Hard Times – Charles Dickens

Character Sketch

1.Thomas Gradgrind: Thomas Gradgrind is one of the major characters in Charles Dickens,’ Hard Times’ .
He is a retired wholesale merchant, who aspires to become a member in the parliament in future. He
belongs to an Industatlists class, though he is not an owner. He is a man who believes in facts and
figures, calculations and statistics. He runs a model school in coketown and makes sure that children in
the school are stuffed with facts and figures. He was a strict father to his five children. Even at home he
does not allow his children to fancy, wonder or dream. He believes that only facts and figures are useful
in life. Therefore, he makes sure that his children learn to live their lives based on his perception. He
completely opposes sentiments and affections. His school and home environment ate the reflections of
his thoughts to live with facts only. One day he saw his children Louisa and Tom pepping through a hole
in a tent to have a glimpse of the circus. He was shocked and decides to suspend girl number twenty
from his school who came from circus background. On reaching the house of Sissy Jupe, it was learned
that her father had abandoned and he decides to take her with him to stone lodge and to continue her
studies in the school.

In the first part of the novel, we see Thomas Gradgrind as a man of realities, a man of facts and
calculations, eminently practical man but at the end of the novel he takes responsibility of his daughters
unhappy married life.and realizes his failure in the system of living life with facts. Mr. Gradgrind is full of
self- reproach and understands that wisdom of the head alone is not enough to carry one through life
and that wisdom of the heart is equally important/necessary. He is a transformed and redeemed man
when the novel ends.

2. Mr. Josiah Bounderby: Bounderby represents Victorian capitalism. He is introduced in the novel as a
very close friend of Gradgrind, a banker, merchant, manufacturer and involved in many other trade. He
is very boastful of having raised himself from the gutters. He attained his position as a the rich man of
Coketown through his hard work, yet none of this make the readers to consider him because of his
aggressive and boastful attitude. Bounderby is considered ad a man who lacks intelligence and
sentiment. When his marriage broke up with Louisa, he console himself by polishing his image that only
a woman of uncommonly fine qualities are fit to be his wife.. He is devoid of sympathy as he was
completely against Gradgrind of taking Sissy Jupe under his care. He is a stupid callous and cruel as a
husband. In the first place he is not ashamed to marry who is thirty years younger to him. Bounderby is
a bully and an arrogant when running a factory is concerned. The way that he treats Stephen Blackpool,
when he approaches for his advice or suggestion to divorce his alcoholic wife, instead of helping he told
him that it is meant only for rich people. He at once dismisses Stephen from his job as he refuses to be
an informer against the workers union. He believes that Stephen has committed the robbery in his bank
to take revenge on him and kept an award to the one who will assist in Stephen’s arrests. Bounderby
disowned his own mother when he held high position. Though he calls Mrs. Sparsit a lady with high
connections, he dismisses from her job without any hesitation. Thus, he is considered as a bully of
humility and it makes him beyond possibility of redemption.

3. Louisa Gradgrind: Louisa Gradgrind is one of Dickens most successful depicted women characters. She
is attractive, beautiful and an obedient daughter. From the very beginning, she charmed Bounderby and
even after marriage attracts Harthouse. Though she was brought up in an environment of only facts and
figures, yet she has a sympathy for the suffering and wants to help them. She is a loving sister which is
evident when she marries Bounderby, who is twice her age as he is her brothet's employer. Not only she
loves her brother but shows affection to Sissy and shoe sympathy to Stephen Blackpool by visiting him
personally, when she heard the need of Stephen dismissal from his job . She went personally to visit
Stephen Blackpool and offers financial aid. Louisa, the central character of Dickens', “Hard Times “, faces
many hard times and difficulties, but she braved it all. She is unselfish, helpful and her simple dignity,
quiet manners, self control and delicate conscience make her one of the most lovable characters in the
novel. She lives to see that faith, hope and charity eventually triumphs over unimaginative and lifeless
facts.

4.Tom Gradgrind ( Thomas Gradgrind Jr) :Tom Gradgrind is the son of Thomas Gradgrind. He had a
strong disliking for his life at home and tells his sister that he is sick of his life in his father’s house and
hates everyone except her. He described himself as being obstinate and stupid. He was also brought up
like his sister under the utilitarian philosophy of facts. Therefore, Tom has no gratefulness towards his
sister or father. He takes advantage of his sister and take shield for his secret criminal activities. He
develop cynical selfishness and started leading a dissolute life of ease and pleasure. He spent most of his
time in gambling, drinking and leads him in debts. His expensive way of life and gambling makes him to
rob Bounderby’s bank. He execute his plan to rob the bank in such a way to make Stephen Blackpool the
suspect. It happens exactly like the way he planned. However, Tom was helped by Sissy Jupe to escape
with the help of the circus troupe. Tom is the perfect example of how breeding on the basis of facts
alone destroys life. Tom is considered as villian for using Louisa and Stephen Blackpool for his
advantage. Though he dies alone in a foreign land, his tragedy cannot evoke any sympathy in the minds
of the readers for his villainous character.