Research the phenomenon ‘Condition of England’-novels and give a concise account of its characteristics. Acknowledge your sources.

1. Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South is one of the ‘Condition of England’-novels. Select at least two passages from the novel, at least one urban scene and one rural scene, and analyse these extracts in detail. In doing so you could:

• Research the phenomenon ‘Condition of England’-novels and give a concise account of its characteristics. Acknowledge your sources.
• Relate the extracts to the general characteristics of the ‘Condition of England’-novels you listed.
• Compare and contrast the portrayal of city and countryside; what significant features are highlighted or emphasized? What is left out?
• Relate the extracts to the wider issues of 19^th century urbanisation and the Victorian ideas about the countryside.
• Does the novel illustrate Georg Simmel’s characterization of metropolitan life (in ‘The Metropolis and Mental Life’) in any way(s)?