Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) was an English writer of novels, short stories, and poetry. Gaskell's social conscience and firsthand experiences of the working-class struggles deeply influenced her writing. Her debut novel, Mary Barton (1848), brought her literary acclaim. Gaskell's subsequent novels, including Cranford (1853) and North and South (1855) further solidified her reputation as a masterful chronicler of social issues and human relationships.
