Love is a funny thing in North and South. It's always hovering around, but it's never really fulfilled until the last half of the last page. Well, maybe that's not totally fair. Family love is definitely fulfilled at different times in the book. But romantic love is always frustrated, whether it's Henry Lennox's love for Margaret or John Thornton's love for her.
One of the reasons this love takes so long to pan out is because Margaret Hale doesn't really know how to love in the romantic sense. So much of her attention has always been devoted to compassion for others and to love for her parents that she can't imagine the idea of ever being married. But luckily for John Thornton, that changes by the end.
Questions About Love
- What main thing does Margaret need to learn before she can allow herself to love a man like Mr. Thornton? Why?
- When does Mr. Thornton first realize that he's in love with Margaret? What provokes the realization?
- How would you describe the love that Mrs. Thornton has for her son John? Is it a positive or a negative thing? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
Chew on This
In North and South, we learn that love isn't something we're born knowing how to do. It's something we need to learn by getting over ourselves and being humble enough to admit we need someone else.
In North and South, we learn that romantic love is great, but not as important as looking after your community.