North and South · Chapter
XX: Men and Gentlemen explained
Margaret attends a dinner party at the Thorntons' amidst the ongoing strike, where she and John Thornton debate the meanings of 'gentleman' and 'man.' She returns home distressed by the poverty she witnessed at the Boucher and Higgins house
What happens
Margaret attends a dinner party at the Thorntons' amidst the ongoing strike, where she and John Thornton debate the meanings of 'gentleman' and 'man.' She returns home distressed by the poverty she witnessed at the Boucher and Higgins households, leading to a family discussion about the morality of aiding strikers.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Industrial Conflict
The strike and the debate over aiding turnouts highlight the class struggle between masters and workers in Milton.
Pride and Prejudice
Thornton's pride in his manufacturing achievements and Margaret's southern prejudices clash during their discussion of 'gentleman' versus 'man.'
Moral Integrity and Redemption
The Hales grapple with the moral implications of helping strikers, reflecting on the tension between charity and long-term consequences.
Characters to notice
- Margaret Hale
Attends the Thornton dinner party, debates the concept of 'gentleman' with Mr. Thornton, and returns home troubled by the suffering of the poor.
- John Thornton
Hosts the dinner party, defends his views on manliness versus gentility, and discusses strike management with other manufacturers.
- Mr. Hale
Visits the Boucher family, reports back optimistically, and later discusses the ethics of aiding strikers with his wife and daughter.
- Mrs. Hale
Anxious about Margaret's outing, insists on sending aid to the Boucher family, and questions the morality of helping strikers.
- Mrs. Thornton
Hosts the dinner party with lavish hospitality, adhering to her strict rules of entertaining.
- Fanny Thornton
Present at the dinner party, gossips about the Hales with Mrs. Slickson.
Key passages
“I suspect my 'gentleman' includes your 'true man.'”
Margaret suggests that her idea of a gentleman encompasses Thornton's concept of a true man.
This exchange highlights the central debate of the chapter on the definitions of gentility and manhood.
“A man is to me a higher and a completer being than a gentleman.”
Thornton argues that being a man is more significant and whole than being a gentleman.
Thornton's statement reflects his values of self-reliance and integrity over social status.
“I take it that 'gentleman' is a term that only describes a person in his relation to others; but when we speak of him as 'a man,' we consider him not merely with regard to his fellow-men, but in relation to himself—to life—to time—to eternity.”
Thornton explains that 'gentleman' refers to social relations, while 'man' encompasses a person's entire existence and character.
This distinction underscores Thornton's philosophical view of individual worth beyond social labels.