# Mrs. Hale — North and South character guide > Mrs. Hale in North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Mrs. Hale, Poor Mrs. Hale, Henry Vaughan Mrs. Hale **First appearance:** 0000-i-haste-to-the-wedding ## Snapshot Margaret's ailing mother, whose fragile health and longing for the lost South make the family's move to Milton a slow, quiet grief. ## Who they are Mrs. Hale has never recovered from leaving Helstone, and the smoky air and unfamiliar manners of Milton press on a constitution already failing. She clings to Margaret's care and to memories of the life she once had, while her husband's decisions and her son Frederick's absence leave her with little to occupy her but illness and regret. Her decline shadows the novel's middle chapters, forcing Margaret into the role of nurse and negotiator and giving the Thornton household's stern matriarch a foil in her very different kind of maternal strength. ## Relationships ### [Margaret Hale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/characters/margaret_hale) _family_ A strained mother-daughter relationship marked by Mrs. Hale's illness and dissatisfaction, with Margaret dutifully caring for her. ### [Margaret Hale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/characters/margaret_hale) _family_ A strained mother-daughter relationship marked by Mrs. Hale's illness and dissatisfaction, with Margaret dutifully caring for her. ### [Margaret Hale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/characters/margaret_hale) _family_ A strained mother-daughter relationship marked by Mrs. Hale's illness and dissatisfaction, with Margaret dutifully caring for her. ## In the story ### [II: Roses and Thorns](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/ii-roses-and-thorns) Did not attend the wedding due to lack of proper attire; expresses discontent with Helstone's isolation and her husband's lack of preferment; discourages Mr. Hale from reading aloud. ### [III: “The More Haste the Worse Speed”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/iii-the-more-haste-the-worse-speed) Mrs. Hale is in a fitful mood, worried about the household and her husband's spirits, but later brightens. ### [IV: Doubts and Difficulties](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/iv-doubts-and-difficulties) Mrs. Hale is unaware of the decision; Margaret is tasked with telling her. ### [V: Decision](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/v-decision) Takes to her bed, expresses anxiety about the move and furniture removal, and eventually reconciles with her husband. ### [Farewell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/vi-farewell) Mrs. Hale cries most of the day and shows childlike interest in London's shops during their stopover. She is emotionally fragile and relies on Dixon for support. ### [Home Sickness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/viii-home-sickness) Mrs. Hale appears hurt and annoyed by her husband's growing interest in Mr. Thornton, feeling slighted in his companionship. ### [IX: Dressing for Tea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/ix-dressing-for-tea) Complains about the visit and the inconvenience, expressing disdain for receiving a tradesman; her health is poor and she is querulous. ### [Wrought Iron and Gold](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/x-wrought-iron-and-gold) Mrs. Hale makes a brief comment about the dirtiness of Milton compared to the South, supporting Margaret's point. ### [XI: First Impressions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xi-first-impressions) Mrs. Hale appears jaded and unwell, with secret consultations with Dixon. Margaret fears her health is suffering from the Milton life. ### [XII: Morning Calls](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xii-morning-calls) Makes an effort to converse with Mrs. Thornton, captivated by her antique lace, which suggests family heritage. ### [XIII: Soft Breeze in a Sultry Place](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xiii-soft-breeze-in-a-sultry-place) Becomes increasingly ill; shows a new patience in suffering but has a flush that Margaret fears is from pain. ### [XIV: The Meeting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xiv-the-meeting) Mrs. Hale opens up to Margaret about her son Frederick, sharing his letters and the traumatic events surrounding his mutiny and subsequent exile. ### [XVI: The Shadow of Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xvi-the-shadow-of-death) Revealed to be terminally ill; initially tries to shield Margaret from the truth but eventually accepts her daughter's care, and breaks down in hysterics crying for Frederick. ### [Likes and Dislikes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xviii-likes-and-dislikes) Though an invalid, she wishes to attend the dinner; Margaret notes a slight improvement in her appearance. ### [XIX: Angel Visits](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xix-angel-visits) Anxiously obsesses over Margaret's dress for the party, revealing her childlike excitement and suppressed vanities from her youth. ### [XX: Men and Gentlemen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xx-men-and-gentlemen) Anxious about Margaret's outing, insists on sending aid to the Boucher family, and questions the morality of helping strikers. ### [XXI: The Dark Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xxi-the-dark-night) Falls gravely ill; attended by Dr. Donaldson; Margaret watches over her through the night. ### [Mistakes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xxiii-mistakes) Mrs. Hale is ill and resting, having received a water-bed from Mrs. Thornton, and is largely absent from the chapter's emotional action. ### [XXIV: Mistakes Cleared Up](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xxiv-mistakes-cleared-up) Mrs. Hale is mentioned as sleeping in the next room, a silent presence that constrains the conversation's volume. ### [Frederick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xxv-frederick) In her illness, she becomes desperate to see her son Frederick before she dies, emotionally manipulating Margaret into writing the letter. ### [XXVII: Fruit-Piece](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xxvii-fruit-piece) Lies ill and feverish, grateful for Thornton's gift of fruit, but chides Margaret for her apparent prejudice against him. ### [Comfort in Sorrow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xxviii-comfort-in-sorrow) Fears for Frederick's safety and relies on Dixon for reassurance. ### [XXIX: A Ray of Sunshine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xxix-a-ray-of-sunshine) Listens to Edith's letter, expresses a growing liking for Mr. Thornton, and discusses the need to keep Frederick's visit secret. ### [XXX: Home at Last](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/chapters/xxx-home-at-last) On her deathbed, she extracts a promise from Mrs. Thornton to be a friend to Margaret. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/characters/mrs_hale - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/north_and_south_se/characters