Mary Barton Conflict

Mary Barton, written by Elizabeth Gaskell and published in 1848, features more than one type of conflict. One of these conflicts would be the division between the classes, such as the ruling class versus the working class. Another would be the love triangle between Mary, Jem, and Harry. The third example that will be used is, or course, the murder that breaks up the love triangle and renders it not an issue. This essay will describe in detail each of these issues.
Starting off with a conflict based off a true story: the class division. Although the other two issues listed are purely fiction, this one is sadly a historical fact; and one that is, to a lesser degree, still ongoing today. In the novel, it was mainly focusing on the

factory workers and the factory owners, and the unfair contrast between their living conditions. The former had unsafe working conditions in exchange for a too-low pay; whilst the latter were able to live lavish lifestyles with little to no repercussions. The workers, as it would be expected, found it unfair that this was the way the cards were played. The owners did not want to give up their wealth, even if it meant helping many other people. As such there was a major conflict.
The turning point for when this became an even bigger issue was when John Barton, who was Mary’s father, decided he had had enough. He needed something to change, in whatever way possible. Perhaps he took it too far: because Harry Carson, who was the son of the mill owner, was found dead. Murdered.
This brings us to another conflict: the murder of Harry, which will be focused on later. First... the love triangle, which involved Mary Barton, Jem Wilson, and Harry Carson. Mary Barton was, of course, the main character; a young girl who lived in the heart of industrial Manchester alongside her mother, father, and younger brother. Her mother was shown to be in poor health, and her father worked at a weaving mill.
Then, we have Jem Wilson. He was four years older than Mary, and just so happened to be in love with her. He worked in a forge, and his parents were George and Jane Wilson. He had an aunt named Alice Wilson, and a cousin named Will Wilson. Jem was a very sweet and dependable young man who was willing to take the blame for Harry Carson’s murder.
And finally, we have Harry Carson.

The rude, hotheaded son of the factory owner where John worked. He had little regard for people besides himself, and continuously florted with Mary despite her rejecting every one of his advances; and it can be said that his only redeeming trait was that he was often described as handsome. He was also, of course, very wealthy. He thought that mill or factory owners should not give in to their workers requests, and even drew cruel cartoons of them. It was no big surprise that he ended up dead.
Which finally leads us into the third major conflict of the story, the murder of Harry Carson. He was killed by John Barton, although Jem Wilson was willing to take the blame; and the reason why was simple. John was outraged at the way he and his fellow workers were being treated and he wanted to make that very, very clear to the mill owner. In a way that would affect Mr. Carson personally. However, he later regrets the murder and when he dies he makes that very clear, begging for forgiveness.
Interestingly enough, as was previously mentioned, Jem Wilson cared enough for Mary that he did take the blame for Harry’s murder- it wasn’t simply an offer, but something he went through with; he ended up convicted for it, but was eventually freed at which point he was wed to Mary and they both moved to

Canada.
All in all, there are definitely many different conflicts in the book Mary Barton, which is one of the reasons why it’s such a timeless novel and is still cited often to this day. Many enjoy the novel for it’s complex issues and relations, especially because of how it is linked with historical fact and isn’t purely fiction. This also makes it very heart-wrenching, as the character’s actions are that much more shocking- when you realize that this could very well have been something that did truly happen. Luckily, the story has a happy ending, with all but the very first conflict resolved by the last page.