Artistic Embodiment of Unitarian Religious Principles in the Literary Works of Elizabeth Gaskell

Abstract

The paper deals with the origins and major principles of the Unitarian religion that began to spread in Great Britain in the 18th century. The author aims to reveal the impact of the ethics of this Non-conformist (Dissent) Christian religious thought on the literary works of Elizabeth Gaskell (1810–1865), whose family background was largely Unitarian. The study shows the way that ethical principles of the Unitarian doctrine influence the problem-theme facet of her novels, which is evident in the artistic interpretation of the idea of strengthening the role of women in the Victorian society, in the author’s new approach to the solution to ‘the fallen woman’ problem, based on the possibility to atone for the sin through the service to the good of people and maternal love. The article focuses on the artistic depiction of the evil nature of a lie, the ideas of pacifism, religious tolerance, social justice, and resolution of social problems on the basis of the Christian idea of mutual dependence of humans, as presented in the novels written by Gaskell. The characters of her works, being new for Victorian literature, are also developed on the moral principles of Unitarianism. They are a socially active young woman from the middle class whose efforts are aimed at the resolution of the social conflict and a church minister (a dissenter) suffering from religious or moral doubts. The latter circumstance determines the shift from the depiction of the external social conflict to the internal one, which results in the in-depth psychological insight into the character in Gaskell’s narration. Particular attention is also given to the artistic interpretation of the key Unitarian idea of moral development and perfection of humans and continuous social progress in the novels Ruth (1853), North and South (1855), Sylvia’s Lovers (1863).