Hard Times characters

Mr. Thomas Gradgrind

This character is depicted as the one of rather high intelligence level as well as the multi-perspective one from the point of view of his main activity. He is passionately in love with the business, though, Mr. Gradgrind is one of the middle-class branches. It is worth noting that his ideas are...

Stephen Blackpool

Stephen represents completely another layer of society than, for instance, Mr. Bounderby or Mr. Gradgrind. The character represents the working staff; therefore, he has no opportunity to make a living. Stephen works on Mr. Bounderby’s factory and faces all the limitations of the industrial...

Josiah Bounderby

This character of a book assembles if not all evils of society but pretty many of them. Mr. Bounderby is a factory owner who boasts about being successful in the business sphere. Moreover, he is married to an elderly woman who was a widow until she met Josiah. His social circle seems to be...

Louisa Gradgrind

This lady is the eldest Mr. Gradgrind’s daughter whose life experience proved ambiguity of her father’s principles of education. She is the protagonist of the story, and a reader gets acquainted with this girl from her young age. She was under the substantial influence of her...

Thomas Gradgrind Junior (Tom)

This character of a book is a male prototype of Louisa since they were brought up in the same family where the father, a bit dictator, tried to persuade little minds that only calculations are crucial in becoming successful. Tom is Mr. Gragrind’s son whose one-perspective upbringing leads to...

Cecilia Jupe (Sissy)

Though Sissy is not the protagonist of the story, her personality is of the utmost importance in terms of the main message of the author. She is kind and emotionally educated person. Sissy’s father is a circus actor who forsook her; therefore, she was obliged to accept any offer which seemed...

Mrs. Sparsit

Mrs. Sparsit is another character with the negative perception by a reader. Money matters a lot to this middle-aged housekeeper. This lady is described to be highly sophisticated by her appearance, though she is not young; however, her character is used in the book as one of the poor moral values...

Rachael

This character of Dicken’s ‘Hard Times’ is represented as the factory worker. She is a woman with soft character and gentle behavior. Her best friend is Stephen whose wife who ends up as an incurable alcoholic and lives separately from her husband. Rachael helps her friend to...

James Hardhouse

Mr. Hardhouse is a young gentleman from London with appropriate manners. From the first sight, he is classical, but a bit boring, however, that is a mistake since after meeting Louisa he tries to seduce her, understanding that she is a married lady. He is determined not only in love affairs but...

Mrs. Pegler

This lady is a bit mysterious character of the book since no one knows about her real existence. Mrs. Pegler is the mother of Mr. Bounderby, a well-known businessman in his region. Though she was the most caring and loving mother, her son despised her and ordered not to interfere in his life and...

Slackbridge

This character is a bit difficult to perceive since he acts according to his own cunning plans. From the first sight, Slackbridge seems to be an ordinary man who works as the representative of the union of the workers on Mr. Bounderby’s factory. He has the gift manipulating people; moreover...