Information retrieval using a fiction extract
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
Read the following extract taken from Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell, then complete
the activities that follow.
So he strode, and ran, and hurried home. He emptied into the ever-useful pockethandkerchief the little meal remaining in the mug. Mary would have her tea at Miss
Simmonds’; her food for the day was safe. Then he went upstairs for his better coat, and
his one, gay red-and-yellow silk pocket-handkerchief—his jewels, his plate, his valuables,
these were. He went to the pawn-shop; he pawned them for five shillings; he stopped
not, nor stayed, till he was once more in London Road, within five minutes’ walk of Berry
Street—then he loitered in his gait, in order to discover the shops he wanted. He bought
meat, and a loaf of bread, candles, chips, and from a little retail yard he purchased a
couple of hundredweights of coal. Some money still remained—all destined for them, but
he did not yet know how best to spend it. Food, light, and warmth, he had instantly seen
were necessary; for luxuries he would wait. Wilson’s eyes filled with tears when he saw
Barton enter with his purchases. He understood it all, and longed to be once more in
work that he might help in some of these material ways, without feeling that he was
using his son’s money. But though “silver and gold he had none,” he gave heart-service
and love—works of far more value. Nor was John Barton behind in these. “The fever” was
(as it usually is in Manchester) of a low, putrid, typhoid kind; brought on by miserable
living, filthy neighbourhood, and great depression of mind and body. It is virulent,
malignant, and highly infectious. But the poor are fatalists with regard to infection! and
well for them it is so, for in their crowded dwellings no invalid can be isolated. Wilson
asked Barton if he thought he should catch it, and was laughed at for his idea.
The two men, rough, tender nurses as they were, lighted the fire, which smoked and
puffed into the room as if it did not know the way up the damp, unused chimney. The
very smoke seemed purifying and healthy in the thick clammy air. The children
clamoured again for bread; but this time Barton took a piece first to the poor, helpless,
hopeless woman, who still sat by the side of her husband, listening to his anxious
miserable mutterings. She took the bread, when it was put into her hand, and broke a
bit, but could not eat. She was past hunger. She fell down on the floor with a heavy
unresisting bang. The men looked puzzled. “She’s wellnigh clemmed,” said Barton. “Folk
do say one mustn’t give clemmed* people much to eat; but, bless us, she’ll eat nought.”
Glossary
*clemmed – hungry or thirsty
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Information retrieval using a fiction extract
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
True or false?
TRUE
FALSE
The central character at the start of the extract is feeling determined to help.
The central character feels little sense of urgency in this extract .
The central character wants to provide the poor with the essentials in life.
According to the narrator illness is purely a physical thing.
The woman does not eat because she is ungrateful.
Thinking further
To what extent do you agree that the central character is a generous and selfless man? Justify your
answers with evidence from the text.
Picturing the scene
Which words would you use to describe the scene that Gaskell describes in the slum? List as many
as you can think of and try to choose vocabulary that is evocative of the extract. Use a thesaurus if
you like.
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Page 2 of 3
Information retrieval using a fiction extract
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
Hope or despair
Complete the following table. What evidence can you find that suggests either hope or despair
within this extract?
Hope
Despair
Extension: choose one quotation for ‘hope’ and one for ‘despair’ and mind map how the language
and structure add to the atmosphere of the extract.
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