Summary Of John Barton's 'The Carsons'
This passage describes the picking process amongst the union workers to create chaos amongst the wealthy factory owner’s, The Carsons. John Barton calls a meeting amongst the workers to attempt to stop the ever increasing gap between the workers and the Carsons. John describes the hardships of all the workers who have come together in secrecy for many reasons. They will soon draw names to do what they deem is the only way to stop the Carsons empire, which in hindsight is by murdering Henry Carson. This specific passage may not be important to the plot as a the actual murder but it is rich in content of the struggle of the union workers. The reader can assume that there is a negative sense about the Trades’ Union. Many social constructs have
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To some creating a union was against capitalism, against business and free enterprise, therefore dangerous and unpatriotic. Using the world terrible oath makes it seem as if the union meeting was more or less a cult meeting. A conspiracy to destroy the nation which in that time period was an actual belief that caused a vast amount of violence and corruption. It was dangerous being a member of a union, at any moment you may be attacked by fellow workers or a gang bought out by the wealthy. It is important to note the line “each was suspicious of his neighbour; each dreaded the treachery of another”. They are nervous of each other because they do not know whether there is a spy amongst the group. Not only were they just nervous but there was actual doubts when Gaskell uses the word suspicious. That makes the reader assume people have grounds on which to persecute each other. It can cause panic amongst the group. Besides the paranoid mindset of all the union men, Gaskell adds a physical depiction. Most importantly is the description of all their facial profiles, which shows the most emotions without actually having the characters say or act out their emotions. She describes the men as cold and stony and immovable. In our own lives we are only that stoic out of fear. This can help us visualize not only the fear but perhaps the awkwardness of the entire situation. It helps us put into perspective how grave of a situation it
To some creating a union was against capitalism, against business and free enterprise, therefore dangerous and unpatriotic. Using the world terrible oath makes it seem as if the union meeting was more or less a cult meeting. A conspiracy to destroy the nation which in that time period was an actual belief that caused a vast amount of violence and corruption. It was dangerous being a member of a union, at any moment you may be attacked by fellow workers or a gang bought out by the wealthy. It is important to note the line “each was suspicious of his neighbour; each dreaded the treachery of another”. They are nervous of each other because they do not know whether there is a spy amongst the group. Not only were they just nervous but there was actual doubts when Gaskell uses the word suspicious. That makes the reader assume people have grounds on which to persecute each other. It can cause panic amongst the group. Besides the paranoid mindset of all the union men, Gaskell adds a physical depiction. Most importantly is the description of all their facial profiles, which shows the most emotions without actually having the characters say or act out their emotions. She describes the men as cold and stony and immovable. In our own lives we are only that stoic out of fear. This can help us visualize not only the fear but perhaps the awkwardness of the entire situation. It helps us put into perspective how grave of a situation it