The Victorian novel Mary Barton offers a peek at working class life in Manchester, England. The title character struggles throughout the novel, losing her mother in childbirth, having to work challenging jobs and having to decide between Jem, the man who loves her, and Harry, the wealthy son of the local mill owner. The novel questions the role of women in Victorian society, as the female characters have the option of getting married or living alone, and becoming prostitutes, like Mary's aunt, Esther.
The Victorian Era was a period of great change in many areas of life for example The Industrial Revolution There were many problems in society Famous authors in this patriarchal society were well known for being social commentators that serialised their works through newspapers Charles Dickens wrote Hard Times which is full of criticisms on pollution monotony and lack of creativity Similarly Mary Barton is a novel that was written by Elizabeth Gaskell criticising the poor conditions in which th