What's On

Online Talk: Missing Mother – Motherless Girls in Literature

Elizabeth Gaskell, Mary Shelley, the Brontë sisters and George Eliot were all relatively young when they lost their mothers. Moreover, all of them create female characters who are affected by the loss of a mother. But is this necessarily a bad thing in literature? What are the drawbacks and the freedoms of being motherless in Victorian fiction? Starting with Elizabeth Gaskell’s heroine Molly in Wives and Daughters, this insightful talk looks at the importance of missing mothers in classic literature.

Join expert Sherry Ashworth for a closer look at motherless girls in literature. Perfect for anyone who enjoys 19th century women’s writing from some of the giants of Victorian literature!

Part of Wives and Daughters Season.

‘Extremely interesting. Sherry is excellent!’ Visitor to online event

Wednesday 20 March, 7-8pm

£5 per ticket

**Refer to your e-ticket for joining instructions and links. Please check your spam/junk mail for ticket. This talk will also be recorded and all ticketholders will receive a link to the recording via TicketSource after the event.**

You can also support the house by buying Wives and Daughters from our online shop via this link.

If you have any questions about this event, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is run by Manchester Historic Buildings Trust (charity no. 1080606) and all money gained through private tours, talks, room hire and ticket sales goes towards the ongoing maintenance and running costs of the house. If you would like to support the House with an additional donation you can do so via this link.