Charles Dickens ‘ Hard Times focuses on the legion relationships and interactions between characters, and the impact that people have on the behavior of others. It is apparent throughout the novel that several of these relationships are nonreversible, in the sense that they are simply in the involvement of one of the two parties. For case, Tom ‘s influence over Louisa allows him to pull strings her for his ain good. Similarly, James Harthouse ‘s chase of Louisa ‘s fondness is non out of love, but merely out of blue ennui. Rachel ‘s influence on Stephen Blackpool allows him to keep his unity and honor. Finally, Sissy Jupe ‘s impact on the Gradgrind household is all give and no return, as her wide imaginativeness allows the household to eventually recognize that life is non simply about the theory of fact.
The most obvious illustration of a nonreversible relationship in Hard Times is the 1 between siblings Tom and Louisa. This relationship is far from reciprocally good, as Tom continually takes advantage of his sister, entirely for his ain involvements. The changeless instructions of fact have made Tom ‘s life empty and mundane. Although Tom is tempted by creativeness of the circus, he displays small emotion upon being disciplined by his male parent: “ Indeed, Thomas did non look at him, but gave himself up to be taken place like a machine ” ( 15 ) . Due to the changeless rigorous instructions of fact by his male parent, Mr. Gradgrind, Tom begins to turn tired of this manner of life. His involvement in the circus is symbolic of his desire to detach from his male parent and his dull being. By encompassing a slightly hedonic life style, often imbibing and gaming, Tom finds a sense of freedom. He wants to get away the dull life style and instructions of the Gradgrind family and see a new manner of life. Tom and Louisa love each other deeply ; nevertheless, Tom uses his sister ‘s love for him in order to pull strings her to make as he desires. Louisa ‘s rigorous upbringing prevents her from truly oppugning Tom ‘s motivations, leting for her brother to take advantage of Louisa ‘s love for him by pull stringsing her into get marrieding Bounderby for his ain addition. As Tom ‘s petitions grow in figure and in nature, the two grow farther apart. The relationship shared by the two is filled with fondness at the beginning of the novel, but Tom ‘s selfishness tears the relationship apart. He keeps Louisa in the dark sing the bank robbery and, finally, his focal point on philistinism outweighs his feelings for his sister. Tom ‘s ennui with his lifestyle leads to extremist alterations in his attitude. A similar ennui leads James Harthouse to prosecute Louisa ‘s love.
Dickens uses the character of James Harthouse to jab merriment at the nobility at the clip. Harthouse comes to Coketown with the purpose of come ining the universe of political relations and encompassing Gradgrind ‘s theory of fact, merely out of ennui with his current life. He is a refined and affluent gentleman from London, but as the old expression goes, ‘money does n’t purchase felicity ‘ , go forthing Harthouse invariably seeking for new ways to divert himself. Upon hearing about Louisa Gradgrind, he instantly makes it his primary end to score the immature adult female. Although Louisa is immune, this makes her even more attractive to him. She is so challenging to him because of her singularity. She represents a new blend of beauty and intelligence, and her cognition of economic sciences is alone. By discoursing Tom ‘s chancing debts with Louisa, he exploits one of her chief failings, her unconditioned love for her brother. He simply uses Tom ‘s quandary to work Louisa ‘s rawness in interpersonal relationships. Although Harthouse ‘s chase of her helps lead to her eventual break-up with Bounderby, Sissy Jupe saves Louisa from the selfish, commanding Harthouse, when she demands that he leaves Coketown: “ He was touched in the pit where his bosom should hold been – in that nest of addled eggs, where the birds of Eden would hold lived if they had non been whistled away – by the ardor of this reproach ” ( 275 ) . This transition exemplifies Harthouse ‘s deficiency of intent in life. His great wealth and place as an blue blood prevents him from every determination true love, as he will merely turn tired of stableness. His deficiency of reluctance in go forthing Coketown demonstrates how small Louisa genuinely means to Harthouse. Harthouse ‘s chase of Louisa is more of a pursuit for him to go through the clip than it is about happening true love. His going from Coketown reveals the small attention he has for the feelings of others, every bit good as his selfishness and immorality. This is wholly contrary to the relationship between Stephen Blackpool and Rachel.
Stephen Blackpool is the quintessential illustration of a considerate and moral person. Although he is forced to battle the hard on the job conditions and dehumanising life style of a mill worker during the Industrial Revolution, Stephen maintains his morality and honestness, with the aid of Rachel. Stephen ‘s place, which originally serves as a safe oasis from the long on the job yearss, is taken over by his alcoholic married woman, coercing Blackpool to float around Coketown. Blackpool ‘s inability to get a divorce from his wretchedness of a married woman prevents him from traveling off from his past problems, but Rachel provides him with gleams of hope and felicity, taking to him naming her his angel. She is the complete antonym of his current married woman, exposing qualities of compassion and sensitiveness. The epiphanic minute in the relationship between the two occurs when Rachel prevents Stephen ‘s married woman from killing herself. Stephen wakes up and sees his married woman ready to imbibe toxicant ; nevertheless, he is psychologically unable to acquire up and forestall her from making so: “ All this clip, as if a enchantment were on him, he was motion-less and powerless, except to watch her ” ( 102 ) . In that minute, Stephen ‘s defeat and unhappiness with his life overrides his usual strong ethical motives. The emphasis his married woman topographic points upon him leaves him unable to command his desire to see her deaths or harmed. He is unable to convey himself to halt his married woman from perpetrating self-destruction, yet Rachel is. In making so, Rachel motivates Stephen to continue his strong character and award, despite the difficult times. Rachel cares for his married woman and plays a critical function in forcing Stephen to prosecute his legitimate involvements as both a worker and a gentleman. While his fellow workers abandon Stephen due to his beliefs about the brotherhood, Rachel supports him until the really terminal, when he dies basically for Tom ‘s offense. Although Stephen ‘s decease allows him to get away from his awful matrimony, he leaves Rachel entirely and saddened. Rachel is the driving force behind Stephen ‘s actions in the novel and allows him to keep his true beliefs and ethical motives about work and life. Much as Rachel encourages Stephen to prosecute his true beliefs, Sissy Jupe enlightens the Gradgrind household of imaginativeness and thought.
Sissy Jupe ‘s impact on the Gradgrind household is the most of import relationship in the novel. The rigorous instructions of Thomas Gradgrind turn the family into one elephantine machine of fact, whereas Sissy ‘s upbringing in the circus has allowed for her changeless indulgence in imaginativeness. The contrast between Louisa and Sissy in clear ; Louisa has been forced to believe with her caput, while Effeminate thinks with her bosom. Louisa has n’t been allowed to be passionate about anything, and her submerging in fact has contained her desire for freedom. Sissy plays a critical function in enabling Louisa to uncover the warm and passionate qualities she has indoors of her, despite being brought up in such as cold ambiance. In fact, Sissy ‘s romantic manner of believing finally allows the full Gradgrind family to recognize that there is more to life than simply fact. Thomas Gradgrind is ab initio disappointed by the circus entertainers and they represent imaginativeness and idealism. These entertainers use their imaginativenesss to happen felicity, something that has ever been missing in the Gradgrind family. Sissy ‘s huge imaginativeness and optimism is displayed by her belief that her male parent has abandoned her lone to seek and better Sissy ‘s life. She expresses these sentiments to herself, keep the belief that her male parent will one twenty-four hours return to her: “ O my beloved male parent, my good sort male parent, where are you gone? Tou are goue to seek to make me some good, I know! Tou are gone off for my interest, I am certain. And how suffering and helpless you will be without me, hapless, hapless male parent, until you come back! ” ( 44 ) . Sissy ‘s belief that he father has left the circus for her well-being starkly contrasts with Gradgrind ‘s instruction of fact. That being said, this attitude epitomizes Sissy ‘s hopeful manner of thought, which finally brushes off on the Gradgrind family. Not merely does Sissy assist Tom happen safety with her old circus entertainers, but she besides helps Mrs. Gradgrind acknowledge the nothingness that has existed everlastingly within their household, the deficiency of imaginativeness within the family. While Mrs. Gradgrind is unable to clearly show this before her decease, she recognizes these qualities in Sissy. Mr. Gradgrind finally finds out that his accent on fact has denied his household felicity for many old ages. Gradgrind accepts the fact that his instructions did non bring forth felicity ; hence, he appoints Sissy to help in Louisa ‘s development as an person. With Sissy ‘s aid, Louisa is on the route to developing the ideal balance of fact and imaginativeness.
To reason, Dickens ‘ novel discusses the societal impact of the Industrial Revolution and the dehumanisation of workers by machines. Much like the insistent actions involved in working in mills dull the lives of the workers, the instructions of fact prevent characters from making their full potency. Louisa ‘s inability to show herself prevents her from halting Tom ‘s development of her love for him. Similarly, Louisa needs Sissy Jupe to direct James Harthouse off from Coketown, as her cold upbringing has limited her ability to interact with others. Stephen Blackpool is the best illustration of an person who has been dehumanized by the emphasis and working conditions of being a ‘hand ‘ during the Industrial Revolution. Merely with the aid of his alleged angel, Rachel, is he able to keep his morality and strong values. Finally, Sissy Jupe is arguably the most of import character in the novel. Her impact on the Gradgrind household is utmost, as she allows Mr. and Mrs. Gradgrind to acknowledge that imaginativeness is the key to happiness, non fact. While the relationships throughout the novel are frequently nonreversible, the influence that each character has over others is indispensable in the death of fact and the rise of critical thought.