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Frederick Hale
Bessy is Nicholas Higgins’ sickly daughter, whom Margaret meets in the streets of Milton and befriends. Like Margaret, she is 19, but the contrast between their circumstances couldn’t be greater. Bessy is dying of consumption (or perhaps byssinosis), which she has developed after years of work in the cotton mills. She persisted in working despite her poor health out of a desire to be strong and to provide for her family, showing her generous nature. She clings to faith in the Bible, especially the Book of Revelation, and looks forward to life after death to sustain her in her suffering. She develops a deep affection for Margaret. She dies of her illness halfway through the novel.
Bessy Higgins Quotes in North and South
The North and South quotes below are all either spoken by Bessy Higgins or refer to Bessy Higgins. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 11
Quotes
“…[P]oor old wench,—I’m loth to vex thee, I am; but a man mun speak out for the truth, and when I see the world going all wrong at this time o’ day, bothering itself wi’ things it knows nought about, and leaving undone all the things that lie in disorder close at its hand—why, I say, leave a’ this talk about religion alone, and set to work on what yo’ see and know. That’s my creed. It’s simple, and not far to fetch, nor hard to work.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Bessy Higgins Quotes in North and South
The North and South quotes below are all either spoken by Bessy Higgins or refer to Bessy Higgins. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 11
Quotes
“…[P]oor old wench,—I’m loth to vex thee, I am; but a man mun speak out for the truth, and when I see the world going all wrong at this time o’ day, bothering itself wi’ things it knows nought about, and leaving undone all the things that lie in disorder close at its hand—why, I say, leave a’ this talk about religion alone, and set to work on what yo’ see and know. That’s my creed. It’s simple, and not far to fetch, nor hard to work.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
