North and South is a book about values, and the source of values for every character in this book is their families. It's clear that Margaret Hale's values have been deeply influenced by her parents; the same goes for Mr. Thornton, especially when you see how much of a hold his mother has over him.
Family provides these characters with a model of how we should treat the people around us. Mr. Thornton treats people a certain way because that's what's expected from his family, and the same goes for Margaret Hale. The problem for both these characters lies in how they relate to other people when their families have given them different versions of how to approach the world.
Questions About Family
- What is Margaret's relationship with her parents like? Why is there so much pressure on her to take care of the family's business?
- How does Mrs. Thornton tend to think of her son John? How much of an influence does she have over him and why?
- What are some scenes in this book where family pride tends to get in the way of compassion and understanding? Why does it get in the way?
Chew on This
In North and South, Gaskell sometimes criticizes the system of the family for making people unsympathetic to anyone outside their inner circle.
In North and South, we learn that the purpose of family is to teach us to treat everyone we meet with compassion and respect… in other words, like family.