Virtual Deed: Elizabeth Gaskell
This deed has recently been purchased by: Mrs A Wells
Page viewed: 354 times
Elizabeth Gaskell purchased for: £10.00
Adverts are currently: Not Available
Celebrity Rating Contributions: 0
About Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Gaskell (September 29, 1810-November 12, 1865), a lifelong Unitarian and the wife of an eminent Unitarian minister, was the author of a half-dozen novels, numerous short stories, and a biography of Charlotte Brontë. In her fiction she examined some of the the social issues of her time, particularly those associated with industrialization in mid-19th century England, the rise of the middle class, and the status of women. Although her books do not mention Unitarians explicitly, a number of her characters express general Unitarian values or are modeled on Unitarian originals and the plots of the books teach the lessons of her particular form of Unitarian theology.
Motherhood and the obligations of a minister's wife kept her busy. However, the death of her only son inspired her to write her first novel, 'Mary Barton', which was published anonymously in 1848. It was an immediate success, winning the praise of Charles Dickens and Thomas Carlyle.
Gaskell died on 12 November 1865, leaving her longest work, 'Wives and Daughters' incomplete.
