“dreary winter", “lonesome dwelling”.
In her opening sentence she has focused on the point, “My mother was twice married”. She has gone straight to her point by using a short sentence to have impact on the reader. In her sentence she has exaggerated the effect for thirteen lines, explaining clearly what she is trying to say and this lacks punctuation. (mention more)
The language used in Half Brothers is similar or different to…………. (fill in using different short story).
Elizabeth Gaskell has exploited the position of women during that period; this can be seen by analyzing one of the characters for example, Aunt Fanny. The author has chosen to use Aunt Fanny’s character to portray the views of society.
“she herself would have been a far more suitable match for a man of William Preston’s age then Helen.”
The word “age” is very significant, in that it conveys how it would be more practical for Aunt Fanny to be with William. This is a stereotype because Aunt Fanny is judging William by his age and not his character. I think the author is also trying to show the jealous nature of Aunt Fanny.
Elizabeth Gaskell has conveyed Aunt Fanny to be a very caring, selfless, but not very emotional character. Aunt Fanny did not let her emotions get in the way.
“so by-and-by Aunt Fanny seemed to take a brighter view of the marriage than did my mother herself”.
Aunt Fanny’s thoughts were more practical than emotional. Aunt Fanny also shows that marriage is a deal not love.
“Aunt Fanny heard her cry as if her heart was breaking; so she went up and scolded her right well through the bolted door”
In my opinion Aunt Fanny is trying to help Helen by being harsh and “scolding” her, because Helen can not continue to cry and should try and control her emotions like Aunt Fanny. But Aunt Fanny is also trying to show sympathy for Helen and is concerned about her sister’s and baby (Gregory) health and is doing her utter most to help them recover.
Overall the narrator (Helen’s second son) considers that Aunt Fanny is a “kind warm-hearted” person.
“for all that she was a kind warm-hearted creature, who thought more of her sister’s welfare that she did of her own”
The word “creature” is used to show that Aunt Fanny may lack human characteristics for example, maybe communication, unable to listen etc. This also shows how men in Victorian society would view women as inanimate objects, only being useful as housewives. They were only seen to be capable of doing menial jobs such as housework and taking care of the children. Similarly Helen had no choice but to marry William Preston. It was crucial that Helen had financial security for herself and her son. The author has explained that her only means of survival was marriage.
“With half the stock dead, or sold off one by one to pay pressing debts, and with no money to purchase more, or even to buy the provision needed for the small consumption of everyday.”
She married William Preston out of desperation not love. Another reason for this marriage, is that it was necessary for (Gregory) her fist child to have a father’s shadow (change this). In my opinion, if Helen had not married William then society would look at her and judge her as they judged Gertrude in The Withered arm written by Thomas Hardy. Society will also look down on her as a poor lower class mother with a fatherless child.
In the pre-1914 century there was not a lot of birth control for example; medical help. If there was medical help it would be too expensive and could not afford it. Many mothers would die giving birth as it was unhealthy, unsupervised and they could simply catch diseases.
“At the end of it, it was that my mother took her bed before her time.”
Helen had died giving birth to Gregory. She had died “before her time” meaning she died at and early age. Sometimes Aunt Fanny thought that Helen did not want to live and “let herself die away”.
William Preston was introduced just before the break way of the first paragraph. Many readers would have expected him to be interested in Aunt Fanny.
“He was reckoned old bachelor; I suppose was long past forty and he was one of the wealthiest farmers thereabouts.”
Again it would be views of society in that period that William should be interested in Aunt Fanny mainly because age and also because she would be a “suitable match”. By using the word “old” the author had described him enough to build a brief image in our head.
William offers a life for her and her son in exchange for her hand in marriage.
“And then she, threw herself at my Aunt’s neck and told her that William Preston had asked her to marry him, and had promised to take good charge of her boy, and to let him want for nothing, neither in the way of keep nor of education, and that she had agreed.”
He had agreed to marry on her terms but he wanted to marry her instead of that, this is because he loved her. If she was worried about her son as he said he had “promised to take good charge of the boy” and his needs.
Before narrator was born William was a different man. He was a more jealous character.
“He wanted her to love him more, and perhaps that was all well and good; but he wanted to love her child less, and that was an evil wish.”
This balanced sentence which shows William’s jealous character. The words “evil wish” is suggesting that in reality he would want this to happen.
William jealous of Gregory who loses his temper at him.
“it was hard enough to keep another man’s child”
This show what the culture was like then and what the culture is like now. He is arguing with Helen how he has to sustain “another man’s child”.
“who ought to be always in the same mind that he was”
This yet again shows society at the time and how the husband/male was head of the household, and him and his wife should think alike and she should agree in everything he says or does.
When narrator was born William changed into a more fatherly character but never got over his “grudging dislike” of Gregory, he alienated him from the family.
“My father was glad and proud and sorry all in a breath”
The author highlights the thought process stages of William when narrator is born. Showing his feelings and mood (relief).
“glad and proud that a son was born to him”
The author has used repetition to reinforce feelings.
When Helen was dying William would have given his life for her. He would have tried to attempt the impossible if it meant that she could live.
“Would have coined his blood into gold to save her, if that could have been; but could not”.
Here in this quote Elizabeth Gaskell shows William’s intense feelings and how he would have done anything for her. As the quote shows “coined his blood”, the blood is from his heart and so is his love. “into gold” which also shows he has wealth but this isn’t enough for Helen.
For the first time the author has made use of the words “Her husband” in this story. This is a marked difference and in my belief she is showing Helen’s love that she may have for William and has accepted him on her death bed.
The author has once more shown Helen’s love that she may have in this quotation.
“Grave sort of kindliness, she looked up in his face and smiled almost her first smile at him, such a sweet smile!”
This shows facial expression and body language towards him. Alliteration is used
“sweet smile” which may well have effect on the reader by feeling that the smile was from inside of her not just a front.
William blames Gregory for Helen’s death. He “cherished” the feeling of alienating Gregory.
“I believe my father rather cherished his feeling of alienation to my brother as a duty, than strove to repress it.”
The author shows William’s loathe towards Gregory and decides not hold back his feelings.
The author described Gregory to show the reader what his character is like.
“Gregory was lumpish and loutish, awkward and ungainly, marring whatever he meddled in”
This quote shows Gregory’s behaviour in whatever he “meddled” in and how he was always got a “sharp scolding” from people around the farm.
Now that Helen has died William needs a woman to look after two little children.
Who would more preferable than Aunt Fanny?
“What could he do with two little children; he needed a woman to take care of him.”
This for a second time portrays society at the time, and how they would expect a woman to care of children and the man. But society now has the education for a single parent male to look after himself and his child(ren).
