Essay about Hard Times

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Ashley Bingham A4

Hard Times The novel begins in a city called Coketown, in a school room owned by a man named Thomas Gradgrind, who teaches nothing but cold, hard facts. Thomas and Mr. Bounderby-- a wealthy, arrogant industrialist who owns multiple factories and a bank-- set out to tell Sissy Jupe's (a child from Thomas's class) father that she is no longer allowed to attend school. When they arrive at the Inn in which Sissy lives, they find her father had abandoned her, leaving her with no where to live and no one to look after her. Thomas agreed to take her in as long as she promised to do better in her schooling and to help around the house. That same day, Louisa and Tom Gradgrind (Thomas's children) discuss their fathers plans to apprentice Tom at Mr. Bounderby's bank. Louisa convinces Tom to do so, and he moves out. Time passes, and Tom, now a dissipated, pleasure-seeking young man, tells Louisa that their father intends to arrange a marriage between her and Mr Bounderby. Louisa is confused as to why she is being asked to marry a 50 year old man she doesn't love; but she agrees, asking, "Why does it matter?" Years pass and we end up in a scene with a young, wealthy man names James Harthouse. He pretends to be interested in Thomas's philosophies, but is merely board and has nothing else to do. He is attending a dinner with the Gradgrinds when he becomes very interested in Louisa. After dinner, James drugs Tom, then coaxes the story of Louisa's marriage out of him. When he finds out that Louisa doesn't love her husband, James is determined to seduce her. Meanwhile, Bounderby attempts to persuade one of his workers, Stephen Blackpool, to tell him what happened at a union meeting held the previous night. Stephen refused to be used as a spy, angering Bounderby and causing him to fire him. With no job and no home left to go to, Stephen leaves Coketown in search of new work. Over time, James and Louisa begin to spend more time together and continue to get closer. One morning, Bounderby finds them and announces that the bank had been robbed and the only suspect was Stephen Blackpool. One day, Mrs. Sparsit, Mr. Bounderby's servant, suspecting something to be going on, left the house in search of Louisa and James. She finds them together just as James professes his love to Louisa, who then agreed to meet him later that night. Instead of meeting James as she had promised, Louisa went to her fathers home and told him everything. While Louisa was resting, Sissy set out to find James to tell him that he wasn't allowed to see Louisa ever again and that he should leave Coketown forever. At the same time this was happening, Mrs. Sparsit told Mr. Bounderby, who angrily confronted Thomas about it. Mr. Gradgrind then explains to Mr. Bounderby that he believed that it would be best if Louisa spent some time with her family. This angered Bounderby even more and he threatened to return all of Louisa's belongings if she was not home by noon the next day. She remained where she was and Bounderby, being truthful to his word, returned her stuff, resuming his life as a bachelor. Some time after the incident with James, Louisa was visited by Mr. Bounderby, her brother, and Rachael--Stephens nearest and dearest friend--claiming that Stephen would return to clear his good name. After a few day of his absence, letters were sent, and he still didn't show up, making him seem more and more guilty. One morning, Sissy and Rachael were going on a casual walk in the country, when they stumbled upon Stephens hat lying on the ground. Further down the path they discovered that Stephen has fallen down an old mining pit called Old Hell Shaft. The women seek help and are eventually able to get him out with the help of a few men and a doctor. After bidding a loving farewell to Rachael and telling Louisa to ask her brother for the information to clear his name, Stephen dies. Back at their home, Louisa and Thomas confirm that Tom had,
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