Elizabeth Gaskell Biography

Elizabeth Gaskell was a 19th century British novelist and short story writer. One of the leading female novelists of the Victorian era, her work was characterized by powerful narratives and accuracy in social observations. She often wrote about the lives of the underprivileged sections of the society and was open in her sympathies towards the workers in the industrial sector. She was famous for creating dynamic female characters, and often emphasized on the roles women play in family and society. Born as the daughter of a Unitarian minister, her own adherence to the principles of the Unitarian movement is evident from her writings. She suffered a tragic loss when quite young—her mother died and the little girl was sent to live with an aunt. She received the traditional education normally given to young ladies of her time and also developed an interest in literature. However, she embarked on a full-time writing career only after her marriage. She started writing a diary after becoming a mother and co-authored a collection of poems with her husband. Eventually she began writing more and tasted fame when she wrote a biography of her friend, the writer Charlotte Bronte. Eventually she ventured into writing industrial novels and ghost stories and found considerable success in both the genres