Montreal Dickens Fellowship Study Questions: “Hard Times”
January 4, 2022
Book I Chapters 15-16, Book II, Chapters 1-2
- Comment on Dickens’s description of Mr. Gradgrind’s study. How does it reflect the themes of the novel?
- Discuss Mr. Gradgrind’s approach to discussing Bounderby’s proposal of marriage with Louisa. What might he have said that would have resulted in a very different outcome?
- Do you agree with Louisa’s “choice”? What would have happened had she said no? To her? To Tom? Did she have a real choice, given her upbringing?
- If you are familiar with Dickens’s previous novel, “Bleak House”, compare Mr. Gradgrind to Mrs. Jellyby, who works tirelessly for Boorioboola Gha, but cannot see the suffering and neglect of her own family.
- Compare and contrast Louisa’s character to that of a “Stepford Wife”, who has been modeled on facts, but who has no imagination and who has been modeled according to society’s “ideals”. Do you think Louisa would make a good wife?
- If you are familiar with Dickens’s novel “Dombey and Son” compare and contrast Louisa and Edith Dombey. They both feel that they have experienced parenting that has ruined them, and enter upon loveless, doomed, disastrous marriages, hoping that they can do at least some good by helping another (Florence and Tom). Do you think that Dickens was reflecting on the mistake he made in entering into his own marriage?
- Comment on Mrs. Gradgrind’s reaction to the betrothal.
- Why do you think Louisa becomes cold to Sissy?
- Biblical references abound in these chapters. Why does Dickens use them?
- Dickens has often been criticized for being melodramatic and overly sentimental. Comment on the chapter “Rachel” with this in mind.
- Do you think Gradgrind’s difficulty in understanding and communicating with Louisa reflected his own difficulties with his children. (He was also a very controlling man). Do you think his own children had a chance to develop their own characters in a healthy way?
- What were the roles of love and obedience to one’s father when it came to marriage in the Victorian era?
- Comment on the use of “Hands” to describe the workers.
- Threats to close the factories completely, thus depressing the economy, was the answer to many social critics who wanted better regulations and working conditions. It seemed that the environment and workers were hostages to progress. Comment. Has it changed today?
- What was your first impressions of Mr. Harthouse? Examine the words Dickens uses in his initial description of him that led to this impression.
- Why is James Harthouse interested in Louisa?
- Do you think Mr. Bounderby’s glowing and rosy description of Coketown and his distain of the workers was a widely held view by factory owners? Discuss.
- Dickens had several irresponsible, gambling brothers in his own life and in his books. Compare Tom to other such characters in Dickens who use their sisters. e.g. Fred Trent, Charley Hexam, Little Dorrit’s brother, etc.
- Do you agree that girls are less in need of worldliness and social skills to” get by” than boys. Compare then and now.
- Tom and Louisa’s relationship has been described as incestuous. Comment.