Okay we can all agree that the 2004 series has a phenomenal soundtrack and that Mr. Thornton's introduction is atrocious however I have additional thoughts, namely that the absence of much of Margaret's homelife and upbringing at the beginning of the story in favor of rushing her to Milton, with a brief pause to introduce and reject Mr. Lennox's romantic interest in her, is a disservice to her character and personal struggle over the course of the story.
It's not just that Margaret's been forced to leave idyllic Helstone for industrious Milton in those earlier chapters it's about the emotional distance she feels from her mother having been sent to grow up with her aunt and cousin. It's about her oh so clearly not being the favorite child, and never managing to equal him in their mother's affections. It's about her being left in the middle of her parent's personal and marital issues, taking on the emotional and eventual physical burden of caring for them, as well as the burden of what her parent's owe to each other yet leave to her to handle instead.
These details form the bases of the rest of her character, and while they are touched on over the course of the mini series I feel it's one way it chooses to prioritizes the romantic arc of the story over the development of its female lead—which is ridiculous when so much of this does factor into the love story. We grow to love Mr. Thornton because of his constant attention and consideration towards Margaret where so many other people are oblivious to her personal struggles.
Her family are rarely if ever aware of the depth of her emotional distress, or when she's been seriously injured, she's out here having emotional and moral crises WHILE HER TRAINED CLERGYMAN FATHER IS SITTING DOWNSTAIRS* IN HIS OFFICE.
So... Masters and Men, eh? There are several different perspectives at play in this chapter:
Mrs. Thornton
"[Workers strike] For the mastership and ownership of other people’s property [...] they are a pack of ungrateful hounds [...] they want to be masters, and make the masters into slaves on their own ground. They are always trying at it; they always have it in their minds".
Mrs. Thornton speaks very harshly of the workers, and she seems to explicitly view the situation as opposing sides, with the 'lesser' one being the aggressor. Part of the pride she takes in her lifestyle is linked to being brave enough to face them and 'fight' against them. In fact, the quote about that is really interesting to me, because she claims they're "a people who are always owing their betters a grudge, and only waiting for an opportunity to pay it off," but in some ways, she could be seen that way as well. At least in the sense of family history/social status, the Hales are supposedly the Thornton's superiors, right? And Mrs. Thornton is very prickly about being seen as inferior herself. A lot of it seems to be genuine pride and dislike of their (Southern) priorities, but some is definitely defensive. And I could see some nasty high society person using similar wording about Mrs. Thornton herself having a grudge against her betters. Certainly, as someone who herself had to struggle tremendously to climb to the point she's at now, I find it easier to see her believing others will want to do the same (though she attributes more malevolence to their actions).
Mr. Hale
"I should say that the masses were already passing rapidly into the troublesome stage which intervenes between childhood and manhood, in the life of the multitude as well as that of the individual. Now, the error which many parents commit in the treatment of the individual at this time is, insisting on the same unreasoning obedience as when all he had to do in the way of duty was, to obey the simple laws of ‘Come when you’re called,’ and ‘Do as you’re bid!’ But a wise parent humours the desire for independent action, so as to become the friend and adviser when his absolute rule shall cease."
Mr. Hale doesn't attempt to dispute the idea that the workers are inferiors, and he's clearly not willing to go too far because he wants to keep the peace. But he tries to suggest that Mr. Thornton look upon them as growing and learning, and be indulged of their 'mistakes' or 'outbursts', so to speak. When talk again turns to the two sides as being opposed to one another, Mr. Hale says, "is not that because there has been none of the equality of friendship between the adviser and advised classes?" He's certainly in favor of mending relations, and he doesn't believe that opposition is inherent/necessary, but his approach is sort of benevolently condescending. This too fits well with his background and the kind of thing Margaret was used to before they move here.
Nicholas Higgins
...it were the interest of the employers to keep them from acquiring money—that it would make them too independent if they had a sum in the savings’ bank. [...] I heard, moreover, that it was considered to the advantage of the masters to have ignorant workmen... [...] But he—that is my informant—spoke as if the masters would like their hands to be merely tall, large children—living in the present moment—with a blind unreasoning kind of obedience.
Higgins (who isn't here and whose words are being relayed second-hand) is the one who first brought up the workers-to-children comparison, but he did so in a distinctly scathing way. He's very bitter about the 'masters' and is definitely displeased at being looked down on. But it's not just resentment. He recognizes the balance of power that is at least in many cases being deliberately maintained. The workers aren't allowed to be too independent because then they can't as easily be used however the masters want. His views are sort of a reverse of Mrs. Thornton's... the employers are the aggressors constantly shoving the workers back down. Wanting them to be ignorant, never to think for themselves, to be dependent and unquestioning. As someone who has very few options even when it comes to helping his daughter dying due to a factory-related illness, his bitterness is fully understandable.
John Thornton
"But because we don’t explain our reasons, they won’t believe we’re acting reasonably. We must give them line and letter for the way we choose to spend or save our money." [...] "I agree with Miss Hale so far as to consider our people in the condition of children, while I deny that we, the masters, have anything to do with the making or keeping them so. I maintain that despotism is the best kind of government for them; so that in the hours in which I come in contact with them I must necessarily be an autocrat." [...] "And I say, that the masters would be trenching on the independence of their hands, in a way that I, for one, should not feel justified in doing, if we interfered too much with the life they lead out of the mills. Because they labour ten hours a-day for us, I do not see that we have any right to impose leading-strings upon them for the rest of their time. I value my own independence so highly that I can fancy no degradation greater than that of having another man perpetually directing and advising and lecturing me, or even planning too closely in any way about my actions."
Mr. Thornton has quite an interesting mix of views here. He claims that it is necessary for him to be a despot; but he feels he has no right to interfere with their personal lives. He talks scornfully of their strikes and says if they knew why he's taken his stance, then they would act differently, but he refuses to tell them why. He agrees that they're like children, but then says he respects their independence and is treating them like he'd want to be treated. Thornton does seem to have a better understanding of the independent nature of the people here, but he uses that reasoning to justify remaining completely uninvolved in bettering the situation. He asks if he has any right to impose his own views on them just because he's their boss - and that's a fair point, but also, he's kind of doing that regardless? It's his belief that an honest and straightforward, if demanding 'master' is both more respectable and incurs loyalty/becomes an example to follow. It's his belief that the workers should blindly obey him because he's in charge, and that this is better for them. And as someone with so much power over their livelihoods, he can operate based on these views. If they feel otherwise, they don't have the power to change that. When they try with strikes, he's willing to get into a power struggle that he admits will hurt him as well as them, rather than let them 'win' even just enough to make him admit his reasons why. Even though he claims their interests align with his, he seems to feel that they don't or can't understand this, and thus conflict is inevitable. In fact, I think he was the first one to call it a "battle of the classes." Thornton's backstory is very much a "pulled myself up by my own bootstraps" success story, and because he did it by working really hard and practicing lots of self-discipline, he seems to think anyone else who fails to succeed is at fault for not working hard enough. He didn't question his bosses, he just put the work in! And so on. Of course, pretty sure he was always of a higher class, and that's going to be a factor for all of these people regardless, but still, I can easily see him thinking that it's their fault for not knowing how to save their money carefully enough. And thus dismissing their complaints.
Margaret Hale
All I meant to say is, that there is no human law to prevent the employers from utterly wasting or throwing away all their money, if they choose; but that there are passages in the Bible which would rather imply—to me at least—that they neglected their duties as stewards if they did so. [...] ...I see two classes dependent on each other in every possible way, yet each evidently regarding the interests of the other as opposed to their own: I never lived in a place before where there were two sets of people always running each other down. [...] ...you are a man, dealing with a set of men over whom you have, whether you reject the use of it or not, immense power, just because your lives and your welfare are so constantly and intimately interwoven. God has made us so that we must be mutually dependent. We may ignore our own dependence, or refuse to acknowledge that others depend upon us in more respects than the payment of weekly wages; but the thing must be, nevertheless.
Margaret relays Higgins' words, and speaks on his behalf. She seems to have a position closest to her father, in the sense that she feels it is Mr. Thornton's duty to aid the people under his rulership. She seems guided ultimately by religious ideals of the relationship between people, but also recognizes that the situation involves an inherent power imbalance and thus responsibility on the part of the one who is at the top. As much as Thornton might deny it, he does have incredible power over the people. But he is also dependent upon them. Her talk about dependence is really interesting because she's the first person to portray it as extending in both directions. They are dependent upon him to employ them; but he is equally dependent upon them to work for him. In this way, she goes a step further than Mr. Hale seemed to, and recognizes both sides as at least closer to equals. She clearly isn't suggesting that every worker should be seen as having the same rights and roles as Thornton, but neither does she view them as either entirely isolated in their independence, or entirely subservient in their dependence. It's a complicated web in which everyone plays a valuable part. Fighting against one another is by necessity acting against your own interests, in a way. Once again, I think her having these beliefs fits very well with her background as someone who did operate in a more noblesse oblige way and clearly felt she was better than certain other classes, but also experienced being the social lesser/supported one when taken in by her Aunt.
"But if I only knew of some good doctor, I would go this afternoon, and ask him to come, for I am sure mamma is seriously indisposed.”
She put the truth thus plainly and strongly because her father had so completely shut his mind against the idea, when she had last named her fears. But now the case was changed. He answered in a despondent tone:
“Do you think she has any hidden complaint? Do you think she is really very ill? Has Dixon said anything? Oh, Margaret! I am haunted by the fear that our coming to Milton has killed her. My poor Maria!”
“Oh, papa! don’t imagine such things,” said Margaret, shocked. “She is not well, that is all. Many a one is not well for a time; and with good advice gets better and stronger than ever.”
It's kind of funny how they reverse positions on Mrs. Hale's illness in just a few words. Not totally, but as soon as she sees that her father realizes the situation is serious enough to be acknowledged, Margaret starts downplaying. Maybe this is truly how she feels, maybe it's more trying to manage his worries or even her own... Regardless, it's probably not helped by Mr. Hale going right to much stronger fears as soon as he's openly acknowledged the possibility. Kind of an all or nothing reaction (though of course I think some of the nothing was him trying to reassure himself).
Mrs. Hale did this too actually, at least to an extent. Complained relatively freely about more minor issues, but as soon as she felt more seriously ill she stopped mentioning it. That's a pretty nice character detail.
“I ask Thee for a thoughtful love,
Through constant watching wise,
To meet the glad with joyful smiles,
And to wipe the weeping eyes;
And a heart at leisure from itself
To soothe and sympathise.”
This quote at the beginning stands in pretty uncomfortable contrast to the behavior of Margaret's parents throughout the chapter, I think. They both are acting pretty self-absorbed about this huge life change, unlike Margaret who is being forced to bear the burden for their lack of responsibility.
“I don’t think it can be true,” said Mrs. Hale, at length. “He would surely have told me before it came to this.”
It came strongly upon Margaret’s mind that her mother ought to have been told: that whatever her faults of discontent and repining might have been, it was an error in her father to have left her to learn his change of opinion, and his approaching change of life, from her better-informed child. Margaret sat down by her mother, and took her unresisting head on her breast, bending her own soft cheeks down caressingly to touch her face.
“Dear, darling mamma! we were so afraid of giving you pain. Papa felt so acutely—you know you are not strong, and there must have been such terrible suspense to go through.”
“When did he tell you, Margaret?”
“Yesterday, only yesterday,” replied Margaret, detecting the jealousy which prompted the inquiry. “Poor papa!”—trying to divert her mother’s thoughts into compassionate sympathy for all her father had gone through.
This whole bit of the conversation is really revealing. I was especially struck by the way she told her mother, "we were so afraid of giving you pain." It's made clear throughout the conversation that this is a choice her father has made on his own (to her mother; we already know that), but Margaret aligns herself with him here and acts as though she was part of the choice to delay telling her mother. She literally only asked for a day since receiving the news herself (and being pressured to do the hard job of sharing it), and in fact was surprised and upset at her mother not knowing already. In this moment particularly, even! That's not nearly as complicit as she makes herself sound here. But she does this because her instinct is to try and manage their conflicts and minimize them where she can. She doesn't want her mother to get angry at her father, so she places herself as sharing his feelings... but also doesn't want her mother to feel excluded by the two of them, so makes sure to be clear that she too only learned of this the day before. She's trying really hard to manage her mother's emotions here.
And to an extent, Mrs. Hale does seem prone to anxiety and maybe even overreactions. But her distress is perfectly valid here, and it shouldn't be Margaret's job to soothe her through it. Similarly, her frustration with Mr. Hale is also warranted - he's springing a huge life change on her with almost no warning, and not even in person! Margaret, however, is defensive of her father despite also disagreeing with him, because she has sympathy for his motives.
She's coddling both her parents throughout. Having the difficult conversation for her father, spending literally all day soothing and mediating with her mother on his behalf. It exhausts her to the point that as soon as she sees they aren't about to fight, Margaret flees to her room to cry in privacy.
(It seems quite relevant that neither of her parents notice her sobbing in there, and it's instead a servant. But though she is "touched" by the house-maid's concern for her, she doesn't feel comfortable showing her distress to Mrs. Dixon, her mother's servant. And when she goes on to badmouth Mr. Hale, even if meant to be in a commiserating way, Margaret gets very defensive again. There's a distinct class aspect to her behavior here of course - how dare a servant say such things - and her haughty reaction reflects that. But it's also another instance of her being so focused on defending her parents that she doesn't express any of her own frustrations to others.)
Moving forward, it's more of the same. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hale get so wrapped up in their own emotions about this move that they don't do much of anything to actually prepare for it. And so Margaret is forced to take that over, too. She does try to get their input at least a little (more with her father than her mother) but gives up when they're no use. Worse than no use, they just complain about their own distress when she tries, and she is again forced to manage them.
“Papa!” said Margaret, “it is this suspense that is bad for you both. Of course, mamma must feel your change of opinions: we can’t help that,” she continued softly; “but now the course is clear, at least to a certain point. And I think, papa, that I could get mamma to help me in planning, if you could tell me what to plan for. She has never expressed any wish in any way, and only thinks of what can’t be helped. Are we to go straight to Milton? Have you taken a house there?”
Mr. Hale hasn't planned for anything. Mrs. Hale can't help, she's so upset that she's ill. It falls upon Margaret to take charge of the entire move, including sending her mother off on vacation for a little bit. The prospect of this at least gets her to stop dwelling on her own misery... but it doesn't sound like she starts helping Margaret so much as she stops actively hindering her so much. Mr. Hale just acts helpless and overstressed the whole time, and as much as Mrs. Dixon is helpful, she's also a point of tension for Margaret because of that dislike between her and Mr. Hale.
Margaret spends all her time being thoughtful, constantly watching, wiping their weeping eyes, soothing and sympathizing.... and both her parents accept it and depend on it without offering anything in return. They clearly all love each other, but they are self-centered and seem very unaware of how much pressure they're putting on their daughter.
It's a really interesting dynamic, specifically in the context of Margaret having been away from the household so long. Are they falling back into old routines; have they always done this? Is she stepping up more after her time at her aunt's (where, once again, she seemed to be the more practical one running about getting things done) and they're just letting it happen? Perhaps this avoidance of conflict and reliance on others (from Mr. Hale) used to fall more on the shoulders of his son before he left (and then participated in that mutiny, thus becoming another source of stress. actually, if that says anything about his relationship with authority, he may have been irresponsible/unmanaged at home before leaving; the Hales wouldn't be able to control him probably and Margaret would feel more responsible). It sounds like Mrs. Hale typically vents her frustrations with Mrs. Dixon, which at least serves the function of keeping them from blowing up into fights with her husband, though there's a bit of tension/a schism there as a result. Despite the love they have for one another, it appears that both of the Hale parents have distinct issues and they do not communicate productively with one another about them (Mrs. Hale's longing for the more sophisticated life she left behind; Mr. Hale's doubts), nor do they handle themselves well at all in trying circumstances.
Margaret is forced to take up the slack for both the communication and the practical action here. And she reinforces it too, by taking it all on without complaint, too focused on soothing them to be willing to properly express her own feelings. Frankly, her eagerness to jump in and mediate would make me wonder if she grew up with a lot of nasty parental fighting, if not for the other dynamics at play suggesting maybe it was more just smaller conflicts causing occasional tension (such as the promotion thing) and a general sense of protectiveness over them both. Not to mention, she feels very fond of her memories at home so she certainly was not remembering a lot of fighting or anything. The parent-child dynamic is largely reversed, though, with Margaret looking after them both emotionally and practically.
And your papa is in such low spirits this morning about something—I don’t know what. I went into the study just now, and he had his face on the table, covering it with his hands. I told him I was sure Helstone air did not agree with him any more than with me, and he suddenly lifted up his head, and begged me not to speak a word more against Helstone, he could not bear it; if there was one place he loved on earth it was Helstone.
This definitely reads as either him being forced to leave Helstone, or maybe something bad coming to Helstone. Regardless, I'm sure this is going to bring us into the main plot. It seems the letter he was waiting for was not about Margaret's brother after all...
“So how longs have you been here?” a stranger said turning to look at Derek while drinking his irish coffee.
“Sorry but I’m not interested,”
“Well I know a tourist when I see one and I could tell you where the best views are.”
Derek didn’t say another word while taking another gulp and continuing look at the sites for his next destination. Maybe it was time to leave.
He left a tip and grabbed his bag while walking away.
Derek heard as the guy got up from the chair and started following him.
He didn’t look back and walked faster planning to lose him and jump the next building he saw.
When Derek scaled a wall and continued walking he heard feet plant on stone.
He knew the man had power and grabbed a nearby bottle that was open on the ground. Derek threw it to the ground and threw a lighter at it while running.
As he looked back he saw the man walk straight through the flames without even a hint of discomfort on his face. Fire elemental?
Derek needed to get to a large body of water now.
“I don’t want any problems,” Derek said trying to talk them out of a fight.
People could get hurt or worse Derek could be found out.
Before Derek knew it a net fell from above him.
He smelled the wolfsbane and mistletoe that coated it.
The last thing he felt was something hitting his head as he was about to shout out for help.
-
“Who sent you?” Derek heard as water was thrown onto him.
As he tried lifting his hands he felt the chains holding him to the chair.
“Try escaping and you’ll feel the other reason why you’re wet,” the man in charge said.
“No one sent me. I’m just passing through.” Derek said as one of the henchmen picked up another bucket of water.
“Weaver!”
A shorter woman came in through the window to perch on the sill.
“He’s not lying. Either that or he’s had his mind erased, you remember last time,”
“She wasn’t alone. This one’s hotel room and the cameras confirm it,”
“Then he is just a tourist. Who made a small mistake of sitting next to you,”
“Small?” Derek asked lifting his wrists to rattle the chains holding him down.
“Sorry about that. You can never be too careful. I’ve had attempts on my life”
“It’s hard to see why anyone would be your enemy,” Derek said leering at him.
“Let him go. Take him to get cleaned up. I want him escorted out, no more harm is to come to him while in my territory,”
Derek followed the woman out as the men stood beside the man.
“Unfortunate first meeting with the boss. Still not as bad as the time he insulted an elf though,” she joked while opening a door for Derek.
“This guest room is warded. No one can enter if they intend to harm you. Take a shower or sit down while we have someone bring up your things”
Derek looked at the window in his periphery.
“Don’t try jumping. It’d hurt and the tiger would try eating you. Sincerest apologies from the boss, he couldn’t let you leave without checking,”
-
Derek decided to warm up with a shower piling what he could find in front of the window and room door.
As he came out he saw his bag on the bed.
“I did say no one could enter if they intended to harm you. The ward holds. I just sent them in,” Weaver said from the other side of the door.
“So Derek Hale huh? What kind of name is that?”
“What kind of name is Weaver?”
“Did you say your name is Hale?” the man from before said.
Derek moved the dresser and chair from the door.
“You know any Hales?” Derek asked while opening the door.
“Weaver leave us. Take the guards downstairs. I want the entire floor empty,”
“Yes Sir. I checked his bag. The gun’s only got wolfsbane. It’d only sting,” with that she left, her footsteps receding followed by more.
“You’d be amazed at the things she can do. Knit skin back together and pull the smallest drop of poison from a man’s blood,” he said looking over to Derek.
“Oh. So you know of anyone else who’s named Hale then?”
“You’re in your twenties still right?”
“Uh. Yeah,”
“Son of Talia,”
“You knew my mom?”
“We’ve met before. So you’re the son. Shame I didn’t get to see you before this,”
“How did you know her?”
“We were intimate.”
“No.”
“Yes. Nice to meet you son.”
“Don’t call me that,”
“Alright. Hello Derek. My name is Frederick Dunn”
“How are you my father?”
“None of you showed similar abilities so I left you to her. I had business here which wasn’t the most ideal place to raise a child anyways”
“Where were you when we needed you?”
“Here, stopping a war. I heard about the fire.”
“You would have changed everything,”
“There’s not telling if I’d have saved them all but yes I could have helped-”
“But you’re living here across the world.”
“Had I known! Watch yourself. You’re never too old to be taught respect,”
“Maybe you’d have more allies if you didn’t jump to conclusions,”
“I guess I’m where you got it from then,” Frederick laughed.
“I guess so”
“You’ve got a fiery temper there.”
“Says the what? Dragon?”
“We can’t all grow fur and howl in the moonlight. Some of us reign fire when we let loose, it’s hard to cover that up,”
“Well, may I leave? Or will I be blasted back if I try walk out the door?”
“The wards are still up but I can help with that. One last question though. Can you become a wolf as she did?”
“Yes, why?”
“Ha. I betted on the wrong child then,”
“Laura could too before she was killed,”
“And Cora?”
“She’s alive but she isn’t that far yet,”
“If you or her ever need anything take my cards. Careful they’re sharp,”
“Blood summoning?”
“It’s better than a sat phone. I won’t hold my breath for a call though,”
“Good,”
“Stop.”
“What?”
“I need to break the barrier. Be careful and I wish we’d met differently,”
