Cousin Phillis by Elizabeth Gaskell
The story revolves around Phillis Holman, a beautiful and talented young woman who lives with her cousin Edward Holdsworth on a farm in the countryside. The narrative explores Phillis's relationships with those around her, including Edward, his sister Helen, and a visiting engineer named Paul Manning. As Phillis navigates her feelings for these individuals, she must confront the societal expectations placed upon her as a woman and make difficult choices about her future.
By Elizabeth Gaskell · First published 1864 · Genre: Romance, Pastoral, Coming-of-Age · 4 chapters · 47,634 words
First lines
It is a great thing for a lad when he is first turned into the independence of lodgings. I do not think I ever was so satisfied and proud in my life as when, at seventeen, I sate down in a little three-cornered room above a pastry-cook's shop in the county town of Eltham. My father had left me that afternoon, after delivering himself of a few plain precepts, strongly expressed, for my guidance in the new course of life on which I was entering. I was to be a clerk under the engineer who had undertaken to make the little branch line from Eltham to Hornby. My father had got me this situation, which was in a position rather above his own in life; or perhaps I should say, above the station in which he was born and bred; for he was raising himself every year in men's consideration and respect. He was a mechanic by trade, but he had some inventive genius, and a great deal of perseverance, and had devised several valuable improvements in railway machinery.
What this Textopian page supports
Cousin Phillis is listed on Textopian as a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, dated 1864 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Elizabeth Gaskell
- Date: 1864 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Pastoral, Coming-of-Age, Victorian Literature, Family Saga
- Length: 47,634 words
- Structure: 4 chapters, 605 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Cousin Phillis by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Cousin Phillis?
- How does this novel by Elizabeth Gaskell fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Romance first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- A Mere Interlude by Thomas Hardy
- An Ambitious Man by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
- Over The Way by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Night And Morning Book V by Edward Bulwer Lytton
- Early Autumn by Louis Bromfield
- Barren Ground by Ellen Glasgow
Genres
- Romance — The central plot revolves around romantic relationships and emotional connections.
- Pastoral — The setting and themes heavily focus on rural life and the countryside.
- Coming-of-Age — The story includes elements of personal growth and maturation of the characters.
- Victorian Literature — The writing style and social context are characteristic of the Victorian era.
Tags
Romance · Novella · Victorian Era · Rural Life · English Literature · Social Class · Family Relationships · Love Triangle · Marriage · Courtship · Village Life · Countryside