Mary Barton is a novel written by Elizabeth Gaskell set in Manchester, England in the 1830's. It follows the story of a working-class family suffering the harsh conditions of factory labour. Gaskell worked in Manchester helping the poor during the height of social problems in the area. This makes the novel a primary source as she describes conditions in a purposely accurate way, her intention being to inform the ignorant middle and upper classes of …showed first 75 words of 1017 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1017 total…through their lives in strange alternations between work and want; tossed to and fro by circumstance..." and later she begs for assistance for these people. Because the intent of the writer is not entirely to entertain (as in conventional novels), the information therein is more reliable because of its probable import to society. Therefore, the information can be assumed very accurate. Bibliography Gaskell, E (1848) Mary Barton, London: Penguin Books. Love, B (1842) The Handbook of Manchester