Bessy is a poor, working class girl who is on her deathbed for most of the novel until she passes away. She is Margaret’s age, but the similarities between them end there. Bessy contracted her illness from her time spent working in the factory, and now is confined to her house. Her spirits constantly fluctuate from calm and serene to mournful and desolate to wild and frenzied. Bessy has a deep admiration for Margaret, grateful for her visits and comforting presence. She loves her father and constantly worries over him and his drinking habits. She acts as his moral conscience and a voice of reason, particularly when it comes to the workers’ strike, which she despises for all the violence and hate it causes. Bessy eventually dies from her illness, and seems to finally be at peace.
