Mary Barton

Mary Barton(1848),subtitled ';A Tale of Manchester Life';,is the first novel by Mrs Gaskell(1810-65).The entirely working-class cast of characters in this novel was then an innovation.The background story is Manchester in the ';hungry forties';and the acute poverty of the unemployed mill-hands. Mary Batson,daughter of an embittered worker,wins the attention of Henry Carson,son of one of the employers.But a group of workmen plot his murder as a warning to his class,and it falls upon Mary';s father to perform the deed.Suspicion lies with Mary';s working class admirer,Jed,who is tried for his life.Finally,John Barton is driven by guilt to confess.