Home is where the heart is… and Margaret's heart is back in Helstone. Much of the plot of North and South centers around Margaret's inability to feel at home in her new town of Milton. The people of Milton don't share her values, the factories are noisy and the air is polluted. But the main reason Margaret doesn't like Milton is that it just isn't her hometown.
Margaret realizes that she needs to do everything in her power to make the best of her situation, and that means making a home out of Milton. Once Milton becomes her home, she starts to overlook its shortcomings.
Questions About The Home
- Why do Margaret and her family have to leave their home at the start of this novel? How does this affect the rest of the plot?
- What steps does Margaret take to make Milton into her new home?
- How does Mrs. Thornton feel about Milton? How does she tend to express these feelings when she hears people criticize her hometown?
- What are Margaret's feelings during her return trip to Helstone toward the end of the book? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
Chew on This
In North and South, we learn that home is wherever you are, as long as you're with loved ones.
In North and South, we see the truth in the expression, "You can never go home again."