Quote by Elizabeth Gaskell: “Love is not a thing to be earned, but a gift to be given.”

This quote defines love as an unconditional offering, not something that one must prove worthy of receiving. It highlights love's generosity and inherent value, suggesting it flows freely from the giver.

Her novels often delve into the complexities of human relationships, particularly love, emphasizing its selfless and often unrequited aspects amidst social pressures, a key theme in *Wives and Daughters*.

English novelist whose works examined the social and moral tensions of industrial Victorian England with compassion and precision. Her major novels include North and South, Cranford, and a celebrated biography of her friend Charlotte Brontë.