Mrs Jamieson is a widow and she has aristocratic roots. Socially, she is the highest ranking Cranford resident, although when it comes to etiquette Deborah Jenkyns is still more influential. The social structure of Cranford is designed almost entirely to please and impress he ladyship Betty Barker Mrs. Glenmire arrives in Cranford and starts living with Mrs. Jamieson, who is very arrogant and does not allow to meet her Ladyship. The small town, Cranford has many similarities with the town of Knutsford in Cheshire, where Gaskell has spent her childhood. The story of Cranford is based on Gaskell’s personal experience and memories. Excluding reference to Gaskell's Ghost Stories, Abrams, M.H., et al. (eds), "Elizabeth Gaskell, 1810–1865". The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Major Authors: The Romantic Period through the Twentieth Century, 7th ed., Vol.B. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2001. ISBN 0-393-97304-2. DDC 820.8—dc21. LC PR1109.N6.

When Captain Brown arrives in this female-centered society with his two daughters, he gains the respect of the women in town; However, he is killed in an accident, and his older daughter dies soon after. The town comes together to take care of his younger daughter until a suitable husband is found for her. However, Mrs. Jamieson was kindly indulgent to Miss Barker’s want of knowledge of the customs of high like; and, to spare her feelings, ate three large pieces of seed-cake, with a placid, ruminating expression of countenance, not unlike a cow’s.However, the critical tide began to turn in Gaskell's favour when, in the 1950s and 1960s, socialist critics like Kathleen Tillotson, Arnold Kettle and Raymond Williams re-evaluated the description of social and industrial problems in her novels (see Moore, 1999 [22] for an elaboration), and—realising that her vision went against the prevailing views of the time—saw it as preparing the way for vocal feminist movements. [23] Robberies take place in Cranford, and the prime suspect is the conjurer. Upon knowing the hardship of the conjurer and releasing him of the guilt-charges, the Cranford ladies end up helping him. you will remember the country people's use of the word " unked". I can't find any other word to express the exact feeling of strange unusual desolate discomfort, and I sometimes " potter" and " mither" people by using it. [33] [34] Cranford is the type of small town where everyone knows everything about everyone else. It is also a place with a set social hierarchy presided over by a group of older women whose word about etiquette is law. One of the younger women in the town, Mary Smith, is the narrator of the book and she manages to keep abreast of all of the town happenings even when she is out of town because her friends write to her and give her all of the up to date information. Miss Matty, Mary Smith and another Cranford lady, Miss Pole, are received politely at the Holbrook home, and Matty is overcome when she starts to see how her life might have been had she accepted her proposal. Holbrook shows Mary around the house and grounds as Miss Matty and Miss Pole chat together. One of the reasons that Deborah had considered Holbrook unsuitable for her sister was that he cares very little for social status, or pleasing others. He cares about books and is content to work hard without trying to climb the social ladder of Cranford. Dinner at the Holbrook house is very pleasant and Holbrook singles out Miss Matty for the honor of filling his pipe for his after dinner smoke. He then selects a book of poetry to read aloud from. Miss Matty falls asleep whilst he is reading, she is so relaxed in his home. As the women leave Holbrook promises each that he will call on them which reignites Miss Matty's belief in her childhood dream of marrying him after all. Mr Holbrook dies not to soon afterwards, which changes Miss Matty's outlook on things. She encourages Martha to date because she does not want to stand in the way of her finding love and happiness which is what she feels that her sister did to her.

So, what is the main message of the story? Women, as well as men, have their foibles. Neither sex is without their faults. Life’s joys, sorrows and difficulties are easier to bear when shared with another, but women are strong and resilient and can manage on their own, if need be. Her grave is near the Brook Street Chapel, Knutsford. [ citation needed] Reputation and re-evaluation [ edit ] First one is, you should not show off your wealth in public and the second is, you keep your complaints about your poverty secret. Hence, the women of Cranford, their behaviour towards each other outside any false forcing of class-based, is completely on financial status. Equality becomes most transparent when Lady Glenmire arrives at Cranford. This short tale by Elizabeth Gaskell portrays life in the middle 1800s in a rural English community modeled on Cheshire, a county in northwestern England. It focuses on the lives of women. The men in the village always disappear--either they die, or they quite simply go somewhere else. Underlying the fantasy of such a place ever existing are elements of down-to-earth reality, elements depicting the difficulties women of that era had to deal with. What was required of a woman to survive if left widowed? Spinsters, how might they get by? One’s rank and social standing had to always be considered. Keeping up appearances was the dictum of the day. Gossip was ever prevalent. The book looks at how women view / viewed not only men but also each other, now and in that bygone era of old-fashioned ways. The Gaskell Society Journal, Volume 22". The Gaskell Society. 2008. p.57 . Retrieved 25 April 2017. Meta (Margaret Emily), the second daughter, was sent at about the same age as Marianne to Miss Rachel Martineau, ... {{ cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= ( help)Cranford is a portrayal of satirical sketches, in the Victorian era of England. In Cranford, Gaskell analyses the social hierarchy and rituals of small-town society in the nineteenth century. One of the routes to the novel's growth in popularity was the policy of publishers to increase sales by providing lower-priced illustrated editions. The first of these in Cranford's case was issued by Smith, Elder & Co in 1864 with illustrations by George du Maurier, whose approach was to interpret scenes in contemporary terms. There was a change of emphasis in Hugh Thomson's 1891 illustrations, where the Cranford interiors and styles of dress are pictured as closer to the pre-industrial Regency period of Elizabeth Gaskell's memories. There was also an emotional shift from Du Maurier's psychological but compassionate depiction of people in limited circumstances to a greater emphasis on humour and sentimentality, a change of approach which was to prove influential on other illustrators for decades to come. [5] Structure [ edit ]