Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
- Born:
- September 29, 1810, Chelsea, London, England
- Died:
- November 12, 1865, Holybourne, Hampshire, England
- Nationality:
- British
- Profession(s):
- Novelist, Biographer, Short Story Writer
Early Life and Education
- Raised by her aunt, Hannah Lumb, in Knutsford, Cheshire.
- Educated at a boarding school in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began writing professionally in the late 1830s.
- Known for her novels depicting Victorian social life, particularly in industrial settings.
- Her work often explored the themes of poverty, class conflict, and gender roles.
- Published several serialized novels in Charles Dickens's Household Words.
- Accepted the invitation to write elizabeth gaskell the life of charlotte brontë, following Brontë's death.
Notable Works
- Mary Barton (1848)
- Cranford (1851-1853)
- North and South (1854-1855)
- Sylvia's Lovers (1863)
- Wives and Daughters (1864-1866)
- The Life of Charlotte Brontë (1857) - a significant biographical work.
Legacy and Impact
Elizabeth Gaskell is remembered as a significant Victorian novelist whose works provided valuable social commentary and insightful character studies. Her biography The Life of Charlotte Brontë is considered a landmark achievement in biographical writing, though not without controversy at the time.