The Old Nurse’s Story

“The Old Nurse’s Story” is set in Northumberland, England in the mid-19th century. While imperialism and industrialization had led to economic growth and expansion of the workforce in England, women did not have many employment options. That Hester (the “old nurse,” or nanny, telling the story) has been employed by the same family since she was a teenager demonstrates the limited career options that low- or middle-class women had at the time. Even wealthier women (like the Furnivalls) had few options—they were expected to marry, have children, and care for their husbands rather than develop interests or careers of their own. Despite the fact that women were devalued and oppressed in English society at the time, Gaskell centers her story on complex female characters—a distinctly feminist act.