VICTORIAN HEROES: MR MORAY vs MR THORNTON

To contact us Click HERE
Too great atemptation. Comparing them, I mean. I was thinking: what about making them compete in a challenge?  JohnThornton from Milton, the hero of BBC North and South (2004)facing Mr John E. Moray from BBC The Paradise (2012). But what kind of a competition? Kind of “who makes more money in giventime”? The  two men are quite competitive,as a matter of fact.  However, since I couldn't find any good idea for a competition, what aboutsimply comparing them? Without even asking you to choose who’s better  or to pick up a favourite. Well, youcan do that, if you wish, of course. Just choose your champion and tell us in your comments. As for me,  I won't do that, I’ll just draw a comparisonbetween the two characters trying to point out  similarities and differences. Don't ask me to choose. 

Not having readZola’s novel (of which the series The Paradise is an adaptation) but onlyMrs Gaskell ‘s work which instead inspired BBC 2004 series , I can’t comparethe literary characters the two authors designed.  I’ll focus on the two Victorian gentlemen asthey have been depicted in the TV costume series.
I can’t hide that North and South isone of my favourite literary works and the 2004 BBC mini-series  one  I’m definitely fond of.  Regular readers already know this and muchmore about me & the tall, dark, handsome actor giving life to JohnThornton, Richard Armitage. To have an idea what I am talking about, new onescan just have a look at my Richard Armitage page   (click HERE). Honestly poor Mr Moray starts from  quite a disadvantaged position in this challenge:he must cope with a loyal , years’ long  dedication to Mr RA and his John Thornton. But I’m ready to bemagnanimous,  since I didn’t mind him atall.  Mr Emun Elliott  and his Mr Moray have got his talents too.


It has just come tomy mind that I have already set a challenge for Mr T. , it was some time ago. Imade  fascinating broody mill-owner JohnThornton face a romantic myth  like MrDarcy  and what came out was that Austendashing baronet was easily surpassed, at least in my heart ( see MrDarcy vs Mr Thornton).
What now? Why do Iwant to push him to fight a new duel? Do you remember what happened in the riotscene of North and South? When Margaret spurred John Thornton  to face the angrymob? He did it! He is a brave hero, indeed. Now, he doesn’t need courage tocompete with Mr Moray. It’ll be more like a game of cards between gentlemen. 

Herewe go then.
While recentlywatching  The Paradise,  Iwent on thinking and thinking about  Northand South, especially noticing analogies between the two male protagonists.  
When I heard Moray ask Denise: “Will you call me John? I long to becalled by my name”   I thought:  “Oh, no! Another John.  A name, a destiny” . 
It was episode 6, JohnMoray was in his white shirt puffed sleeves and waistcoat and had loosen his necktie. Does that remind you anything? A destiny. 
Once the formal jacket is off, tenderness prevails and who can resist a Victorian successful self-made man and his seductive skills and gorgeous looks when caught in a moment of fragility and needing sympathy? This happens in both stories, doesn't it? 

But let’s try togive the matter some order and especially  to achieve our purpose. What do the two menhave in common, same name included? They are both

• Victorian  characters (Thornton 1840s, Moray 1870s)
• self-made  business men,  coping with financial troubles, dealing withthe ups and downs of the market
• ambition-driven, hard-working, proud,strong-willed, passionate, extremely focused on the success of their business
• they are thoughtful and take care of theiremployees  being  sympathetic to them (though Thornton gets tobe like that only later on in the story
•  hide a fragile side when itcomes  to feelings and women
• range  from extreme tenderness to fierce fury,  emotionally

Anyway, thedifferences are also quite remarkable. 

While Mr Thornton is a successfulmill-owner who raised himself and his family working hard after his father went bankrupt and killed himself, Moray is an ex draper's boy with unknown background who has built anempire from nothing: he is now  the managerof a huge department store,  which is acompletely new capitalistic  venture forthe time.

While Gaskell’shero is brooding and quite reserved , responsible, cautious and grounded,   Moray is  ironic, self –confident, non-chalant , cheeky,daring and enterprising.
Mr Thornton alwayswears a black suit and is stiffened in his cravat, Mr Moray exhibits abizarre,  fashionable , colourful  style and prefers neck ties.
While Mr Thorntonsounds quite inexperienced in matters of the heart and feels tense and even awkward when in   Margaret’s presence,  Mr Moray is always dashing  and alluring in  his ways with women (though that does not mean he hasn't got troubles in dealing with them!)
While in MrGaskell’s story  we can recognize the prudery of the Victorianframe of mind, in The Paradise  sexuality  seems to have quite amodern connotation: women (Clara,Katherine, Denise) declare their love to  Moray or even offer themselves to him - though his being guilt ridden for his wife’s tragic death,  makes him punish himself trying to live a lifewithout feelings or sex.
Charming,fascinating heroes, aren’t they?  Do wereally have to make a choice? Being part of our dream world, can’t we say thereis space for them both and even  more?

Discover more aboutthe men behind the characters



Visit Emun Elliott (Mr Moray) at imdb



Visit RichardArmitage (Mr Thornton) at imdb