The Proud
Every main character needs to be flawed in some way. After all, who's going to care about a main character that's perfect? No one, that's who.
And when it comes to flaws, the first thing Elizabeth Gaskell wants us to know about Margaret Hale is that she is a proud young woman. We learn this in only the second paragraph of the book, where we find out that on the eve of her cousin's wedding, Margaret can't bring herself to compliment the prettiness of another woman. As the narrator tells us, "They had grown up together from childhood, and all along Edith had been remarked upon by everyone, except Margaret, for her prettiness" (1.2). It's subtle, but the pride and jealousy are definitely there. read more...
