North and South Chapter 20 - Men and Gentlemen

In which Margaret returns home burdened by the harsh realities she has witnessed among the mill workers, stirring both her own anxieties and her mother’s resolve to offer comfort, even as the household prepares for a grand dinner in the midst of industrial unrest. At the gathering, Margaret observes the social dynamics and serious discussions among the mill owners, especially Mr. Thornton’s composed authority and the complex notions of manliness, while she contemplates her own position between two sharply contrasting worlds.