Original Text(~250 words)
CHAPTER XVII. WHAT IS A STRIKE? “There are briars besetting every path, Which call for patient care; There is a cross in every lot, And an earnest need for prayer.” ANON. Margaret went out heavily and unwillingly enough. But the length of a street—yes, the air of a Milton Street—cheered her young blood before she reached her first turning. Her step grew lighter, her lip redder. She began to take notice, instead of having her thoughts turned so exclusively inward. She saw unusual loiterers in the streets: men with their hands in their pockets sauntering along; loud-laughing and loud-spoken girls clustered together, apparently excited to high spirits, and a boisterous independence of temper and behaviour. The more ill-looking of the men—the discreditable minority—hung about on the steps of the beer-houses and gin-shops, smoking, and commenting pretty freely on every passer-by. Margaret disliked the prospect of the long walk through these streets, before she came to the fields which she had planned to reach. Instead, she would go and see Bessy Higgins. It would not be so refreshing as a quiet country walk, but still it would perhaps be doing the kinder thing. Nicholas Higgins was sitting by the fire smoking, as she went in. Bessy was rocking herself on the other side. Nicholas took the pipe out of his mouth, and standing up, pushed his chair towards Margaret; he leant against the chimney-piece in a lounging attitude, while she asked Bessy how she was. “Hoo’s rather down i’ th’ mouth...
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Summary
Margaret ventures into Milton's streets during the strike and finds them filled with idle workers and tension. She visits Bessy Higgins, whose father Nicholas explains why the workers are striking—the mill owners want to cut wages after two profitable years. Margaret, coming from rural England where strikes don't happen, struggles to understand the logic. Nicholas passionately defends the strike as a fight for justice, comparing himself to a soldier dying for a cause, except his cause is his neighbors and fellow workers who can't survive on reduced wages. He particularly singles out mill owner John Thornton as a stubborn opponent, describing him as a bulldog who won't back down. Bessy, weakened by her lung disease, despairs over the endless cycle of industrial conflict and fears her father will turn to drink during the hardships ahead. When Bessy suggests Margaret doesn't understand real suffering, Margaret reveals her own hidden pain—her mother is dying, and her brother is falsely accused and can't come home. This moment of shared vulnerability creates a deeper bond between the women. Bessy finds comfort in biblical prophecies about suffering, while Margaret gently suggests focusing on more hopeful scripture. The chapter reveals how industrial conflict touches every aspect of working-class life, from family relationships to spiritual beliefs, while showing how personal connection can bridge class divides.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Strike
When workers collectively refuse to work until their demands are met, usually for better wages or working conditions. In 1850s England, strikes were becoming more organized as industrial workers realized they had power in numbers.
Modern Usage:
Today we see strikes in healthcare, education, and service industries when workers feel exploited or undervalued.
Mill owner
Factory owners who controlled both the means of production and workers' livelihoods in industrial towns. They held enormous power over entire communities and could make or break families with their decisions.
Modern Usage:
Like today's corporate executives who make decisions affecting thousands of employees while living completely different lives.
Class divide
The vast social and economic gap between the wealthy industrial owners and the working poor. Different classes literally lived in different worlds with different values and understanding of life.
Modern Usage:
We still see this in how differently the wealthy and working class experience healthcare, education, and economic downturns.
Industrial paternalism
The idea that factory owners should act like father figures to their workers, making decisions for their own good. This often masked exploitation while making owners feel benevolent.
Modern Usage:
Similar to companies that offer perks while paying low wages, or bosses who think they know what's best for employees without asking.
Collective action
Workers banding together to fight for common goals, realizing that individual complaints are powerless but group action can force change. This was a new concept in industrial society.
Modern Usage:
Like modern union organizing, community activism, or even social media movements where people unite for change.
Economic vulnerability
How quickly working families could fall into poverty when wages were cut or work disappeared. With no safety nets, any change in income meant potential starvation or homelessness.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how many Americans today live paycheck to paycheck, where one medical bill or job loss creates crisis.
Characters in This Chapter
Margaret Hale
Cultural bridge
Walks through strike-torn streets trying to understand this new industrial world. Her conversation with Nicholas reveals her sheltered background while her revelation about her mother's illness shows her own hidden struggles.
Modern Equivalent:
The suburban transplant trying to understand urban problems
Nicholas Higgins
Labor organizer
Passionately explains the strike's purpose and compares himself to a soldier fighting for his neighbors. He sees the conflict as a matter of justice and survival, not just money.
Modern Equivalent:
The union rep who's seen too many broken promises
Bessy Higgins
Suffering witness
Weakened by industrial disease, she despairs over the endless cycle of conflict between workers and owners. She finds comfort in biblical prophecy about suffering having meaning.
Modern Equivalent:
The chronically ill person who's tired of fighting systems
John Thornton
Stubborn opponent
Though not present in the scene, Nicholas describes him as an unyielding mill owner who won't compromise, comparing him to a bulldog that won't let go.
Modern Equivalent:
The hardline CEO who refuses to negotiate
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how moral certainty can make us immune to other perspectives and sabotage our own goals.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you're so convinced you're right that you stop listening—then ask 'What might I be missing?' before your next move.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I'm not a fool, and I know that the dead stand between the living and God; but there's summat to be said for 'em."
Context: When explaining why workers must fight even if it seems hopeless
Nicholas sees the strike as honoring those who died from poor working conditions and low wages. He's fighting not just for himself but for the memory of workers who suffered before him.
In Today's Words:
We owe it to the people who came before us to keep fighting for what's right.
"It's not for money, it's for the principle of the thing."
Context: When Margaret questions why workers would strike during hard times
This reveals that strikes aren't just about immediate gain but about dignity and justice. Workers understand that accepting unfair treatment sets a precedent for future exploitation.
In Today's Words:
Sometimes you have to take a stand, even when it costs you.
"You don't know what it is to fight to be right, when you're fighting for them as can't fight for themselves."
Context: Explaining his motivation to Margaret
Nicholas sees himself as fighting for workers who are too weak, scared, or desperate to stand up for themselves. This transforms the strike from self-interest to community protection.
In Today's Words:
I'm not just fighting for me - I'm fighting for people who can't fight back.
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Righteous Blindness
Fighting for legitimate causes while becoming unable to see valid concerns or find workable compromises.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Nicholas sees the strike as workers versus owners, with clear moral lines drawn between oppressed and oppressor
Development
Deepening from Margaret's initial shock at industrial conditions to active class conflict
In Your Life:
You might feel this divide between management and staff, or between different income levels in your community
Identity
In This Chapter
Nicholas defines himself as a soldier fighting for justice, while Margaret struggles with her role as an outsider observer
Development
Building on Margaret's earlier identity crisis about fitting into industrial society
In Your Life:
You might find yourself questioning who you are when your values clash with your circumstances
Human Connection
In This Chapter
Margaret and Bessy bond through shared vulnerability about hidden pain and family suffering
Development
Evolving from polite visiting to genuine friendship across class lines
In Your Life:
You might discover that sharing your real struggles creates deeper connections than maintaining a perfect facade
Suffering
In This Chapter
Both families hide their pain—Bessy's illness, Margaret's dying mother—while dealing with public conflicts
Development
Introduced here as a parallel between different types of hardship
In Your Life:
You might find that everyone around you is carrying hidden burdens while managing their public responsibilities
Power
In This Chapter
The strike represents workers' attempt to claim power through collective action against individual mill owners
Development
Escalating from earlier discussions of mill owner authority to active resistance
In Your Life:
You might recognize this dynamic in any situation where you feel powerless and consider organizing with others for leverage
Modern Adaptation
When the Union Vote Gets Personal
Following Margaret's story...
Margaret walks through the hospital parking lot where striking CNAs and orderlies hold signs demanding better staffing ratios. She's representing the union, but the tension makes her stomach churn. Inside, she visits her friend Rosa, whose father Tony leads the strike committee. Tony explains why they're walking out—management wants to cut positions after two profitable years while nurses work dangerous patient loads. Margaret, coming from rural legal aid where labor disputes were rare, struggles with the all-or-nothing mentality. Tony passionately defends the strike as life-or-death, comparing himself to a soldier except his battle is for patients who'll suffer with fewer staff. He singles out hospital CEO David Thornton as their biggest obstacle—a corporate shark who only cares about profit margins. Rosa, exhausted from pulling double shifts before the strike, fears her father will burn bridges that can't be rebuilt. When Rosa suggests Margaret doesn't understand their desperation, Margaret reveals her own hidden crisis—her mother's cancer is advancing, and her brother fled the country over false domestic violence charges. This shared vulnerability creates unexpected intimacy between them.
The Road
The road Nicholas Higgins walked in 1854, Margaret walks today. The pattern is identical: righteous certainty that blinds us to other perspectives and makes compromise feel like betrayal.
The Map
This chapter provides a navigation tool for recognizing when moral conviction becomes tactical blindness. Margaret can use it to spot when she's so focused on being right that she stops being effective.
Amplification
Before reading this, Margaret might have assumed good causes automatically justify aggressive tactics. Now she can NAME righteous blindness, PREDICT how it escalates conflicts, and NAVIGATE toward solutions that honor everyone's core needs.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific reasons does Nicholas Higgins give for why the workers are striking, and how does he justify the hardship it will cause his own family?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Nicholas see mill owner John Thornton as the enemy, and what does this reveal about how people view opponents during conflicts?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this pattern of 'righteous blindness' in modern workplace disputes, family arguments, or political disagreements?
application • medium - 4
If you were mediating between Nicholas and the mill owners, what questions would you ask each side to help them understand the other's perspective?
application • deep - 5
What does the contrast between Bessy's despair and Nicholas's passionate conviction teach us about different ways people cope with powerlessness?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Rewrite the Conflict from Both Sides
Choose a current conflict in your life - with family, work, neighbors, or institutions. Write a one-paragraph explanation of your position, then write another paragraph explaining the situation from the other person's perspective. Focus on their genuine concerns and pressures, not just their surface arguments.
Consider:
- •What fears or pressures might be driving their behavior that they haven't expressed?
- •What would they need to feel secure enough to compromise?
- •Where might both sides actually want the same outcome but disagree on methods?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were absolutely certain you were right in a conflict, but later realized you had missed something important about the other person's situation. What did that teach you about fighting for good causes?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 18: When Fear Speaks Louder Than Words
What lies ahead teaches us people deny uncomfortable truths to protect themselves from pain, and shows us class differences create misunderstandings even with good intentions. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.