Summary:
Mary takes her first train ride to Liverpool early Monday morning and overhears other passengers discussing the Assize courts. Two clerks chat about Jem’s case and state that the outcome is almost certain, although juries never like to convict on circumstantial evidence. Once Mary is in Liverpool, she finds Mrs. Jones' house at Milk-House Yard and inquires about Will Wilson. To her dismay, she learns that Will's ship sailed that morning - a day early. Mary is shocked, and Mrs. Jones places her in a chair. However, Mrs. Jones' son, Charley, arrives with the information that the John Cropper is waiting for the tide to rise so it can travel over a sandbar. Charley brings Mary to the docks, where another sailor climbs the mast of his ship and finds that the John Cropper is still in sight. Mary rents a boat - after managing to convince two sailors to take her even though she has only a fraction of their fee - and takes off after Will's ship.
Mary fears that they will not catch the larger boat, but the men row hard to get there. They see the John Cropper in the distance, heaving anchor. Finally, the smaller vessel comes up behind the John Cropper, whose crew is busily sorting out the supplies on deck. One of the sailors delivers a message that Mary Barton seeks William Wilson to testify in a murder trial. The captain declares that he will not stop the ship for anything, but Will suddenly appears and promises to return on the pilot boat. With renewed but fragile hope, Mary asks when the pilot boat will return and receives multiple answers. Several hours later, Mary is back in the harbor again, hoping that her quest will prove successful. She gives the sailor all her money and stands hopelessly on the dock.
The older boatman asks her where she is going and Mary replies that she does not know and will check the card she has with the address of Mr. Bridgenorth, the lawyer. However, Mary has lost the card earlier that day. She wanders a while, and sits on the dock. The boatman hesitates and returns to her, asking where her lodgings are. Wearily, Mary replies that she does not know, so he bids her to follow him.
Earlier that day, Job Legh did go to Mr. Bridgenorth’s office at two o’clock, waiting for Mary and Will. They discuss the lawyer’s visit to Jem who was taciturn and unhelpful, but incidentally convinced Mr. Bridgenorth of his innocence. Jem gave the laywer no explanation about the gun. Eventually, Job and Mr. Bridgenorth grow impatient waiting for Mary and Will to come, so Bridgenorth leaves to go to court. Meanwhile, Job walks to Mrs. Jones and, through Charley, learns about Mary's experience at the dock that morning. However, Charley is unhelpful -and does not give Job any information about the pier from which Mary departed or the name of Will's boat. Job, unsure what his next step should be, returns to his lodgings, telling Mrs. Jones that if Mary comes to send her to his address.
Job returns to his lodgings, which is where he left Mrs. Wilson. He tells Jane that Will has not been found, leaving the widow despairing. Job bolsters her courage, and his own, by telling Jane that Mary is a brave girl and will surely find Will. Job sends Mrs. Wilson to bed and heads off to Mr. Bridgenorth’s office. He does not find Mary there and receives further bad news - that Mr. Bridgenorth believes Jem's defense will be very weak. Next Job goes to Mrs. Jones, and finds that Charley is gone and resolves to sit and wait for him to return. While Mrs. Jones prattles on, Charley returns alone. He brings the news that Mary will not be heard of until the next day, although she must be in court at nine o’clock.
Job returns to his lodgings and his arrival causes the landlady to stir from her chair. The commotion alerts Mrs. Wilson who has not been able to sleep because of her anxiety. She asks if Will has been found, and Job lies and says yes. Then, she asks about Mary and Job lies again, saying that Mary is at Mrs. Jones’ house. Job sends Mrs. Wilson back to bed and later, with a heavy heart, falls asleep in an armchair
Analysis:
Mary’s first train ride and subsequent adventures in Liverpool mark the continuation of her journey into adulthood, and Gaskell even describes Mary's feeling of "losing sight of the familiar objects of her childhood for the first time...". Being alone and finding her way in a big city also signifies Mary's loss of innocence. Gaskell crafts Mary's journey to Liverpool to emphasize her vulnerability as a single woman of marriageable age. She experiences uncomfortable interactions with men, like Charley Jones, who keeps insisting that Mary tell him about her relationship with Jem. He speaks to her in a "patronising" tone and then leaves her on the boat, "alone with two rough, hard-looking men". Her nervousness emphasizes how unusual it was for a woman like Mary to undertake this kind of journey alone.
However, Charley and the boatmen ultimately prove to be valuable assets in Mary's journey, and Job and Margaret support her as they always have. Mary’s intense desire to save Jem without anyone's help connects back to her old, selfish nature. She wants all the glory and praise involved with overturning the very public case. This consistency makes the character of Mary believable, because it is unlikely that she would be able to change her whole nature so quickly. Mary's desire for autonomy and her strong will define her character and keep Mary Barton memorable and engaging.
Mary’s first ever sea journey symbolizes how precarious her life is at that point. She teeters on a tiny boat with two strange men. Her mother is dead, her father is missing and guilty for a crime that her lover might be convicted for. If her plan to find Will fails, Mary will lose her best chance at a happy marriage. With the unpredictability of Mary's fickle plan, Gaskell once again reminds the reader of life’s fragility, however, she also adds to this message. Mary has now taken control of her life. Mary may not be able to stop everything from spiraling out of control, but she has the freedom to try.
The element of suspense in Mary’s pursuit of Will Wilson adds to the mystery-thriller feel of the novel. Detective stories were extremely popular in Victorian England. It is not surprising that Gaskell would want to add elements of this popular genre, which keeps Mary Barton from feeling too preachy. It appeals to an audience that may not have picked up a book was advertised as a morality tale humanizing working-class England. In this way, Gaskell is able to reach a broader swath of readers and inspire them with her messages of equality.
Meanwhile, the character of Job is well-named because of his endless patience. With his character, Gaskell asks her readers to question their preconceived notions of morality. Job Legh lies to Mrs. Wilson, telling her that Will has been found and that Mary is asleep at the Joneses. His lie spares the troubled old widow from unnecessary grief. Here, Gaskell departs from her previously established standard of truth for the sake of a long-suffering woman's health. In this way, Gaskell adds shades of gray to the measure of morality. It also makes Job a multi-dimensional character.
