Mary Barton.

Mary Barton takes place in Manchester in the 1840s. Factories and mills shape daily life for those who work in them. The book follows one family through their routines at home and on the job. Gaskell records the wages, housing, and food that define their days. She notes the distance between owners and hands. The story draws on strikes and unrest that occurred in the region at the time. Details of streets, meals, and conversations build a record of industrial conditions. The focus stays on how economic pressures reach into ordinary households.