are overshadowing their bleak life and their bright dream. All of them are flawed, but Richard Phillotson is an ambiguous character, making it difficult to label him as right or wrong. His choices are shaped by societal norms.

"I can’t bear that they, and everybody, should think people wicked because they may have chosen to live their own way! It is really these opinions that make the best intentioned people reckless, and actually become immoral!’   (Sue, Part Fifth chapter VI, pg. 293)

The entire content of this novel is still about Jude Fawley and his obscurity in philosophy and society. Jude's and Sue's unconventional love story encourages readers to question traditional norms. The pursuit of dreams and societal judgment resonate deeply with modern readers. Hardy seems to propose that we should battle against our tragic fate. At some time. He shows that the battle itself is futility.

I am very grateful that Thomas Hardy has published many books! His books always pushed my reading slump away, his flowy narrative and his beautiful depiction of rural Dorset in the 19th century are something I can't find in contemporary books. But, Jude The Obscure is too emotional, tragic had left me in tears.

"Their philosophy only recognizes relations based on animal desire."

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬ (4/5)

​Title : Jude The Obscure

Author : Thomas Hardy

Publisher : Alma Classics

Year :  2019 (First Published in 1895)

Pages :  448 pages

ISBN : 9781847498076