Authority and Rebellion

Authority and Rebellion

1. Masters and Men

   • Employees
     • "The truth was, that Dixon, as do many others, liked to feel herself ruled by a powerful and decided nature"
     • "Dixon! You forget to whom you are speaking! You have made a strange mistake"
       • Fine line between her role, vs her human nature. she is Mrs. Hale's 'other partner'
   • "I simply look upon them with contempt for their poorness of character" - Thornton distancing himself from workers
   • "Two nations; between whom there is no interweave and no sympathy"- Disraeli in Sybil.
   • "If you have any courage or noble quality in you, go out and speak to them, man to man" Margaret - equality
   • I value my own independence so highly that I can fancy no degradation greater than that of having another man perpetually directing and advising and lecturing me... I should equally rebel and resent his interference...” - Margaret speaking of the injustice in the working class
   • Carlyle: Captain of Industry
     • heroes who sought to cultivate themselves and provide for their workforces
     • Illogical to detach 'paternal authority' with 'paternal care' as Thornton initially does
       • Margaret: not even a workman remains a child forever unless the parent employer deliberately stunts his growth
         • vs. Mill: "paternal care is connected with paternal authority"

2. Margaret's Rebellion against the Traditional Woman

   • "Mr. Thornton was in habits of authority himself, but she seemed to assume some kind of rule over him at once"- CLASS
   • Refuses Henry Lennox's proposal
   • She is active, helps the working class
   • Loses her dignity when trying to protect Mr. Thornton- making a public example of herself, but she does not care
   • Independent at infancy. Being the frontman of her family- Mr. Hale a feminine character, Frederick, away, mother- typical woman
   • N.B. her desire to no longer be the person who direct events within her family, possibly why she is attracted to Thornton, conforming to the typical Victorian woman, yet she is the one to help and confirm the marriage with her money

3. Frederick's Rebellion (morality)

   • Tyranny
   • "Set a beggar on horseback, and he'll ride to the devil" - Thornton to Mr. hale
   • Frederick's story fits with the framework of the novel, showing the distinction between North and South
     • Drawing parallels with Lancashire and Hampshire with England and Spain
   • Cadiz- becomes freedom in the novel? Frederick able to escape
   • Captains words over crew: master servant relationship
   • "i am glad of it- I am prouder of Frederick standing up against injustice, than if he had simply been a good officer" - Mr. Hale

4. Mr. Hale's Rebellion against Church

   • "My anxiety"
   • "Painful doubts"
   • Church has too much power and authority for anyone to dare question its morality
     • Echoed in Tess of the D'urbevilles