For centuries, humans have had a desire to classify everything, including themselves. Society is organized into a system of classes, rules, and conventions. But, how true is this system? Elizabeth Gaskell, a social novelist, seems to address this in her novel North and South. Reviewing the novel, looking at characters and class relations within it, and finding whether or not it fits into a Marxist system and theory like Louis Althusser's reveals Gaskell's statement. Where does the system hold true? Where does it become problematized? Arguably, the system holds true for characters who are dedicated to their class. Then, it becomes problematized with other characters--such as the protagonist, Margaret--who are not fully dedicated to their class. They move, or are moving, between classes and interact, affecting their relationships. Althusser does not account for this movement. In fact, the system he creates is too ambiguous, not allowing for such complex relations. Therefore, this society that Gaskell presents propagandizes and undermines his system. In doing so, she highlights that society is more complicated and complex than thought.
