John Halifax, Gentleman

by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik

Overview

This 1856 novel, one of the most beloved of the Victorian period, follows the life, from childhood to death, of an orphaned boy who grows to become a wealthy and powerful leader in his community. The young John Halifax is taken in by Abel Fletcher, a Quaker tanner, and forms a close friendship with Fletcher’s son, Phineas. Through hard work and integrity, John overcomes obstacles to find domestic happiness and material success. His achievements symbolize those of England in the early nineteenth century, and this novel captures the ambition and ebullient optimism of the growing Victorian middle class.

This Broadview edition includes a critical introduction and full annotation; the idea of the “gentleman” in Victorian culture, labour unrest in the early nineteenth century, and women’s roles in Victorian England are explored in the broad selection of contextual documents.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783958649118
Publisher:	Otbebookpublishing
Publication date:	10/24/2017
Series:	Classics To Go
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	592
File size:	904 KB

About the Author

Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (1826-1887) was a pioneering English novelist and poet whose works resonated deeply with the Victorian era's evolving social landscape. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, she faced early adversity with her father's mental illness and subsequent financial ruin, which thrust her into the role of family breadwinner. This personal struggle infused her writing with themes of resilience, independence, and the quest for personal fulfillment.Craik's most celebrated work, "John Halifax, Gentleman," became a touchstone for exploring class mobility and the virtues of hard work and integrity. Her nuanced portrayal of women's inner lives and societal roles challenged contemporary norms, making her an early advocate for women's rights and education. Her stories often depicted strong, morally upright characters who navigated the complexities of love, duty, and social expectations.A contemporary of Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell, Craik's influence extended to her peers and later writers who admired her ability to blend social commentary with compelling narratives. Despite her success, she faced criticism for her idealistic portrayals and was sometimes dismissed by male critics who underestimated her literary prowess.Craik's legacy endures through her progressive ideas and her ability to capture the human spirit's triumph over adversity. Her works continue to inspire readers and writers alike, offering a window into the challenges and aspirations of the Victorian age while championing timeless values of empathy and perseverance.
Dinah Maria Craik; born Dinah Maria Mulock, also often credited as Miss Mulock or Mrs. Craik) (20 April 1826 – 12 October 1887) was an English novelist and poet. Mulock was born at Stoke-on-Trent to Dinah and Thomas Mulock and raised in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, where her father was then minister of a small independent non-conformist congregation. Her childhood and early youth were much affected by his unsettled fortunes, but she obtained a good education from various quarters and felt called to be a writer. (Wikipedia)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Dinah Mulock Craik: A Brief Chronology
A Note on the Text

John Halifax, Gentleman

Appendix A: The Idea of the “Gentleman” in Victorian Culture

1. From Lord Chesterfield, Letters to His Son and Others (1774)
2. From Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present (1843)
3. From John Henry Newman, The Idea of a University (1854)
4. From Samuel Smiles, Self-Help (1859)
5. From [James Fitzjames] F. Stephen, “Gentlemen,” Cornhill Magazine (March 1862)

Appendix B: Working Conditions and Labor Unrest in the Early Nineteenth Century

1. From J.E. Taylor, The Peterloo Massacre (1819)
2. From William Cobbett, Rural Rides (1830)
3. From Thomas Carlyle, “Signs of the Times,” Edinburgh Review (June 1829)
4. From Parliamentary Reports (1832-33)
1. from a speech by M.T. Sadler (1832)
2. from a speech by Richard Oastler, “Yorkshire Slavery” (1831-32)
3. from Parliamentary Papers, volume 20 (1833)
5. From Peter Gaskell, The Manufacturing Population of England (1833)
6. From John Fielden, The Curse of the Factory System (1836)
7. From Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844 (1845)

Appendix C: Women’s Roles in Victorian England

1. From Catherine Macaulay, Letters on Education (1790)
2. From Sarah Ellis, The Women of England,Their Social Duties and Domestic Habits (1839)
3. From Dinah Mulock Craik, A Woman’s Thoughts about Women (1858)
4. From Isabella Beeton, The Book of Household Management (1861)
5. From John Ruskin, Sesame and Lilies (1865)
6. From John Stuart Mill, The Subjection of Women (1869)

Appendix D: Reviews

1. “New Novels: John Halifax, Gentleman,” Athenaeum (26 April 1856)
2. From [Stopford Brooke], “Notes upon New Books: John Halifax,” Dublin University Magazine (October 1856)
3. From [R.H. Hutton], “Novels by the Authoress of ‘John Halifax,’” North British Review (1858)
4. From “The Author of John Halifax,” The British Quarterly Review (July 1866)
5. From Robert Nourse, “An Old Book for New Readers,” The Dial (June 1883)
6. From Frances Martin, “Mrs. Craik,” Athenaeum (22 October 1887)
7. From S.M. Ellis, “Dinah Maria Mulock (Mrs. Craik),” The Bookman (April 1926)

Appendix E: Religious Issues

1. From George Fox, Journal (1694)
2. From John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions (1746)
3. From Charles Lamb, “A Quakers’ Meeting,” The Essays of Elia (1823)
4. From John Henry Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua (1864)
5. From Mary Howitt, An Autobiography (1889)

Appendix F: Fictional Counterpoints

1. From Harriet Martineau, A Manchester Strike (Illustrations of Political Economy) (1832)
2. From Charlotte Brontë, Shirley (1849)
3. From Coventry Patmore, The Angel in the House (1654-62)
4. From Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South (1855)
5. From Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (1861)

Appendix G: Table of Dates of Relevant Events and Legislation

Select Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

An enormously useful and complete edition of an important and neglected Victorian novel. The editorial material is very helpful, pointing to and expanding upon the novel’s many contexts, from the role of women to industrial reform.” — Helena Michie, Rice University

From the Publisher

"An enormously useful and complete edition of an important and neglected Victorian novel. The editorial material is very helpful, pointing to and expanding upon the novel's many contexts, from the role of women to industrial reform."

Helena Michie Rice University