Prejudice in Lois The Witch

While Lois is left in the chamber awaiting her impending death she lets her mind wonder back to her home in England: "What would they think of it at home - real, dear home at Barford, in England? There they had loved her; there she had gone about singing and rejoicing, all the day long, in the pleasant meadows by the Avon side. Oh why did father and mother die, and leave her their bidding to come her to this cruel New England shore..." Elizabeth Gaskell is a British author and I think there are many underlying tones dealing with American prejudice. Lois is a very innocent character and has a good heart. However, no matter how hard she tries, she falls victim to the delusions of the American people. She mentions how she was loved in Barford but how she felt ignored in Salem. This could represent Gaskell's feelings about America and Britain. She may think that once she is pegged, no matter how hard she tries, she will never overcome the stereotypes that Americans have created for British people. This is true in Lois the Witch when Lois is accused of being a witch. We all know that she is innocent but once the people have pegged her, their beliefs are unchangeable and she is ultimately doomed to a wrongful death. Also, all the characters in the story that are from America have something wrong with them. Her aunt is always grumpy and remains distant from her, Mannaseh goes crazy, the girls and the priest ultimately turn on her, and the American she admires most (her uncle) dies from a sickness. However, all the British characters are spoken of rather highly. The love of her life Hugh Lucy often occupies her positive thoughts and she admits to being attracted to Captain Holdernesse. Her parents are dead but are spoken of very positively. This alone can lead us to conclude that Gaskell obviously favors the British characters in the book.