/kloc-in Manchester, England in the 0 th and 9 th centuries, a large number of workers were unemployed. John barton, a cotton spinning worker, works hard and lives in poverty. The son died of scarlet fever; His wife died in childbirth; Mary barton, the only daughter, was forced to be an apprentice in a fashion shop. Under the impact of life, John gradually realized the nature of capitalist exploitation, took an active part in the workers' strike, and was elected as a representative to petition in London. The result was rejected by the parliament and the petition failed. The workers went on strike under the leadership of the trade union. Mary barton is beautiful, intelligent, naive and kind, but she loves vanity. She turned down the proposal of skilled worker Jim Wilson and fell in love with Harry Carson. When she learned that Harry didn't want to marry her, but only wanted to possess her beauty, she woke up from a dream, regretted it, and finally fell in love with Jim. The factory owner, headed by Carson and his son, refused to accept the minimum requirements of the workers. Finally, John killed Harry Carson, the son of the factory owner, with hatred. Jim was arrested as a murderer in love. With the help of relatives and friends, Mary went through all the hardships and finally cleared Jim's suspicion on the trial bench with strong disproof. John turned himself in, confessed to his boss, and was forgiven by old Carson. Finally, John closed his eyes and died. Jim and Mary got married and went to Canada together.
selected works
John barton guessed right, and the Carson family didn't feel too sorry for the factory fire. All risks; The equipment is not advanced in recent years, and the efficiency is much worse than that of the new machine. Besides, business is not good, there is no market for cotton cloth, and many goods are packed and piled up in warehouses. The factory continues to operate, but machines made of flesh and blood and metal are always ready, waiting for luck to improve. So the Carson family thought it was an excellent opportunity to install a first-class new machine with a large amount of compensation from the insurance company. Therefore, they are in no hurry. According to the current market situation, the weekly salary is a complete waste, so we can stop now. Several major shareholders have not had such leisure for many years, so they promised their wives and wives to take them around when the weather gets warmer. Now they don't have to worry about cotton cloth and books all the time. Every day at breakfast, you can read newspapers or magazines to kill time; It is really a pleasure to chat with their talented and beautiful daughter at any time. They hold some pleasant banquets at home from time to time, and these big businessmen have time to enjoy some family fun. However, the back of this picture is a different picture. The fire in Carson factory brought great trouble to many families. Those people had to work, but now they have no jobs at all: for those people, leisure is a disaster. Week after week, I couldn't find a job or borrow money to buy bread. The family cried and shouted, and the cold and hunger became the daily music at home. There is no breakfast for them to kill time; They spend all their time in the quilt, one can resist the biting spring cold, and the other can lie still and put out some hungry fires. They have some small change, but they can't buy much wheat flour and sweet potatoes, so they use the money to buy opium, so that children won't clamor for it any more, and they won't feel sad in their sleepy sleep. This is really merciful! At such times, the thoughts of good and evil in our nature will be strongly expressed. Some fathers are desperate; Some mothers are full of abuse (oh, my god! What's so strange! ); Some children are even bolder. In this kind of suffering, all the relationships between people have changed. There are rare beliefs in the world that the rich can't imagine; There is a kind of "dead" love; Among these reckless and rude people, there is a selfless spirit that can be compared with Sir Sitny's glorious deeds. You know, the sins committed by the poor sometimes shock us, but if all the secrets of people's hearts are revealed, then the virtue of the poor will shock us greatly. I'm sure of that.
The arrival of spring (only nominal spring) is really freezing, and the market is still dead. Therefore, other factories have also shortened working hours and reduced manpower, and finally all stopped working.
Barton's working hours were also shortened. Of course, Wilson doesn't have a job at all because he works in Carson's factory. However, his son works in a machinery factory. He is steady and reliable, and his salary can barely support his family. Wilson always felt that relying on his son for a long time was not the way. He is listless and depressed. Barton always gets angry easily, quarrels easily with others, and hates the rich more. One night, it was still as cold as Christmas, and it was still bright after six o'clock in the afternoon. The cold wind blew into every corner of the doors and windows. Barton made a small fire and sat there wondering, expecting Mary's footsteps; Although he refused to admit it himself, he was glad to have her around. The door opened and Wilson ran in.
"Barton, do you have any money with you?" He asked.
"I didn't. Who else will have money now? I want to ask. What do you need money for? "
"Not for my own use. We really have no power to help others. Do you know Dai Wenbao who used to work in Carson factory? He fell ill with a fever, and there was no coal at home, not even a cold sweet potato. "
"I told you I had no money," Barton said. Wilson looked disappointed. Barton wants to ignore it. Although he is rude, he still can't see the past. He stood up, went to the cupboard (that was his wife's favorite treasure), wrapped the leftover bread and a piece of cold ham in a handkerchief, stuffed it into his hat and said, "OK, let's go."
"Go? Are you going to work at this time? "
"Of course not to go to work, you big fool. Let's go and see the man you mentioned. " So they put on their hats and set off together. On the way, Wilson said, Paul is really a good man, and he is too obedient; His children are too young to work, but they already know how to eat and wear; Their situation is getting worse and worse, and everything has been pawned. Now they live in a basement in Bailey Street near Cangcang Street. Barton chattered and said many unpleasant things to a large number of people, so they took to Bailey Street. The road is not paved yet, and there is a small ditch in the middle. It flows through holes in the street and becomes small pools. In ancient times, Edinburgh people always shouted "Be careful with the water" when walking. This sentence is really useful here. As they walked, they saw women standing at their respective doors, throwing all kinds of dirty water into the ditch. All the dirty water drips into the next puddle, and when it is full, it becomes a stagnant pool. Piles of ashes can also be used as stone wall frame, but the most careless walker is also careful not to step on it. Our friends don't like decorating, but even they choose the road. Later, they walked down a few stone steps and came to a small place where they had to be one foot lower than the street. You don't have to move to touch the basement window and the wet earth wall opposite. From this small and dirty place, I went to the basement next, where a group of people lived. It is extremely dark inside. Many windows are broken, so they are covered with rags, so even at noon, the light coming in is gray. Since the street is like this, it is not surprising that the two of them went into the basement and were almost washed down by a stench. But they are used to it, and soon they no longer feel anything. They only saw three or four children playing on the wet brick floor in the dark. No, the brick floor is simply wet, because the dirty water accumulated in the street is slowly oozing from the bottom. The stove is empty and there is no fire. The woman sat on her husband's bed, sobbing in the dark.
"Ah, aunt, I'm back. Children, be quiet! Don't shout for bread at your mother. This partner brought you something to eat. "
The stranger can hardly see anything in this faint light; The children surrounded Barton and took the food he had brought. What a big piece of bread, there is not even a crumb in the blink of an eye.
"We must do something for them," he said to Wilson. "You stay here and I'll be back in half an hour."
He got off the bus and ran home. He poured all the food left in the cup into the handkerchief like a universal bag. Mary is going to miss Simmons' house for tea. What she wants to eat today has been decided. He went upstairs and took out his better coat and a bright red and yellow silk handkerchief-all his gold, silver, jewels and valuables. He walked into a pawnshop and pawned five shillings; Without stopping or delaying, he hurried back to London Road, which is only five minutes away from Bailey Street. When he got there, he just slowed down and looked for the store he needed. He bought meat, bread, candles, flowers and 200 pounds of coal from a small coal shop. There is still some money left, and he is going to spend it on them, but he doesn't know what is the best to buy. Food, lights, coal fires, he knows these are the most important; It doesn't matter. Take your time. Wilson couldn't help crying when he saw Barton buy so many things back. He fully understands the origin of these things, and he hopes to find a job again. At that time, he could also give others some benefits, so he didn't have to worry about using his son's money all the time. However, although he was "penniless", he gave them great help in spirit. Barton is not behind in this respect. The so-called "cold and heat" (quite popular in Manchester) is a disease similar to sinister typhus, which is caused by poor life, dirty environment, depression and weakness. This disease is malignant and easy to infect. But the poor are fatalists of infectious diseases! They must do the same, because the living place is so crowded that it is almost impossible to isolate patients. Wilson asked Barton if he would catch it, but Barton made fun of it.
The two men played nurses, both rough and gentle. They made a fire, but the fire seemed to be disoriented in a dark and humid chimney that had not been used for a long time, so it retreated and filled the room with smoke. However, these cigarettes, in that heavy and turbid air, can make people feel energetic and energetic. The child is clamoring for food again; This time Barton first gave the poor desperate woman a piece of bread. She is still sitting beside her husband, listening to his pain. She picked up the bread and tore a small piece, but she couldn't eat it. She's already too hungry. With a bang, she fell flat on the ground. Two people are in a hurry. "She's starving," Barton said. "People say that a hungry person can never give more food, but God, she can't eat anything."
"I'll think of something," Wilson said. "I can take these two quarrelsome older children home and give them to my wife for holding tonight. I'll make a pot of tea. Women had better drink some tea, soup and the like. "
Barton, there is only one youngest child left here. After eating, he cried for his mother. And that groggy, unconscious woman; And the screaming patient. He held the woman to the fire and rubbed her hand hard. He looked around to see what might be a pillow. I only see a few bricks. He took off his coat, covered it and put it under her head. It started to get a little hot in the stove, so he moved her feet closer to the fire. He looked for water everywhere again, but the poor woman was too hungry to walk. The tap was too far away from them, so there was not a drop of water in the house. He immediately picked up the child, went up the steps, went to the upper room, borrowed their only pot and asked for some water. Then he made some batter; It turns out that his hands and feet are flexible at ordinary times and he quickly adjusted. He found another scarred iron spoon (all the ones next to it were sold, only this one was left for the child), punched her between her teeth and poured one or two into it. Her mouth opens automatically; After a few more bites, I slowly woke up. She sat up and looked around; She remembered everything, felt weak and negative, and fell down again. The youngest child climbed beside her and wiped her tears with his fingers. She has the power to cry. It's time to take care of that patient. He slept on a damp and moldy straw mat. Even a dog will shake its head at it, preferring to sleep on the slate floor. There is a broken sack under his thin body; His body is covered with rags-on such a cold day, all that his wife and children can leave is here; Plus his own clothes: if Almighty stays there, it may be worth a blanket. But he kept tossing and turning, and all these things fell down; Although his skin is burning, he is still shivering with cold. Sometimes, he stands up like a madman, like a tragic prophet in a famous painting describing the catastrophe; But in a short time, he was exhausted and fell. Barton felt it necessary to observe him carefully in case he fell on the brick floor and was seriously injured. Wilson came back with a sigh of relief. Wilson gave the poor woman a pot of hot tea in both hands, but when her confused husband saw the drink, he caught it like an eagle flapping at a chicken. This selfish behavior never happened when he was not ill.
They deliberated for a while. The two tacitly decided to spend the night with the unfortunate couple. But can't you find a doctor? Probably not. We must get a hospitalization certificate tomorrow. They can only ask the drugstore for some medicine for the time being. Barton (only he has money) went to London Road to find a drugstore.
The shops on both sides are brightly lit. The streets are beautiful and the gas lamps are crystal clear. The display in the window is more exciting than during the day. Among all the shops, that drugstore is really like the fairy tales we heard when we were young: everything from Aladdin's garden full of fairy fruits to rosamond's purple urn. Barton, however, has no such association. He only felt that these shops full of goods and sufficient light were in sharp contrast with the gloomy and desolate basement, and he couldn't help feeling very uncomfortable. He and many people can't figure out these mysterious life problems. He doesn't know if one or two of these people come from that kind of miserable family. They all look happy, but his heart is very uneasy. Many people pass by you in the street every day, but no one can guess their thoughts. How can you know the strange things in their lives? They may be undergoing various tests and resisting various temptations. You may meet a girl who pushes you with her elbow. She is forced by life, with a carnival smile on her face, but her soul is praying for the rest of her life. She only thinks that the first-class clear waves may be the only comfort that God can give her. You may meet a criminal who is planning a murder. When you read it in the newspaper, you will tremble. You may meet another humble person, who is unknown to the world, but will always stand by and watch God. You meet thousands of people every day-some do good things, some do bad things-have you ever wondered where they are going? Barton is doing good, but he has bad ideas in his heart. He hates happy people. It turned out that he treated them equally with selfish people.
He came to a drugstore and went in. The shopkeeper's attitude is very smooth, as if he had painted whale brain oil. He listened attentively to Barton's description of Dai Wenbao's symptoms and came to the conclusion that this is a very popular typhus in the nearby area. Then he made a bottle of something, maybe a sweet nitrate potion, or something that bad people can't eat. It was very effective for a cold, but he immediately tried to stop the poor man's feverish cold and fever, but it was completely useless. He also supported their initial decision to ask for the admission card of the hospital the next morning. Barton then left the drugstore with confidence in the bottle of medicine. Because if workers believe that potions are effective, they will believe that all potions are equally effective.
Meanwhile, Wilson tried his best to protect his family in Dai Wen. Many times, he covered the patient and comforted him. He breast-fed the youngest child again, and he stopped making trouble; He spoke to the woman meekly and gently, and she lay there quietly, exhausted. He opened a door and closed it at once. This is a back room with no glass windows, only a window hole in the iron fence; The excrement in the pigsty and a lot of dirty and smelly things flow down from it. There is no masonry on the ground, it is all smelly soil. This small room has never been used, and there is not a piece of furniture in it; Not to mention people, even pigs can't stay there for a few days. But this secret room also costs money. Dai Wen rented "two rooms" to protect his family, so he paid three pence more than others. He turned around and saw the woman nursing the youngest child with her shriveled nipples.
"This child must be weaned!" He said in surprise, "How old is he?"
"Almost two years old," the woman whispered. "But when I have nothing to give him to eat, only in this way can he be quiet; He can sleep well even if he doesn't eat anything else. No matter how hard we are, we always try our best to find something to eat for the children. "
"Didn't you ask for public relief?"
"No, my man was born in Buckinghamshire; If he asks, he is afraid that the government will send him back to his hometown; So we can only hope that the market will improve. But I will never see such a good day again. " The poor woman began to cry again.
"You drink this little batter and try to sleep. John and I will take care of the patient for you tonight. "
God bless you!
She fell asleep after eating the batter. Wilson put his coat on her and didn't dare to disturb her easily; In fact, he doesn't have to worry, because she is exhausted and fast asleep. She only woke up once and pulled up her coat to cover the child.
The patient seemed crazy, and Wilson and Barton tried their best to stop him. He danced for a while, then shouted, as if he couldn't stand the boredom. He swore and swore, which was strange to Wilson, because he knew that he was a devout believer at ordinary times and didn't understand that this was a prophecy when he was delirious. Later, he tried to fall asleep; Barton and Wilson approached the fireplace and whispered. They sit on the ground because there are no chairs; There was only one table, and the old barrel was turned upside down. They put out the candles and talked in the firelight.
"Have you known this man for a long time?" Barton asked.
"More than three years. He has worked in Carson's factory for so long. He is steady and reliable, and he speaks politely, but I have just told you that he is too obedient. A week or two ago, he was looking for a job and wrote a letter to his wife. I wish I still had that letter. I was really moved when I saw it, because I was full of complaints. I can't always rely on Jim to support a group of people who should be supported by me with his hard-earned money. Besides, as you know, although you can't make money, you still have to eat, so you complain a lot. It happened that his wife (nodding to the sleeping woman) came to me with his letter because she couldn't read. This letter is just like what the Bible says. Some children have no complaints; He also said that God is our heavenly father. No matter how he arranges it, we must be patient. "
"Isn't that God's big boss's father? I don't want to have a brother like that. "
"ah! John, don't be so quick; Among the bosses, some are as kind as us and some are better than us. "
"If you say so, I want to ask you: Why are they rich and we are poor? I really want to understand this truth. We have helped them a lot, and what have they helped us? "
But Wilson won't argue with others. He always admits that he has no eloquence. Barton knew that no one would stop him, so he walked all the way.
"You will say (at least many people say so): They have capital and we have no capital. You know, our labor is our capital, and we have to charge interest. Their capital can be profitable at any time, but our capital can never bear interest, otherwise how can they be so extravagant? Besides, many of them started from scratch: Carson, Deng Kong, Meng Jie and many others. When they came to Manchester, they had nothing but a suit. Now they have thousands of pieces of furniture, none of which were earned by our labor. As far as land is concerned, what was only worth 60 pounds 20 years ago is now worth 600 pounds, which depends on our labor. But look at yourself, look at me, and look at poor Devon over there. What benefits have we got? They cleaned up our sweat and grease, accumulated huge family fortune and built huge houses, while many of us were starving. Can you say there is nothing wrong with it? "
"Yes, Barton, I dare not say that you are wrong. But after the factory burned down, mr. carson said to me,' To be honest, I have to tighten my belt, too.' In this recession, I have to scrimp and save. "Big boss" is also very painful. "
"Have you heard that their children starved to death?" Barton asked. His voice is deep. He went on to say, "I'm not saying I'm so poor. I don't want to speak for myself; But seeing people like Dai Wenbao lying there starving to death, I can't stand it anymore. Mary is the only one for me. She has been able to stand on her own feet. We may not be together again; I don't care at all. "
(Translated by Xun Mei and She Guitang)
Make an appreciative comment
Based on the concrete real life and the important background of the times, mary barton profoundly reflected the contradiction and opposition between British workers and capitalists at that time, and was praised by later generations as a masterpiece reflecting the contradiction between labor and capital. In mary barton, through the life and struggle of ordinary workers, represented by john barton, Mrs Gaskell provided readers with a realistic picture of the life of British society in 1930s and 1940s. In the preface of the work, the author repeatedly stated: "I try my best to make my writing faithful to the facts." If my narrative is attached to or violates a certain system, then whether it is for or against it, it is not intended. " As Andrew Saunders, a British scholar, said, "The power of mary barton lies not in its political analysis and the solutions it shows, but in its detailed description and careful observation. Most importantly, it establishes a way to compare life, work and opinions. " In other words, the main value of this novel is that it vividly and profoundly shows the readers the living conditions of Manchester workers in the first half of the19th century for the first time. Only this, it has important cognitive value in the history of literature.
The selected text comes from the sixth chapter of Poverty and Death, and the title of the chapter points out its theme. After the fire broke out in the factory, different people's emotions and attitudes were completely different, which formed a sharp contrast. The bourgeoisie, represented by Carson, believes that fire is an "excellent opportunity" for them: economically, they "can get a lot of compensation from insurance companies"; In life, "I haven't had such leisure for many years", so I can only "go sightseeing everywhere" and "chat with my talented and beautiful daughters at the expense of my work". This is really a great pleasure in life. The selfish and extravagant nature of the bourgeoisie is revealed here. In sharp contrast, it is the depression behind the prosperity and the poor life of ordinary workers represented by john barton. The fire incident is a disaster for them, and they will lose the minimum living security because "leisure is a disaster". Here, the author's description of two different classes constitutes the background of the development, conflict and * * * of the whole event. The author's ingenuity lies in cleverly avoiding the specific and important historical event-the constitutional movement. Instead, with a woman writer's gentle eyes and sensitive brushwork, taking Manchester's familiar real life as the material and ordinary workers as the writing object, she tried her best to explore its connotation and show the essential characteristics of that era.
The application of detail description is a major feature of Selected Works. The description of the living environment and conditions of the Dai Wenbao family, especially the streets and the dark and damp basement, shows the real life of ordinary workers. Hunger, filth and mental exhaustion are the whole life of workers. Their detailed description of "like the tragic prophet in a famous painting describing the catastrophe" serves the whole plot. The author's intention is to pave the way for the following and highlight a series of activities of the characters under the influence of the environment. With the development of the chapter, there are the following plots: John actively joined the trade union organization, enthusiastically fought for workers' rights and interests, conveyed workers' demands to the parliament on behalf of workers, was humiliated by capitalists represented by Carson and his son, and assassinated Harry. The development of the plot is coordinated and integrated with each other, and the image of the protagonist john barton is shaped through the plot.
The author's description of the characters implies the inner world of the characters through their expressions, actions and language. In the excerpts, through John's meager support for family protection in Dai Wen and the dialogue between John and Wilson, the author shows John's kindness, simplicity, honesty and courage to the fullest, which constitutes the background color of John's whole personality characteristics. However, there is also a spirit of doubt about the secular in his character. He believes that under the care of God, "the poor and the rich, the boss and the man all have their inner pains, and they are like brothers of their compatriots", so they feel that "what happens in the world is completely decided by God." But God's mercy has not changed the lives of workers, but made the rich richer and the poor poorer. John said, "Isn't God also the father of the big boss in heaven?" I don't want a brother like that. "Poverty is all they can get. John's faith in the so-called merciful God and Christ was shaken. They are all people of God. " Why are they rich and we poor? "By the mouth of John, the author shouted out Christians' doubts about Christ, which is a challenge to the value of faith. However, John's way of struggle is very simple, and he has no firm goal. His values throughout his life are biblical religious concepts-original sin, repentance, atonement and so on. So when John assassinated Carson, the short-lived joy after the struggle was intertwined with a deep and lasting evil. Finally, religious teachings deeply shocked his mind, and his heart was constantly repenting, which led to the final ending of the novel: John died peacefully after being forgiven by old Carson. From doubt to struggle, from struggle to compromise, John's character is constantly changing and displayed in a multi-level and three-dimensional way. It is precisely because of this that the characters created by Mrs. Gaskell are realistic and credible. Thus, under the influence of religious spirit, both capitalists, workers and writers should take the spirit of Jesus as the criterion for both sides' scheduling. Here, the author tries to awaken people in the world with the influence of religion, build a bridge of religious love, and replace the necessity of struggle with the gentle morality of religion. This was inevitable at that time, because people could only surpass their own environment to a certain extent, but could not completely get rid of the shackles of the times.
In the overall layout of the work, the perfection of John's character is set off by a character, that is, his daughter mary barton. Mary not only constitutes the plot clue in her works, but also is the main factor to promote the development of John's plot. She is beautiful, handsome, inexperienced and addicted to fantasy. In the love with little Carson and Jim, the author gradually completed her portrayal. However, Mary's life world is closely related to John's life, especially at the end of the work. After learning that her father John was assassinated, Mary actively sought counter-evidence to help Jim clear his grievances. With the development of Mary's story, John's heart washes away his sins in constant repentance, so through Mary's emotional expression and behavior development, John's image is finally created. Of course, in the arrangement of the plot, the appearance of two characters forms the structural characteristics of the novel. The first half of the novel focuses on john barton's life, while the second half focuses on mary barton's emotion. Each chapter echoes and complements each other, seemingly separated, but actually integrated. This balanced configuration makes the structure of the book stable and the clues clear.
In a word, Lady Gaskell's novel "mary barton" is a rare masterpiece of realistic literature and art in the19th century, and it is a sketch showing the poor life and struggle thoughts of the working class in Manchester, the center of Victorian cotton textile industry.
(Chu Feiqing)