在《北與南》中，蓋斯凱爾夫人呈現不同的社會問題(Social Problems)，如勞資對立與階級鬥爭等導致社會動盪的危機，希望喚起中產階級讀者對工人階級的同情與責任心。而除了探討社會議題之外，蓋斯凱爾夫人也涉及探討各個階層的雙親關係以及所可能產生的家庭問題。因此，本論文以家庭關係的角度切入，試圖分析作者為勞資問題、社會鬥爭等社會問題所提供的解決方案。本文首先探討維多利亞時期家庭意識形態及雙親各自的責任，並以瑪格麗特和桑頓為例子指出健全家庭的維持，不僅有賴雙親承擔對子女以及家庭照顧的責任，也必須依靠雙親對子女以及家庭所提供的精神與物質上的支持，而家庭也成為穩定社會的重要因素。本文接續探討譬喻式家庭，亦即桑頓為父，瑪格麗特為母，工人階級為子的形成。在譬喻式家庭中，瑪格麗特以道德力量勸慰及開導孩子（工人階級）及父親（桑頓）。而透過瑪格麗特的影響，身為父親的桑頓捨棄專制父權，不僅和孩子（工人階級）開啟良好的溝通，也建立起相互信任了解的關係。
透過譬喻式家庭的建立，作者指出家庭成為穩定社會的關鍵。此外，通過成員相互包容、妥協與尊重，建全的家庭成為解決社會問題的答案。

In North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell presents various social problems, such as poverty, class conflicts, and antagonism between workers and masters, in order to arouse the middle-class’s compassion for the working class. In addition to social issues, Gaskell also describes family relationships concerning people from different social strata. With the focus on family relationships, this paper aims to discuss the potential solution provided by Gaskell to the social problems associated largely with the Industrial Revolution. The study begins with Victorian family ideology and the widely accepted views about parental duties. With the Hales and the Thorntons as examples, the paper points out Gaskell’s ideas regarding parental roles and influences on their children, both material and spiritual, as well as her belief in the maintenance and stability of society through family. The research then investigates the novelist’s “metaphorical family,” consisting of Thornton as the father, Margaret as the mother, and the working class as children in Milton-Northern. In this metaphorical family, Margaret mediates between Master Thornton and the workers, and finally manages to reconcile the two parties thanks to her moral influences. Affected by Margaret, Mr. Thornton, as the father figure, eventually forsakes his habitual despotism, and readily enters into sincere communication with his workers, eventually reaching a mutual understanding with them. Using family as a metaphor, Gaskell reveals the crucial role family plays in society. To conclude, Gaskell considers a well-functioning family, in which all members communicate, respect one another, and willingly compromise with one another when necessary, is a workable solution to social problems, in particular class conflicts.

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