Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865), also known as Mrs. Gaskell, was a prominent English novelist, biographer, and short story writer. She is best known for her detailed and empathetic portrayal of Victorian society, particularly focusing on the lives of women, the working class, and social issues of the time. Elizabeth Cleghorn Stevenson was born on September 29, 1810, in Chelsea, London. Her father, William Stevenson, was a Unitarian minister, and her mother, Elizabeth Holland Stevenson, came from a prominent Midlands family. After her mother's death when Elizabeth was just 13 months old, she was sent to live with her aunt, Hannah Lumb, in Knutsford, Cheshire. This town would later serve as inspiration for the fictional Cranford in her writings. Notable Works, "Mary Barton" (1848): A social novel that highlights the struggles of the working class in industrial Manchester."Cranford" (1851-1853): A series of linked sketches portraying life in a small rural town, based on Knutsford. "North and South" (1854-1855): A novel exploring the contrast between the industrial North of England and the more genteel South, focusing on class conflict, industrialization, and gender roles. "Ruth" (1853): A controversial novel about a "fallen woman" who seeks redemption and respectability. "Sylvia's Lovers" (1863): A historical novel set in a coastal town during the Napoleonic Wars, dealing with themes of love and betrayal."Wives and Daughters" (1865): Her final novel, left unfinished at her death, is a coming-of-age story set in a provincial town.
