SparkNotes: Hard Times: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs & Symbols Thomas Gradgrind Thomas Gradgrind is the first character we meet in Hard Times, and one of the central figures through whom Dickens weaves a web of intricately connected plotlines and characters. Dickens introduces us to this character with a description of his most central feature: his mechanized, monotone attitude and appearance. The opening scene in the novel describes Mr. Gradgrind’s speech to a group of young students, and it is appropriate that Gradgrind physically embodies the dry, hard facts that he crams into his students’ heads. The narrator calls attention to Gradgrind’s “square coat, square legs, square shoulders,” all of which suggest Gradgrind’s unrelenting rigidity. In the first few chapters of the novel, Mr. Gradgrind expounds his philosophy of calculating, rational self-interest. He believes that human nature can be governed by completely rational rules, and he is “ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature, and tell you what it comes to.” This philosophy has brought Mr. Gradgrind much financial and social success.

He has made his fortune as a hardware merchant, a trade that, appropriately, deals in hard, material reality. Later, he becomes a Member of Parliament, a position that allows him to indulge his interest in tabulating data about the people of England. Although he is not a factory owner, Mr. Gradgrind evinces the spirit of the Industrial Revolution insofar as he treats people like machines that can be reduced to a number of scientific principles. While the narrator’s tone toward him is initially mocking and ironic, Gradgrind undergoes a significant change in the course of the novel, thereby earning the narrator’s sympathy. When Louisa confesses that she feels something important is missing in her life and that she is desperately unhappy with her marriage, Gradgrind begins to realize that his system of education may not be perfect. This intuition is confirmed when he learns that Tom has robbed Bounderby’s bank.

Faced with these failures of his system, Gradgrind admits, “The ground on which I stand has ceased to be solid under my feet.” His children’s problems teach him to feel love and sorrow, and Gradgrind becomes a wiser and humbler man, ultimately “making his facts and figures subservient to Faith, Hope and Charity.” Louisa Gradgrind Although Louisa is the novel’s principal female character, she is distinctive from the novel’s other women, particularly her foils, Sissy and Rachael. While these other two embody the Victorian ideal of femininity—sensitivity, compassion, and gentleness—Louisa’s education has prevented her from developing such traits. Instead, Louisa is silent, cold, and seemingly unfeeling. However, Dickens may not be implying that Louisa is really unfeeling, but rather that she simply does not know how to recognize and express her emotions. For instance, when her father tries to convince her that it would be rational for her to marry Bounderby, Louisa looks out of the window at the factory chimneys and observes: “There seems to be nothing there but languid and monotonous smoke.

Yet when the night comes, Fire bursts out.” Unable to convey the tumultuous feelings that lie beneath her own languid and monotonous exterior, Louisa can only state a fact about her surroundings. Yet this fact, by analogy, also describes the emotions repressed within her. Even though she does not conform to the Victorian ideals of femininity, Louisa does her best to be a model daughter, wife, and sister. Her decision to return to her father’s house rather than elope with Harthouse demonstrates that while she may be unfeeling, she does not lack virtue. Indeed, Louisa, though unemotional, still has the ability to recognize goodness and distinguish between right and wrong, even when it does not fall within the strict rubric of her father’s teachings. While at first Louisa lacks the ability to understand and function within the gray matter of emotions, she can at least recognize that they exist and are more powerful than her father or Bounderby believe, even without any factual basis. Moreover, under Sissy’s guidance, Louisa shows great promise in learning to express her feelings.

Similarly, through her acquaintance with Rachael and Stephen, Louisa learns to respond charitably to suffering and to not view suffering simply as a temporary state that is easily overcome by effort, as her father and Bounderby do. Josiah Bounderby Although he is Mr. Gradgrind’s best friend, Josiah Bounderby is more interested in money and power than in facts. Indeed, he is himself a fiction, or a fraud. Bounderby’s inflated sense of pride is illustrated by his oft-repeated declaration, “I am Josiah Bounderby of Coketown.” This statement generally prefaces the story of Bounderby’s childhood poverty and suffering, a story designed to impress its listeners with a sense of the young Josiah Bounderby’s determination and self-discipline. However, Dickens explodes the myth of the self-made man when Bounderby’s mother, Mrs. Pegler, reveals that her son had a decent, loving childhood and a good education, and that he was not abandoned, after all. Bounderby’s attitude represents the social changes created by industrialization and capitalism.

Whereas birth or bloodline formerly determined the social hierarchy, in an industrialized, capitalist society, wealth determines who holds the most power. Thus, Bounderby takes great delight in the fact that Mrs. Sparsit, an aristocrat who has fallen on hard times, has become his servant, while his own ambition has enabled him to rise from humble beginnings to become the wealthy owner of a factory and a bank. However, in depicting Bounderby, the capitalist, as a coarse, vain, self-interested hypocrite, Dickens implies that Bounderby uses his wealth and power irresponsibly, contributing to the muddled relations between rich and poor, especially in his treatment of Stephen after the Hands cast Stephen out to form a union. Stephen Blackpool Stephen Blackpool is introduced after we have met the Gradgrind family and Bounderby, and Blackpool provides a stark contrast to these earlier characters. One of the Hands in Bounderby’s factory, Stephen lives a life of drudgery and poverty. In spite of the hardships of his daily toil, Stephen strives to maintain his honesty, integrity, faith, and compassion.

Stephen is an important character not only because his poverty and virtue contrast with Bounderby’s wealth and self-interest, but also because he finds himself in the midst of a labor dispute that illustrates the strained relations between rich and poor. Stephen is the only Hand who refuses to join a workers’ union: he believes that striking is not the best way to improve relations between factory owners and employees, and he also wants to earn an honest living. As a result, he is cast out of the workers’ group. However, he also refuses to spy on his fellow workers for Bounderby, who consequently sends him away. Both groups, rich and poor, respond in the same self-interested, backstabbing way. As Rachael explains, Stephen ends up with the “masters against him on one hand, the men against him on the other, he only wantin’ to work hard in peace, and do what he felt right.” Through Stephen, Dickens suggests that industrialization threatens to compromise both the employee’s and employer’s moral integrity, thereby creating a social muddle to which there is no easy solution. Through his efforts to resist the moral corruption on all sides, Stephen becomes a martyr, or Christ figure, ultimately dying for Tom’s crime.

When he falls into a mine shaft on his way back to Coketown to clear his name of the charge of robbing Bounderby’s bank, Stephen comforts himself by gazing at a particularly bright star that seems to shine on him in his “pain and trouble.” This star not only represents the ideals of virtue for which Stephen strives, but also the happiness and tranquility that is lacking in his troubled life. Moreover, his ability to find comfort in the star illustrates the importance of imagination, which enables him to escape the cold, hard facts of his miserable existence. More Help Hard Times Characters | GradeSaver Buy Study Guide Bitzer Bitzer is a classmate of Tom, Louisa and Sissy. As a young adult he works as a clerk in Bounderby's bank and he unsuccessfully apprehends Tom as the thief. Stephen Blackpool Stephen is a poor laborer in one of Josiah Bounderby's factories. He is married to a drunk woman who wanders in and out of his life. After losing his job at the factory, Stephen is forced to leave Coketown and find work elsewhere. In his absence, Stephen is accused of committing a crime that he did not actually commit.

When returning to Coketown to defend his honor, Stephen falls into a pit and injures himself. He is rescued but he eventually dies. Mr. Josiah Bounderby Mr. Bounderby is one of the central characters of the novel. He is a business acquaintance of Mr. Thomas Gradgrind. He employs many of the characters in the novel and he is very wealthy. He marries Louisa Gradgrind (several decades his junior) and the marriage eventually ends unhappily. In the tumult of a bank robbery investigation, Bounderby's true identity is revealed much to his shame. Throughout the novel, Bounderby is an emblem of hypocrisy. Louisa Gradgrind/Louisa Bounderby Louisa is one of the central characters of the novel. She is the eldest of the Gradgrind children and the prize pupil of the educational system. When she grows older, her father arranges her marriage to Mr. Bounderby. Throughout her life, Louisa is very unfulfilled because she has been forced to deny her emotions. She has an emotional breakdown after being tempted into infidelity by Mr. Harthouse. Her marriage with Mr. Bounderby is soon dissolved and she never remarries. Mr.

Thomas Gradgrind Mr. Gradgrind is the intellectual founder of the Gradgrind educational system and he is also a member of Parliament. He represents the rigor of "hard facts" and statistics. It is only after Louisa's emotional breakdown that he has a change of heart and becomes more intellectually accepting of enterprises that are not exclusively dedicated to profit and fact. Mrs. Gradgrind Mrs. Gradgrind is the ignorant wife of Thomas Gradgrind and the mother of Louisa, Tom and the other Gradgrind children. She dies in the middle of the novel. Jane and Adam Smith Gradgrind The younger children of Mr. and Mrs. Gradgrind. They are better off than Tom and Louisa because Sissy Jupe has assisted in their upbringing. Tom Gradgrind Tom is also referred to as "the whelp." He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gradgrind and an employee of Mr. Bounderby. He is resentful towards his sister, Louisa, though she is only kind towards him. His ultimate misdeed comes when he steals money from his safe in the bank and then announces the loss as a true theft. In the end, Tom is forced to flee the country to escape punishment.

He dies overseas and full of regret. James "Jem" Harthouse The younger brother of a member of Parliament, Harthouse has agreed to spend some time teaching in the Gradgrind's school. He is lazy and immodest and finds himself tempting Louisa with offers of romance. Cecilia "Sissy" Jupe Sissy is abandoned by her father who is a well-meaning circus performer. He feels that she will have a better life if he is not able to hinder her progress in society. Sissy lives with the Gradgrind family but she is a poor pupil at their school. In contrast to Mr. Gradgrind, Sissy lives by the philosophy of emotion, fancy, hope and benevolence. In the end, her kindhearted nature softens the rough edges of the Gradgrind family and they come to be grateful for what she has done for them. At the end of the novel, Dickens writes that Sissy grows ever more happy and she eventually has children of her own to care for. Signor Jupe The horse-trainer/circus-performer who is the father of Cecilia.

He sends her on an errand to "fetch the nine oils" as an ointment for his aching muscles. When she returns to their lodging, he is gone. Mrs. Pegler/"The mysterious old woman" Mrs. Pegler is the old woman who makes a yearly pilgrimage to Coketown. At the end of the novel, she is discovered to be the mother of Mr. Josiah Bounderby. Rachael The unmarried companion of Stephen Blackpool. She keeps his spirits up while he is suffering and after he has left Coketown, she takes it as her responsibility to defend his honor. Slackbridge The dishonorable and deceitful leader of the labor movement: The United Aggregate Tribunal. Slackbridge takes the legitimate concerns of the laborers and exploits them for his own power. Mr. Sleary Is the manager of a traveling circus. After providing for Sissy at the beginning of the novel he assists Tom's escape at the novel's end. Mrs. Sparsit Mrs. Sparsit is a widow who has fallen on hard times. She is retained in Mr. Bounderby's service until her snooping gets her fired.

Hard Times - Major characters - | Ilhem Soufi - Academia.edu Hard Times - Major characters - Ilhem Soufi HARD TIMES : By: Charles Dickens HARD TIMES : INTRODUCTION: • Hard Times, a social protest Novel of 19th Century in England. Charles Dickens was very interested in politics and social affairs, his work is sticked into one central plot, which is the Story of Thomas Gradgrind and his family. • As a teacher, Gradgrind raises his children on the model of FACTS and pushes them to live a realistic existence. • Many politicians and some critics did not like how Dickens wrote about the Trade Unions. THE MAJOR CHARACTERS IN THE PLOT OF HARD TIMES : Thomas Gradgrind Louisa and Sissy Jupe THE MAJOR CHARACTERS IN THE PLOT OF HARD TIMES : Thomas Gradgrind, Josiah Bounderby Stephen Blackpool and his mad wife THE MAJOR CHARACTERS IN THE PLOT OF HARD TIMES : • Thomas Gradgrind has one religion and that is FACTS , no FANCY. He is an educator, he raises his children according to the methods he proposes for his schools.

He repented and felt regret for the deprived he caused for his children’s misery. • Josiah Bounderby is a wealthy merchant, banker, and businessman. He discussed about the difficulties and poverty he had faced in his childhood, and after that , he had been a determined character. He had an agreement with Mr. Gradgrind to marry Louisa when she got old enough. • Louisa is the oldest child of Thomas Gradgrind, She was her father’s favorite and he payed especial attention to her upbringing. She lived a dual life. She was always able to present her father with the answer that he attempted to instill in her. She has a tendency of imagination, dreams, and fancy. THE MAJOR CHARACTERS IN THE PLOT OF HARD TIMES : • Sissy Jupe ‘ Cecilia’ is a pupil in Gradgrind’s school where she was humilated by him and other school personnals. She did not know to respond to questions with facts. She is the daughter of a circus performer, and she represents FANCY. She could not learn facts and always responded with emotional response of the heart. She is the only character who achieves true Happiness.

• Stephen Blackpool is a ‘hand’ at one of Bounderby’s factories. He was a hard worker and an honest man. But, his difficult life is ruined by his marriage to a drunken Woman. He felt in love with Rachel who remaind single and faitful to him. He did not have money to divorce his wife because it was forbiden at that time. He continued to work despite his sorrow when a Labour Union was formed, he refused to join it, He found out that he was being acused of stealing the money, he began to the long walk to clear his name, bbut , when he was near COKETOWN, he fell into a mine shalt. He died in Rachel’s arms. ANALYSIS OF CHAPTER 10 • This chapter is considered by many scholars as a failure work, when Dicken published his work, he did not publish the whole work, it was in series. He wrote this work in a hurry inorder not to be critisized by the society mainly the working class. In this chapter, Stephen Blackpool is represented as a miserable man and an honest man with values, He was portraited as a victim in the plot of his wife, and of the law that unlaws divorse.

He is married to an immoral and drunken wife, Here Dicken’s purpose in describing the bad marriage is to attack England’s restrictive divorcelaws, because divorce was available just for the wealthy people. Although, Bounderby shows no pity for Stephen, bbut these will bring to haunt his marriage with Louisa becomes troubled. CONCLUSION: • Charles Dickens used Stephen Blackpool, Mr. Bounderby, Louisa, Sissy Jupe, and Mr. Gradgrind to display the lower, middle, and upper classes in the English caste system created by industrialization. He showed that the lower class often faced troubles and unfairness, the middle class attempted to impersonate the upper class, and the upper class seemed not to care about money at all. READ PAPER Hard Times Characters - eNotes.com Hard Times Characters link Link Thomas Gradgrind—a citizen of Coketown, proprietor of a model school, member of Parliament, father of Tom and Louisa. Mrs. Gradgrind—Thomas Gradgrind’s ailing, complaining wife. She is a victim as much as her children to her husband’s regimen of Fact.

Tom Gradgrind—Thomas Gradgrind’s selfish, ne’er-do-well son, called “the whelp,” employed in Bounderby’s bank. Louisa Gradgrind—Thomas Gradgrind’s eldest daughter. She is disastrously married to the much older industrialist Josiah Bounderby. Mr. James Harthouse—a dilettante friend of Gradgrind’s. He makes love to Louisa. Sissy (Cecilia) Jupe—a tender-hearted pupil at Gradgrind’s school. Josiah Bounderby—a blustering mill owner and banker who boasts constantly of being a self-made man. Mrs. Sparsit—a well-born, snobbish but impoverished widow. She is employed by Bounderby as his housekeeper. Lady Scadgers—great aunt to Mrs. Sparsit. Bitzer—a model pupil, employed by Bounderby as a porter (and informer). He hates Tom Gradgrind and tries to have him arrested for theft. Mr. M’Choakumchild—an overzealous teacher in Gradgrind’s school. Mr. Sleary—the owner and manager of “Sleary’s Horse-Riding,” a traveling circus.

Signor Jupe—Sissy’s father, a melancholy clown in Sleary’s Circus. Josephine Sleary—Mr. Sleary’s daughter and a circus performer. Mr. E.W.B. Childers—a performer who is the “Wild Huntsman of the North American Prairies” in Sleary’s Circus. Master Kidderminster—Mr. Childers’ son and partner, “a diminutive boy with an old face.” Mr. Slackbridge—the speechifying leader of Coketown’s factory operatives. Stephen Blackpool—an honest factory hand. He is unhappily married, ostracized by Slackbridge and his fellow workers, and unjustly accused of robbery. He dies after falling down a disused mine shaft on his way back to Coketown. Rachael—a factory hand. She is a friend to Stephen, whom he would have married had not the law prevented him from divorcing his fallen, drunken wife. Stephen’s wife—an unnamed, drunken, sub-human woman. Mrs. Pegler—a mysterious old woman from the country who turns out to be Bounderby’s mother.

link Link Thomas Gradgrind Thomas Gradgrind, a retired hardware merchant and the founder of an experimental school where only facts and proved scientific laws are taught. A firm believer that “two and two are four, and nothing over,” he is the father of five unhappy fact-finders and the husband of an ailing, dispirited woman quite worn out from the facts of life. While he is essentially a kind and good man, his excessive attention to the scientific and the practical and his total neglect of the imaginative and the speculative make him a kind of bumbling ogre. Through Gradgrind’s theories and activities, Dickens projects his sharp criticism of nineteenth century industry and culture. Louisa Gradgrind Louisa Gradgrind, his older daughter, called Loo by her husband, a wealthy, elderly industrialist to whom she was married according to her father’s calculated mathematical theories. A sensible young woman, trained to have respect for hard facts by Mr. M’Choakumchild, master of the model school, she has no nonsense about her and therefore makes a proper wife for unsentimental and callous Josiah Bounderby. She cannot wonder, speculate, or love.

Her two thwarted rebellions, an attempt in her girlhood to see a circus and a planned elopement from her unhappy marriage, fail because she lacks courage. Resisting the temptation to run away with another man, she returns to her father’s house and stays there when she cannot bring herself to return to her husband’s bed and board within the time limit he sets. Thomas Gradgrind Thomas Gradgrind, the younger son. Although trained in the same school of hard facts, he is filled with melancholy and a lack of ambition that lead him to a determination to sample life’s vices. Loved and protected by his sister, he becomes a drunkard, a sensualist, and finally a thief, stealing one hundred and fifty pounds from his brother-in-law’s bank, where he is employed as a clerk. For a time, he is able to throw suspicion on an innocent man, but eventually his guilt is revealed. Easily led, he accepts the overtures of cynical James Harthouse, who uses the relationship of weak brother and protective sister as a wedge in his attempted seduction of Louisa.

Tom is given another chance to face the facts, something he has rebelled against, when his sister and Sissy Jupe give him an opportunity to flee the country, away from Bounderby’s wrath and the law’s long arm. Malthus Gradgrind Jane Gradgrind, the other Gradgrind children, all victims of their father’s harsh training. Josiah Bounderby Josiah Bounderby, a wealthy industrialist, the friend of Thomas Gradgrind and Louisa’s husband. The owner of a Coketown (Manchester) factory, he is exceedingly proud of the fact that he is a self-made man. He advises Mr. Gradgrind against taking Sissy Jupe into his home or allowing her to attend the experimental school. In the end, he loses his wife and the respect of his friends—everything but his money. Cecilia Jupe Cecilia Jupe, called Sissy, the daughter of a circus clown. Deserted by her father, she grows up in the Gradgrind home, a companion to Louisa. Unsuccessful in learning facts, she is constantly forced to face them and is turned from her foster home to work in Bounderby’s factory.

A sensitive, loving girl, she is convinced that her father has not abandoned her, that the Gradgrinds have been generous, and that people are generally trustworthy. She proves her own trust by supporting confused Louisa, persuading Harthouse to leave the neighborhood, and helping Tom Gradgrind escape from the law. James Harthouse James Harthouse, a cynical political aspirant and a shrewd observer of human nature and behavior. Handsome, smooth-spoken, he attempts the seduction of lonely, unloved Louisa. Sissy Jupe saves her friend from folly when she visits the young politician and persuades him the planned elopement would bring unhappiness to all concerned, including himself. Mrs. Sparsit Mrs. Sparsit, a woman of aristocratic pretensions and closed mind, formerly Bounderby’s housekeeper. Deposed from her position of authority after his marriage, she embarrasses the self-made industrialist by producing his respectable mother and thus proving that his story of his rise from rags to riches is a hoax. Mrs. Pegler Mrs. Pegler, the mother of Josiah Bounderby, a figure of mystery after her appearance in Coketown.

The truth, finally revealed, is that she had reared her son in modest but comfortable circumstances and given him an education. Ashamed of his real background, the son has paid her a pension to stay away from him so that she cannot disprove his story that he lifted himself from the gutter. Stephen Blackpool Stephen Blackpool, a poor, honest weaver in Bounderby’s factory. The victim of a drunken wife and the factory system, his life is a hard one. During a labor disturbance at the factory, he refuses to join the rebellious workers or to side with his employer. Discharged, he leaves Coketown to look for work elsewhere. During his absence, he is accused of the robbery committed by Tom Gradgrind. Louisa and Sissy find the miner in an abandoned mine shaft, into which he had fallen while returning to prove his innocence. He is brought to the surface alive but severely injured, and he dies soon afterward. Mrs. Blackpool Mrs. Blackpool, his wife, a confirmed drunkard. Rachel Rachel, a worker in Bounderby’s factory, hopelessly in love with Stephen Blackpool. Bitzer Bitzer, a typical product of Mr. Gradgrind’s school.

Acting as Bounderby’s agent, he tracks down Tom Gradgrind and arrests him, only to lose the culprit when Tom makes his escape with the aid of a circus owner, a performer, a trained dog, and a dancing horse. Mr. M’Choakumchild Mr. M’Choakumchild, the master of Mr. Gradgrind’s model school, also a believer that facts are facts. Mr. Sleary Mr. Sleary, the proprietor of a circus troupe. A friend of Sissy Jupe, he helps Tom Gradgrind to flee the country. E. W. B. Childers E. W. B. Childers, a circus performer billed as “The Wild Huntsman of the North American Prairies.” He aids Mr. Sleary in the plan for Tom Gradgrind’s escape from Bitzer. Emma Gordon Emma Gordon, Sissy Jupe’s friend, a member of the circus troupe. Master Kidderminster Master Kidderminster, a young boy with a strangely aged face, the member of the circus troupe who assists E. W. B. Childers in his high-vaulting act.

Josephine Sleary Josephine Sleary, the lovely daughter of the circus proprietor. Slackbridge Slackbridge, a trade union organizer. Lady Scadgers Lady Scadgers, the eccentric, incredibly obese bedridden aunt of Mrs. Sparsit. Signor Jupe 'Hard Times' by Charles Dickens - Explore how Dickens establishes the characters of Gradgrind and Bounderby in the opening five chapters - GCSE English - Marked by Teachers.com 'Hard Times' by Charles Dickens - Explore how Dickens establishes the characters of Gradgrind and Bounderby in the opening five chapters Extracts from this document... Introduction 'Hard Times' by Charles Dickens Explore how Dickens establishes the characters of Gradgrind and Bounderby in the opening five chapters of 'Hard Times' and how he influences the reader opinion of them. The purpose of this assignment is to consider what the author of 'Hard Times'; Charles Dickens in actuality thinks of the two characters Mr Thomas Gradgrind and Mr Josiah Bounderby in the opening five chapters of the novel. Furthermore I am trying to explore how Dickens tries to influence our view on the two characters on our first impression.

In the opening chapter, 'The one thing needful', we start to discover Mr Gradgrinds harsh and unpleasant personality. On the first line Gradgrind, who we don't identify at this stage of the book, says, "Now, what I want is, Facts, Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts, Facts alone.... ..... root out everything else." This implies to us that Gradgrind doesn't want his pupils to have a single element of enjoyment inside them, and suggest that the children will be sorrowful rather than in high spirits whilst being educated. Dickens also starts to bring an element of gloom into the book for the reason that on the second chapter he starts describing the classroom as prison ...read more. Middle In chapter three, 'A Loophole' we finally get an insight into Thomas Gradgrind's home-life where we are first introduced to his family of five children all models of Mr Gradgrind. We also find out that his house is called Stone Lodge, which was situated one or two miles from a town formerly known as Coketown.

We are told that his children are starved of imagination and were bought up on facts and instead of having drawers and cabinets full of the enjoyable fixations children boast, the Gradgrind children have cabinets full of various departments of science. When we finally get to see Louisa and Tom, Mr Gradgrinds Children they are at a circus, since Gradgrind had evidently objected to the principle of fun in the opening chapters in the book, we are drawn into the story when we want to identify how Gradgrind will respond towards his own children who are in a circus. Then when we hear Louisa Gradgrind talk about why she and young Tom Gradgrind came, She said, "Wanted to see what it was like." The way she speaks this is almost robotic just like Bitzer from the school. ...read more. Conclusion At of this stage in the book makes us wonder if Gradgrind is really as harsh as he looks like he is or he is going to use Sissy as a servant to help look after Mrs Gradgind and the house. The writer also turns us against Bounderby because he won't help give an orphan a further opportunity in life and education.

Continuing in this chapter we also begin to realise the affections Josiah Bounderby has for Louisa. Even though he admires Tom as he more than admires Louisa, Later on in the novel Bounderby goes on to marry Louisa. So when Bounderby kisses Louisa and then goes off, she grabs a cloth to rub her cheek where Bounderby kissed her, and Tom describes her rubbing her cheek so firmly that she'll 'rub a hole in her face.' And she replies by saying 'you may cut the piece out with your penknife...', This makes us think that Louisa doesn't appreciate Josiah's affections. Finally my assessment shows Gradgrind's and Bounderby's personalities are based on facts, but through the story Gradgrind was becoming a better character whilst Bounderby was still depraved. And how he had affections for Louisa and then wanted to marry her later on in the novel shows that he is determined to get what he wants, without the opinion of others. ...read more. The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Hard Times section. Found what you're looking for?

Start learning 29% faster today 150,000+ documents available The character of Josiah Bounderby in Hard Times from LitCharts | The creators of SparkNotes Cecilia (Sissy) Jupe Mr. Bounderby is a pompous, arrogant, and successful factory owner who constantly boasts about how he is a self-made man (he isn't, it is later revealed). He is good friends with Mr. Gradgrind and lives with an elderly widow named Mrs. Sparsit until he marries Louisa Gradgrind, whom he has had his eye on since she was little. Selfish and blustering, he does not make Louisa happy, driving her to be emotionally vulnerable to James Harthouse's advances. Josiah Bounderby Quotes in Hard Times The Hard Times quotes below are all either spoken by Josiah Bounderby or refer to Josiah Bounderby. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Note: all page and citation info for the quotes below refers to the Dover Publications edition of Hard Times published in 2001.

Book 1, Chapter 7 Quotes ‘You are quite another father to Louisa, sir.' Mrs Sparsit took a little more tea; and, as she bent her again contracted eyebrows over her steaming cup, rather looked as if her classical countenance were invoking the infernal gods. Related Characters: Mrs. Sparsit (speaker), Louisa Gradgrind, Josiah Bounderby Related Themes: Download it! Josiah Bounderby Character Timeline in Hard Times The timeline below shows where the character Josiah Bounderby appears in Hard Times. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Book 1, Chapter 3 ...Mr. Gradgrind just scolds them as he takes them home, and adds, "What would Mr. Bounderby say?" (full context) Book 1, Chapter 4 Mr. Bounderby is described as a physically inflated, coarsely made man. He is standing in Stone Lodge,... (full context) ...the circus, and indignantly exposes the misbehavior of his children to his wife and to Bounderby. The two men discuss what ought to be done, and Bounderby, discovering that Sissy Jupe... (full context) Mr.

Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby set off for Coketown to confront the Jupes. As they leave, Mr. Bounderby plants a... (full context) Book 1, Chapter 5 Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby stroll into industrial Coketown, once a red brick town but now discolored, having been blasted... (full context) On their way to the Jupes' home, Gradgrind and Bounderby collide with Sissy Jupe and Bitzer; Gradgrind finds, to his chagrin, that his star pupil... (full context) Mr. Bounderby is coarse and insensitive in the way he responds to this information and jeers at... (full context) Book 1, Chapter 6 Sissy leads Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby into the pub, called the Pegasus's Arms, where she, her father, and the rest of... (full context) ...dearly, because of his shame in his failure to earn their living. As Gradgrind and Bounderby discuss what they ought to do with this now father-less child (Gradgrind wants to take...

(full context) Book 1, Chapter 7 Mr. Bounderby returns to his own home, where he lives with a previously well-connected and elderly widow... (full context) Book 1, Chapter 8 ...for Tom, he expresses his discontent with life, and reveals that he sometimes manipulates Mr. Bounderby when Bounderby says something to him he doesn't like by commenting that Louisa wouldn't like... (full context) Book 1, Chapter 11 ...of other hands in the factory, Stephen pays a visit to the factory owner, Mr. Bounderby. Bounderby is home, eating a rich lunch and accompanied by Mrs. Sparsit. (full context) Stephen asks him if there is anything he can do to dissolve his unhappy marriage. Bounderby maintains that the law is the law, and that the sanctity of marriage must be... (full context) Book 1, Chapter 12 As Stephen is walking away from Bounderby's house, he runs into an old, neatly-dressed woman who closely questions him as to Bounderby's...

(full context) Book 1, Chapter 14 ...Sissy have grown into young women, and Tom is now a young man, apprenticed to Bounderby. Mr. Gradgrind's education of facts has not affected Sissy, who has acquired none of the... (full context) Book 1, Chapter 15 Mr. Gradgrind summons Louisa to his room, and informs her that Mr. Bounderby has asked for her hand in marriage. She doesn't react at first, then responds that... (full context) She then says she will marry Mr. Bounderby, which she knows is her father's wish. Taking her downstairs, Mr. Gradgrind announces the news... (full context) Book 1, Chapter 16 Back at Mr. Bounderby's house, Bounderby is rather nervous as to how Mrs. Sparsit will take the news of... (full context) The day of the wedding comes, and Louisa and Mr. Bounderby are married. Tom thinks only of all the advantages he will gain by this marriage,... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 1 ...in Coketown, Mrs.

Sparsit sits in her new living quarters attached to the Bank of Bounderby's factory, and chats Bitzer, now a young man and the Bank's porter. In their conversation,... (full context) ...the door to admit a languid, well-dressed young gentleman who is trying to find Mr. Bounderby. Mrs. Sparsit is impressed by the man's manners and his flattery, and upon questioning, disdainfully... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 2 ...bored out of his mind and hoping to find some distraction in working for Mr. Bounderby. It was James' brother who recommended that he go work for Bounderby, whom his brother... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 3 ...as a guise to extract information from him about Louisa. He learns that Louisa married Bounderby not out of love but for Tom's sake, to help him advance and to ensure... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 4 Meanwhile, the workers at Bounderby's factory in Coketown have had enough of their bad working conditions. They meet in a...

(full context) ...four days, until Bitzer comes up to him and asks him to accompany him to Bounderby's house. (full context) Book 2, Chapter 5 Stephen joins Mr. Bounderby, Louisa, Tom, and Mr. Harthouse in the Bounderbys' drawing room. Bounderby demands that Stephen reveal... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 6 Stephen steps out of Mr. Bounderby's house into the dark evening, and runs into Rachael and the old woman he met... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 7 Mr. Harthouse gets along well with Bounderby and the other "Hard Fact" fellows with his easy flattery, and begins to make headway... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 8 Riding home after a day of work, Harthouse encounters an upset Bounderby, who reveals that the Bank has been robbed! Only 150 pounds have been stolen, which... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 9 Mrs. Sparsit stretches the few days she was supposed to spend in Bounderby's house quite a while longer, and continues to lavish so much attention on Mr. Bounderby... (full context) Shortly after Mr.

Bounderby leaves for work, Bitzer brings Louisa a note telling her that her mother is dying.... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 10 Mrs. Sparsit continues to show excessive pity to Mr. Bounderby when he is present, and excessive contempt to his portrait when he is gone. Watching... (full context) Book 2, Chapter 11 Mr. Bounderby informs Mrs. Sparsit that he will have to be away from home for three to... (full context) Book 3, Chapter 3 ...the night before, Mrs. Sparsit, filthy wet clothes and all, rushes to London, finds Mr. Bounderby, and tells him what she saw and what she concluded. Bounderby rather rudely throws her... (full context) Losing none of his bluster, Bounderby then demands of Mr. Gradgrind an explanation for his daughter's behavior. As Mr. Gradgrind hesitatingly... (full context) When Louisa does not appear at Bounderby's by noon the next day, Mr. Bounderby has his servants send back all her belongings...

(full context) Book 3, Chapter 4 Meanwhile, the robber of Bounderby's bank has not been found. Due to Mrs. Sparsit's and Bitzer's testimony, Stephen is the... (full context) Louisa is at Stone Lodge with Sissy when Mr. Bounderby, Tom, and Rachael call on them. This is no courtesy call: Rachael has been trying... (full context) Mr. Bounderby is skeptical of all of their claims, and angrily storms off, with Tom following after... (full context) Book 3, Chapter 5 The two go for a walk around the town, and as they pass Mr. Bounderby's house, they see an excited Mrs. Sparsit pull up in a coach, accompanied by a... (full context) But Mrs. Sparsit and the gathered crowd are all excited when Mr. Bounderby reluctantly reveals that this lady is his own mother. Gradgrind then criticizes Mrs. Pegler for... (full context) ...both suspect in their hearts that Tom was the bank robber. He has become Mr. Bounderby's shadow, and doesn't visit Louisa. Louisa begins to worry that maybe Tom killed Stephen.

(full context) Book 3, Chapter 7 ...he spitefully blames her for the trouble he's in now—for leaving him alone with Mr. Bounderby, and for making his friend Mr. Harthouse leave town. (full context) Book 3, Chapter 9 Back at Mr. Bounderby's home, things have come to a head between him and Mrs. Sparsit. Over lunch, they... (full context) ...Sparsit spends the rest of her days taking care of a miserly old lady. Mr. Bounderby continues being the arrogant, blustery humbug he always was. Mr. Gradgrind remedies his ways and... (full context) Cite This Page Choose citation style: Kustner, Gabriella. "Hard Times Characters: Josiah Bounderby." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 17 Nov 2013. Web. 17 Jan 2017. Kustner, Gabriella. "Hard Times Characters: Josiah Bounderby." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 17 Nov 2013. Web. 17 Jan 2017. Kustner, Gabriella.

"Hard Times Characters: Josiah Bounderby." LitCharts LLC, November 17, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2017. Kustner, Gabriella. "Hard Times Characters: Josiah Bounderby." LitCharts LLC, November 17, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2017. Copy to Clipboard Charles Dickens, Hard Times - UI Victorian Wiki - UIowa Wiki UI Victorian Wiki Go to start of metadata Introduction Mr. Gradgrind is married to Mrs. Gradgrind and they have 5 children, Louisa, Tom (later whelp), Jane, Adam Smith, Malthous. Text focuses on Tom and mainly Louisa, who Gradgrind teaches, with the other children only facts. Louisa in "Book 1: Sowing" marries Josiah Bounderby, her father's boss of sorts, who gives over the top descriptions of his apparently horrid childhood. Louisa and Bounderby use their honeymoon to check in on some "Hands" or people that work in the factories, notably one Stephen Blackpool who refuses to join his local Union.

In addition to turmoil at work, he is married to an old woman who returns during the novel from being exiled. Stephen tries to get out of the marriage so that he can be with Rachael but due to his unfortunate stance on economic scale he is unable to do so. Mrs. Sparsit spies on James Harthouse and Louisa, as Harthouse attempts to lure Louisa into an affair. Sissy (daughter of a circus performer, is taken in by Gradgrind and when Mrs. Gradgrind dies, she takes over a motherly role) sends Harthouse away and Louisa ends the novel alone, never remarried, but now understands what her mother never did, why fancy has an important role in a life of fact. Table of Contents Image Gallery Themes and Motifs Walking along the grimy alleyways of 19th Century England’s industrial cities, you’re likely to run face to face with a potential Dickens theme at every corner! If you do? Ask yourself these questions, before, or after, reading Hard Times, and see if you can identify important thematic clues. The central family of the novel is the Gradgrinds.

In many of Dicken’s works, characters names reveal information about how they relate to the themes of the book. What could Gradgrid mean? Remember how each member of the family is unique, and might enable the name is different ways! Sissy Jupe, despite her absences, is a central figure of the plot who comes under the direct control of Mr. Gradgrinds’ fact-based philosophy. Do you consider her to become an actual Gradgrind? Consider her affect on the younger daughter, Jane. What might the significance be that Sissy Jupe came from a circus and ended up with Gradgrinds, and had the effect that she did? As you get to know Mr. Bounderby, does your impression of him better or worsen? Where did he come from in the world? How did he get to where he is? What does he think and say about those who started out in the same manner as he did? Does your impression of Mr. Bounderby, coupled with his treatment of the Hands, suggest any major point that Dickens is trying to make? Stephen Blackpool has two big problems in Hard Times, his destitute and alcoholic wife, and the fact that he refuses to unionize, ultimately losing his job.

Does Dickens portray him as more fact or fancy? What did you think about Blackpool when Rachel saves his wife’s life? How does your opinion of Blackpool change when he refuses to join the strike? As a Hand, Blackpool appears in contrast to most of the other factory workers, how does his life relate to the lives of Louisa, Tom, and Sissy? Does that suggest any themes? Hard Times makes several references to the passage of time. Is time portrayed as a positive or negative force? Or rather, does it seem to help or harm people’s situations? James Harthouse plays a unique role in the plot because of his apathy, whereas many characters feel strongly about at least one important issue. What is the purpose of having a wealthy aristocrat and seducer who subscribes to neither fact nor fancy? Does his wealth and status in society play a role in how we are to perceive him? Women command a strong presence in Hard Times, often acting as the agents of change as we see with a grown Louisa, as well as the effect of Sissy over time in the Gradgrind home. While women appear powerful in this sense, their marriages are often lackluster. What is Dickens suggesting about women in this industrial society?

Are they cast as taken advantage of or are they the ones taking advantage? Consider Ms. Sparsit and Rachel, then ask yourself, is there really a significant difference in the roles of men and women. Fact or Fancy - Character Overview Character Ratings: In "fact" and "fancy". In the beginning of Hard Times, Mr. Thomas Gradgrind outlines a specific rubric for the quality of a human being. He sets a precedent, through one fundamental requirement, that defines the nature of “effective” people. It is on this principle that he operates, and how he perceives the entire make up of Coketown, in the early portion of the book. Below is the early requirements for the citizens of Coketown: “Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts are alone wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will every be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children.

Stick to Facts, sir!” “In this life, we want nothing but Facts, sir; nothing but Facts!” (9) It’s the idea that nothing can be for certain unless it is indeed for certain. More clearly, nothing can be worth anything without the means to measure, quantify, and calculate it. The people of Coketown must operate on fact, they must be reasonable, factual animals. Early the work he contrasts this definition of “fact” with the pointless nature of “fancy” he says: “You must discard the word Fancy altogether! You have nothing to do with it. You are not to have, in any object of use or ornament, what would be a contradiction in fact; you cannot be allowed to walk upon flowers in carpets. You don’t find that foreign birds and butterflies come and perch upon your crockery... You must use, for all these purposes, combinations and modifications (in primary colours) of mathematical figures which are susceptible proof and demonstration. This is a new discovery. This is fact. This is taste.” (14) However, as the work continues, Thomas Gradgrind’s opinions shift.

His previous ideal of factuality and precision is deteriorated, his old notion of “fancy” as superfluous, flamboyant, and silly, also goes. Motivated by the realization of Louisa, Gradgrind comes to embrace fancy, he changes his ways. As Gradgrind states in book III: "I appear to myself to have become better informed as to Louisa’s character. than in previous years. The enlightenment has been forced upon me, and the discovery is not mine. I think there are- Bounderby, you will be surprised to hear me say this- I think there are qualities in Louisa, which- which have been harshly neglected, and- and a little perverted. And- and I would suggest to you, that- that if you would kindly meet me in a timely endeavor to leave her to her better nature for a while- and to encourage it to develop itself by tenderness and consideration- it- it would be the better for the happiness of all of us.” (234) With this shift in mind, the character below are assigned two ratings from 1 to 10.

The first score, in red, is how the character would operate in Gradgrind’s original society (factual). The second score, in green, is how the character operates in a fanciful realm. Mr. Thomas Gradgrind Early in the novel, he is the foremost proprietor of the factual human being. He has started a school to teach it, formulated his own children to model it (pg. 9), and in fact, is: “A man of realities. A man of fact and calculation.” (pg.10) He is a man that finds no good in the silliness of the circus (pg. 23) and speaks with a voice: “which was inflexible, dry, and dictatorial.” (pg.9). Furthermore, he is so based in fact that his face holds its characteristics described as: “an unbending, utilitarian, matter-of-fact face...” (pg. 99) He hates fancy things such as flowers on carpet and horses on walls (pg.14), and he holds himself under the strict guidelines of the calculable. This man is the epitome of everything he wishes to create. He is the model, the precedent, the living, breathing, representation of perfection.

(As defined by his own definition and standard.) FACTUAL RATING: 10 With the passage listed above, the “Gradgrind system” also changed he was moved from a perfectly factual being, into the form of a fancy embracing father. We observe in book III a Thomas Gradgrind that has been moved with sympathy and notices the flaws in his old ways. For example, he asks his once prized student Bitzer if he has a heart, and questioningly suggests: “‘Is it accessible,’ cried Mr. Gradgrind, “To any compassionate influence?’” (277) He is even seen to be sitting in the chair of a performance clown, (273), and before this assigns Sissy with duty of looking after Louisa as a sort of “attendant of fancy’. Despite, his previous ways, Gradgrind has changed. He outlines a sort of optimistic outlooks that supports the necessity of fancy, and seeks to fix his misdeeds. This proprietor of the original factual philosophy, transition from fact to fancy underscores the central theme of Dicken’s work. A theme that speaks for childish fancy, but does not rule out change in the mass of the “factual”.

FANCY RATING: 7 Mr. Josiah Bounderby Bounderby is an interesting folk, rising out the streets where he once was a self proclaimed vagabond and scoundrel (22), he is a self made man (20). A man that indeed made himself with the ideals of fact in mind. He is observed being the: “bosom friend” (20) of the ideal ‘factman’, Gradgrind, and has removed from himself things that are not fact such as sentiment and soft material (20). He speaks badly about non-factual things such as imagination: “Idle imagination, A very bad thing for anybody...” (25) Also, he is seen to be “eminently practical” (29) and a rough man (32) One of his leading attributes is his understanding of the value of time as he boastfully proclaims (35) and he doesn’t understand pointless things such as slang (37). Even more telling, about his attention and observance of fact, is his desire and marriage to Gradgrind’s daughter. Only a man with a real love for fact would wish to marry the creation of Mr.

Gradgrind and the only partner suited for such a man could be the creation of Mr. Gradgrind. However, one point does hinder his otherwise severe attention to calculable things: his embellished and fanciful stories of his past. His, non-fact based, tales of his life before fact. He wasn’t always a man of fact, and his telling of his history displays this. FACTUAL RATING: 9 Bounderby, as seen in his previous rating, was a champion of the Gradgrind ways throughout the work. He combatted the imaginative mind of his once wife, Louisa, and always proclaimed his existence as a self made man. However, he did not take well to the Gradgrind shift of perception. After the speech in which Gradgrind announces his change of philosophy, Mr. Josiah Bounderby reacts in the following way: “The blusterous Boundry crimisoned and swelled to such as extent on hearing these words, that he seemed to be, and probably was, on the brink of a fit.” (234) Furthermore, he is witnessed stating his obsession with the factual ways far in the third book, the book that most characters changed their ways.

Bounderby gives a ranting speech in which he outlines his fundamental obsession of the “old ways”: “I am a Coketown man. I am Josiah Bounderby of Coketown. I know the bricks of this town, and I know the smoke of this town, and I the Hands of this town. When a man tells me anything about imaginative qualities, I always tell the man, whoever he is, that I know what he means. He means turtle-soup and venison, with a golden spoon...” (234) His highlighting of the old “imaginative qualities” (turtle-soup and venison, with a golden spoon...) Underscores the idea that he is firmly set in the old Gradgrind philosophy, he is a character that was to stubborn, or to stupid, to change allow fancy. FANCY RATING: 1 Louisa Gradgrind Louisa Gradgrind is the creation of Mr. Thomas Gradgrind and Mrs. Gradgrind. She was formulated under the specific circumstances of the old Coketown.

She was denied the wonder of poetry and fiction, and was often seen starting into fires or other situations in which she was horribly numb: “Lousia languidly leaned upon the window looking out, without looking at anything...” (26) At the point in the novel when she is married to Bounderby, a forerunner for the value of fact, she has basically given her imagination away. She is acting completely factual and completely under her father’s terms. Early in the work she is described as: “There was an air of jaded sullenness in them both, and particularly in the girl: yet, struggling through the dissatisfaction of her face, there was a light with nothing to rest upon, a fire with nothing to burn, a starved imagination keeping life in itself somehow...” (19) It is this internal struggle that fuels the work, it the fundamental yearning for fancy invested in Lousia. Before the change of her father, after her opposition and approach of him, she is a factual, reasonable human being. Before the events of Hard Times really take off, she is factual and miserable.

FACTUAL RATING: 7 Lousia is the catalyst for her father’s change of heart, and birth of his mind, her “coming out” from fact and into fancy marks the moment in the work that the “old Coketown” is gone. She is freed of Mr. Bounderby, and the reader observes a honest, and enlightening conversation with Sissy in which Dickens states: “In the innocence of her brave affection, and the brimming up of her old devoid spirit, the once deserted girl shone like a beautiful light upon the darkness of others.” (220) It is at this point when the product of the old factual system is broken, and changed, into the spirit of Sissy’s fanciful ways. It is at this point when her unhappiness is attached to the flaws of her father’s mind set and fancy is invited in. By the end of the work, Louisa never remarries but she creates a different future. She has escaped fact, and although it was a long time coming, she also helped void the old Gradgrind ways.

We observe at the end of the novel, Louisa peering into the fire: “Here was Louisa on the night of the same day, watching the fire as in the days of her yore, though with a gentler and humbler face.” (286) FANCY RATING: 9 Cicilia (Sissy) Jupe Sissy Jupe is employed as a representation of what is considered ‘Fanciful’ in Gradgrind’s system of education. The exemplary quote that Sissy delivers when asked whether or not she would have a flower patterned carpet in her home is, “If you please, sir, I am very fond of flowers.” (13) and that, “They wouldn’t crush and whither… They would be pictures of what was very pretty and pleasant, and I would fancy-“(14) Through this direct conflict with Gradgrind and M’Choakumchild, Dicken’s shows Sissy as completely at odds with an only factual and systematic view of the world. Sissy, instead of having a great capacity for facts and figures, is instead gifted with large amounts of empathy and human understanding. Mr.

M’Choakumchild describes her as having, “a very dense head for figures; that, once possessed with a general idea of the globe, she took the smallest conceivable interest in its exact measurements; that she was extremely slow in the acquisition of dates, unless some pitiful incident happened to be connected therewith..” (58), showing Sissy more inclined to an emotional understanding of the world, instead of a factual one FACTUAL RATING: 0 Sissy Jupe, stands throughout the work as the epitome of “childish fancy”, as observed in her “factual rating”, she has no sense, nor concern for fact. For this, she is a sort of static character. A character who’s philosophical ideals remain constant, and are eventually accepted by the changing nature of Gradgrind. This is observed when he labels her the “attendant of fancy” for Louisa (234). Cicilia is the new Coketown, she is in direct opposition to the old Coketown.

A new Coketown where she is embracing the philosophy she held throughout the novel, we observe: “But, happy Sissy’s happy children loving her; all children loving her; she, grown learned in childish lore; thinking no innocent and pretty fancy ever to be despised; trying hard to know her humbler fellow-creatures, and to beautify their lives of machinery and reality with those imaginative graces and delights, without which the heart of infancy will wither up, the sturdiest physical manhood will be morally stark death...” (287) Sissy is fancy. FANCY RATING: 10 Old Stephen Blackpool: A forty year old factory Hand and "a man of perfect integrity" (73). His integrity is shown throughout the novel as he attempts to help his fellow Hands in the factory. However, it seems in Coketown, or according to Mr. Gradgrind, that integrity is a matter of fancy. He is also frivolous enough to request something as absurd and fact-breaking as a divorce from the Old Woman so that he can be with Rachael.

Stephen is appalled with the fundamental factualism of Coketown and describes the situation evolving as being a "muddle" and also claims that "If Mr. Bounderby had ever know'd me right-if he'd ever know'd me at aw-he would'n ha' took'n offense wi' me" (pages 77 and 264). FACTUAL RATING: 1 Due to Stephen’s framing, he was absent for sometime during the novel. He was absent when the old “Gradgrind tradition” was found faulty. He was absent when Mr. Gradgrind made his realization that fancy needs to have a place in society. On his way back to Coketown, Stephen fell into a mine shaft, he died from his injuries. However, had this death not occurred, one can assume that this Dicken’s character, a man who had “perfect integrity” early in the work, would have found a place in the new Coketown. A place that allowed to leave his wife and act upon his “fancy” love for Rachael.

HYPOTHETICAL FANCY RATING: 8 Portrait of Charles Dickens from 1858, only 4 years after Hard Times was published. Biography Charles Dickens was born on February 7th, 1812. He was born in Portsmouth, England and also published under the pseudonym "Boz". He is the son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. John worked at a clerk in the Naval Pay Office. Because he was not smart with the family’s finances he landed himself and the rest of the family, besides Charles, in debtor’s prison. Charles was sent off to work in Warrens Blacking Factory so he could make money for the family. After Charles’ father received a great amount of money from his mother’s death the family was let out of prison. However, Elizabeth wanted Charles to keep working at the factory. This most likely contributed to his view that men should rule the family and women should stay in the home. Dickens felt resentment towards his mother and the working conditions he faced while working in the factory. This contributed to his writings about the working-class and factory life. Utilitarianism was popular during the time when Dickens wrote Hard Times. Dickens saw that schools were encouraging the students to become mill workers.

The teachers focused on facts and corrupted the student’s imagination. Published by Bradbury and Evans in serial installments in the magazine Household Words between April and August 1854. Resources and Links For a free crossword puzzle to test your knowledge of Dickens' Hard Times, click HERE ! Hard Times (1977) from the series by Granada Television. The Very Devil: A quote from Hard Times with an intriguing twist. Circus Horses: A representation of fancy, and part of Sissy's father's occupation. An animated portrayal of Thomas Gradgrind. A modern parody of a character type similar to Josiah Bounderby. Additional Materials

Question: Thomas Gradgrind and Josiah Bounderby are characters in which Charles Dickens novel?
Answer: HARD TIMES