Monday, January 23, 2012
Book I: Chapters 7-12
Nice job! Please follow the same format for chapters 7 through 12 as you did for the first six chapters. Remember that we need comments and analyses of all the new characters who are being introduced, as well as other pertinent insights that come to mind. The due date is Thursday, February 2. Continue to be respectful of others and have fun exploring the book and your ideas!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
60 comments:
I would like to discuss the character of Louisa. Although we have already been introduced to this character, and already discussed her rebellion towards her fathers views and her maturity we see more of her disobeying her fathers in chapter 8 and 9. A while back when she was talking to Thomas, Mr. Gradgrind overheard her saying "Tom, I wonder" with which Mr. Gradgrind responded with "Louisa, never wonder!". This just comes to show that she has always had that urge to wonder about the facts she has been taugh. She is clearly a smart girl who wants to understand why the facts she is learning are what everyone is saying they are, and she herself said, "I have such unmanageable thoughts, that they will wonder". Tying this together, I found it ironic that though she has been told her entire life not to wonder, she ends up wondering a lot about Sissy's life, begining her disobedience towards her fathers views.
I agree with what Diana said about Louisa's wondering and how she ends up wondering when all her life her father told her not to. I would like to extend the discussion in that not only does Louisa wonder about Sissy's life, but I think it is also ironic that Louisa wonders about and desires the very knowledge she is banned from learning (that she doesn't possess the knowledge that has more to do with emotions instead of her father's metallic facts). This is especially obvious in chapter 8 when Louisa is talking to Tom and says to him "I don't know what other girls know. I can't play to you, or sing to you." and she admits how unfortunate that all is. So I think that not only is it ironic that Louisa wonders about Sissy's life, but that her father is banning her from knowledge, which becomes the knowledge she desires to learn (being raised in a strict fact house, Louisa desires to be like other girls or in other words, commonly normal compared to her household environment).
In this section a new type of person emerges from the divide between fact and fancy. Such characters are the working class whom work in the industrial factories. With the introduction of a class type also comes new characters such as Stephen Blackpool. I think he will be the character that embodies stereotypical traits common with the working class. He is both unhappy yet hardworking and lives life in poverty. Furthermore I think he is designed to draw empathy from the reader as a character that is more likeable in comparison to Gradgrind and Bounderby. However it seems that the society does not empathize with them as is apparent in naming them the hands- only a compartment of who they are as humans. As first mentioned in ch. 10 the hands are defined as “a race who would have found more favour with some people if Providence had seem fit to make them only hands, or, like the lower creatures…only hands.” Because he reader is drawn to compassion for Stephen Blackpool, I think it is Dickens intentions to have the reader see more eye to eye with the working class in comparison to the elite. Anybody agree?
One person that really stood out to me is Stephen Blackpool. He is introduced as a man of many misfortunes as most of the aspects in his life go wrong. He hates his life so much, especially from the fact that he cannot separate from his derranged wife. He says in chapter XI "'Tis just a muddle a'toogether, an' the sooner I am dead, the better." When I think of Blackpool, I can't help but think how much different his character would be if, say, his name was Clearpool. A pool is meant to be transparent but in his case I interpreted that the blackness of such pool keeps him from moving forward and seeing ahead into his future. The Black in his name to me refers to his misfortunes and and the dark outlook he has of life in general.
I would like to build on what Jordan and Diana said about Louisa. In chapter IX Louisa asks “Did your father love her?” to Sissy referring to Sissy’s mother and Sissy respond with “As dearly as he loved me,” prompting Louisa to ask to hear more about him. This all makes me wonder if she is simply curious about the unknown, she has never known a parent loving in the way Sissy’s were. I’m not painting Gradgrind as an antagonist, but you must admit he has a very different parenting method and relationship with his kids than the circus people’s (which we learned a little about in the previous chapters) especially Sissy’s father.
When Louisa asks these questions of Sissy, she asks “with a strong, wild, wandering interest peculiar to her; an interest gone astray like a banished creature, and hiding in solitary places.” This along with what Gradgrind says about Louisa in chapter III “She would have been self-willed (he thought in his eminently practical way) but for her bringing-up.” makes me to wonder if she was going to be self-willed and wondering anyway or did she become self-willed and wondering due to his “practical” and factual upbringing. (I find it unexpected or ironic that she became self-willed although her father tried not to let her.)
In chapter 8 Dickens tells us about a public library in Coketown and brings light to the fact that the industrial workers take joy in reading. Gradgrind however “tormented his mind about what the people read in this library.” Gradgrind believes that the reading the workers are doing is pointless because they are filling their heads with things other than facts. These novels allow the workers to wonder. “They wondered about human nature, human passions, human hopes.” I think it’s important to note that the factory workers enjoyed reading about “men and women, more or less like themselves.” I believe that the workers are drawn to these stories because they provide an escape from the cold and dreary life in the factories. This escape can be seen when Dickens states that the workers “sometimes, after fifteen hours’ work, sat down to read.” This shows how reading was a form of relaxation and comfort.
I would like to comment on what Aly said. I completely agree that Stephen Blackpool is a character designed to create empathy in the readers. Stephen shows real emotions and is intended to be a likable character. Because of this he contrasts with Gradgrind and Bounderby. Gradgrind is a character that shows little sensitivity. He nurtures his own children with the idea of facts rather than love. Bounderby is a character who is self obsessed and believes that only lazy hands create trouble for themselves. I do agree that Dickens uses Stephen in order for the readers to sympathize with the working class. Throughout the novel we see the working class through the eyes of the rich such as Bounderby and Gradgrind. This gives us a clouded vision of what the working class is actually like. Being able to read about characters like Stephen gives the readers someone they can relate to because they represent the common person.
“I said all the affectionate things to him that came to my heart…” This quote by Sissy in chapter nine, for some reason really stood out to me. It made me realize that unlike everyone else in the novel, Sissy thinks from her heart versus her head. She has a hard time with ‘facts’ as seen when she talks with Louisa and when presented with certain situations in school that had supposable simple answers she thought more about the situation, like the starving people. Though we already know that Sissy is different than everyone else, I think it is interesting to hear her story and why exactly she isn’t so robotic.
Also, Melissa I completely agree with your further analysis on Louisa. I think it has a lot to do with the way she was raised. I mean people tend to want what they can’t have and I though Louisa seems like she had a craving for imagination, Sissy has a craving for facts. I think Louisa wants to experience the type of relationship Sissy has with her father, with her own. She emphasizes with Sissy when no letter has been sent to her and I think that shows how unlike everyone else in Sissy’s new life, she actually really cares about her struggle and what she has gone through.
I would like to bring up Stephen Blackpool's wife and what she represents. She is a symbol of the struggles faced by factory workers during the Industrial Revolution. Blackpool recalls that at the beginning of their marriage, his wife was "a young lass-- pretty enow-- wi' good accounts of herseln." This is like what was experienced by many factory workers who went to work in larger cities and towns in the hopes of a better life. But, like Blackpool's marriage, these dreams quickly went bad, leaving the workers poor and trapped. Added to this, the upper class, represented by Mr. Bounderby, simply refuses to help the workers with their troubles. The filth that covers Blackpool's wife is like the ashes and soot that are produced by the factory and cover Coketown.
agree with Jennifer that Bounderby represent the upper class. However if he is a so called self made man and comes from a economic background not far from poverty I question his attitude towards the working class. Based on his background it would not be too drastic to assume he should feel sympathy for those suffering as he has. Anybody see a possible explanation for his behavior?
I agree with the points that Aly and Shelby have brought into the discussion. I believe that the way that Dickens made the reader sympathize with Stephen Blackpool is one way that he is pointing out the flaws in the seemingly utilitarianism society in the book. The fact that Stephen Blackpool is a hard working man, 40 years old, and slumped into a "race" of people living in Coketown that comprise the middle class makes him a very relate-able character to the middle class anywhere in an actual society. When the middle class race is referred to as the "The Hands" in the book, it further institutes the idea of utilitarianism, and that this "race" of people is literally only valued for their ability to accomplish labor. This is where utilitarianism seems to no longer stay true to its ideals of benefiting the society as a whole at the expense of a smaller portion of the society. Degrading a large portion of the population to accommodate the labor needs of Coketown does not seem to stand true to the utilitarian ideals in my eyes. This is a point that Dickens may have been trying to convey by making Stephen Blackpool such a relate-able character and a societal stereotype for the middle class.
Taking this in another direction, I believe that the old woman that appears in chapter 12 is in some way related to Mr. Bounderby. Although this is never proven I have a hunch that she is his mother. Though, this would mean that his whole story of being born in a ditch and his mother abandoning him early on would be a lie. This could be possible, due to the fact that he isn’t a completely trustful character. For example lying about laws that could get Mr. Blackpool in trouble for leaving his wife. Why I believe that the old women is related to him is because she comes forty miles by train (Parliamentary) then walk nine miles just to see how he is doing every year. For one day I might add. To add to this she seemed to be border line obsessed with Bounderby wondering if he looked "portly, bold, outspoken, and hearty" also assuming that because he ran the factory it was perfect and fun to work in. She wouldn't leave poor Blackpool alone even though he was going to be late to work. She also insisted that she kiss the hand that had worked in the factory for a dozen years. But I could be wrong it's just the impression that i got from reading the chapter.
I agree with Aly, Shelbey, and Jack about Mr. Blackpool he seems to be a representative character. He just does what he is told and never questions anything out of his control. You can see that he never causes any problems when he goes to see Mr. Bounderby. Bounderby says "we have never had any difficulty with you, and you have neer been one of the unreasonable ones." he seems very surprised when Blackpool shows up at his door. Bounderby is also very condescending towards Backpool because he knows he can get away with pushing him around.
I would like to bring up the ironic situation between Mrs. Sparsit and Bounderby. Ironically, Mrs. Sparsit, although revealed as a lady of high status (blood connections etc.), is found to be working as a servant to Bounderby, (it is also apparent that she serves as a sort of consultant to him). Through the repeated boasting by Bounderby, we have learned how he went from a status of poverty to a higher, wealthier class, whereas with Mrs. Sparsit, being born into blood connections (Lady Scadgers), already had the upper class status and ends up working for a salary a.k.a. as a servant for Mr. Bounderby. I find it ironic that the two reverse each other in their paths of wealth, although I am also not surprised Bounderby has a lady of high status working for him since through his many interactions with other characters, he comes across as a man who would have "the best" or a person of equal status to himself, working in close interaction of him and as a person to consult the details of his life with.
I agree with what Jordan said about Mrs. Sparsit and how it is Ironic that she is of high class but she ends up working for Bounderby. But even though she works for him he still has a lot of respect for her. He takes her opinion into account. When Jupe does not curtsey to Mrs. Sparsit, Mr. Bounderby gets very angry. This is because he respects Mrs. Sparsit and sees that she is very well connected and should be respected. Even though Mrs. Sparsit works for Bounderby they seem to be more of friends then her being his servant. He feels conformable going to her for advice.
I would like to suggest that the old woman (who I agree could be Bounderby’s mother) as a representative character. I got the impression that the old woman could be symbolic of the old ways of life i.e. life before the industrial revolution. Steven Blackpool “had never seen this old woman before. Yet there was a vague remembrance in his mind, as if he had more than once dreamed of some old woman like her.” This and the fact that she seems to idealize the factory life of Blackpool, lead me to see her as a symbol for past times that, with his bleak description of the current “hard times”, Dickens seems to be warning society about.
I think that Jennifer has a good insight about Mr. Blackpool's wife. I never really thought of her being a symbol of the working-class being trapped in their misery, but now I can see how that conclusion would be drawn. The fact that he cannot escape from either her or his living and work conditions just emphasizes this thought to me.
I would like to go off of what Melissa has said about the Old Woman in chapter 12. I agree that she is representative of how the past used to be for the lower class. She shares the characteristic of not being wealthy with Stephen Blackpool, but she is at least able to save enough money to get away from her situation for at least once a year. Blackpool is in a spot where as unhappy as he is he is forced to live with it. This contrast of characters symbolizing the past and present shows how even though there was a lower class before industrialization, they were much better off than the current lower class.
To me Mrs. Blackpool represents just how bad and low the state of the working people can sink. A quote by the narrator in chapter 11 states, "A creature so foul to look at, in her taters, stains, and splashes, but so much fouler than that in her moral infamy, that it was a shameful thing even to see her." She at such a sad state of affairs that even her own husband is unable to deal with her and ends up covering her up when she finally passes out. Not only is she dismal to look at and unbearable to talk to, but her drunkenness leaves her passed out in a state of unconsciousness. In this state you are of course unable to talk or show emotion, you are still alive but nothing more than a breathing body. This again shows how the industrialization sucks the emotions and feelings from people and brings the worst out of them.
'And what,' asked Mr. Gradgrind, in a still lower voice, 'did you read to your father, Jupe?' 'About the Fairies, sir, and the Dwarf, and the Hunchback, and the Genies,' she sobbed out; 'and about' 'Hush!' said Mr. Gradgrind, 'that is enough. Never breathe a word of such destructive nonsense any more.'- This quote in chapter seven, shows how the educational system and society is actually suppressing intelligence. The human imagination is one of the defining features of a human that separates us from lower animal life forms. The imagination is a tool for ingenuity and a quintessential aspect of being human. The quote seems to have all the typical mythical creatures in it, dwarfs, genies etc. to drive home the fact that Gradgrind really seems to be suppressing the imagination for his complete fact based views.
I noticed that in chapter 7, Bounderby makes a speech to Sissy Jupe about Mrs. Sparsit, after she accidentally did not include Mrs. Sparsit in her curtsy. Now, this may sound a little silly, but Mr. Bounderby says, "So far from having high connexions I have no connexions at all, and I come from the scum of the earth." I found this a little strange, because what would typically be spelled "connections" (which is certainly what Bounderby was saying), was spelled with an "x" instead. Although this spelling is not consequential to the chapter, I was just wondering if Dickens intentionally did this as a authorial technique, and why he would have done so. I was thinking that Dickens possibly could have done this to make the speech memorable, and therefore emphasizing the significance of it. Bounderby is making it very clear that he will stand for no disrespect towards Mrs. Sparsit, and I assume his stance will continue throughout the book. In any case, this speech makes the relationship between Mrs. Sparsit and Mr. Bounderby quite clear.
It has already been addressed by several that Stephen Blackpool represents the state of the working class in struggle. But I wholly agree with what Arie and Aly mentioned. I think that his good nature in light of all of his struggles make him far more powerful than any of the adult figures yet (save a sympathy I've developed towards Sissy and her father) and as a result is a key point in developing the nature of the plot, that the rich may only seek material wealth and scoff at the "trifles" of lower classes while those subordinates work rigorously and with little reward and yet maintain their humanity. Arie you had mentioned the phrase "muddle" which was repeated several times and I wanted to emphasize a bit further how much this fits Stephen. Of course the muddle of his life is in his own "hard times" but I think the word muddle is perfectly represented by his name. You had mentioned both cases, but I wanted to demonstrate the connection that "muddle" (that is used to describe his predicament) and the name Blackpool share. To me blackpool essentially is muddle, a hazy, contaminated, thick mess, that is nonetheless just a covering on a much more pure substance. The relation between his inability to see his future clearly (as a "Blackpool") and predicament go hand in hand. He is one of the most pure individuals in thought, sacrificing 12 years of his life for the same factory, and a number more for his burdening wife. Simply, he embodies that muddled goodness of heart, even more than his name may suggest.
I would like to agree with what Jack said about the suppression of imagination, and how it is actually decreasing intelligence. I would like to point out that the suppression of the imagination was also emphasized in the first section of the book (chapters 1-5), and I'm sure this will be a theme throughout the book. The interesting thing about discouraging imagination is that, without imagination, it would be extremely difficult or impossible to make connections in life. If the children are forbidden to speculate and wonder about the world, they will certainly run into psychological development issues, and will probably struggle with making school-to-life connections. With their imagination suffocated, the children will not be able to make predictions about their future. As I said, I'm sure this will be a continued theme, and I'm very interested to see where Dickens takes it!
I would like to comment on what Diana and Jordan talked about at the very beginning. I think that Louisa is going to be the character with the most development in the story, at least from what we have read so far. When she is talking to Sissy Jupe about her father I think that she is almost having her own private investigation or experiment, if you will. All her life she has been taught never to wonder, only to make rational decisions and conclusions based on the facts around her. I think she is slowly trying to combine the two together. She wonders about how other families act, a.k.a. Sissy Jupe and her father, and she is simply gathering facts from a primary source and making conclusions from what she learns. She is slowly branching off from her father but she is not quite sure where she is going. I'm excited to see where she takes her new knowledge.
I think one of the most interesting parts of these six chapters is when Sissy Jupe is telling Louisa about her father. I would specifically like to talk about the part when Sissy Jupe tells the story about how her father beat Merrylegs, their dog. Merrylegs wouldn't do a trick for Sissy's father after a hard day trying to please the crowd and "He cried out that the very dog knew he was failing, and had no compassion on him. Then he beat the dog, and I was frightened... And he stopped the dog was bloody, and father lay down crying on the floor with the dog in his arms, and the dog licked his face." I like to think that at that moment the dog represents the industrial class as a whole and Sissy's father represents the situation and life that these people live. The dog wouldn't do something that it was commanded to do and so it was harshly beat, but because that life is the only life that the dog knows, it has to love it no matter what, so he licked it's masters face. Sissy's father realizes that he had become the very thing that beats him down every day and that is what causes him to cry. I think it was more of just shame from failing that he left Sissy, I think it was shame for becoming the thing that they hated most.
I would like to talk about Mrs.Sparsit Mainly about her relationship with Mr.Bounderby, I believe their is a connection between both Sparsit and Bonderby. It is very clear that Sparsit like's Bounderby given that she is envy-is of Louisa and how Bounderby treat's her as a Daughter ""You are quite another father to Louisa, Sir." Mrs. Sparsit took a little more tea; and,as she bent her again contracted eyebrows over her steaming cup, rather looked as if her classical countenance were invoking the infernal gods." I believe Sprsit repent's the modern "classical" woman. An older women who is very introverted yet passionate about what she believe's in. In Mrs.Sparsit's exact case it is to serve Mr.Bounderby and get him to love her.
I agree with Meghan about her comment on Sissy not curtsying Mrs.Sparsit and Mr.Bounderby's reaction. As I stated in my first comment, their is some tension between Sparsit and Bounderby. Sparsit obviously like's Bounderby, but it isn't really shown in chapter 7 if Bounderby share's this connection that Sparsit has for him. Bounderby scolding Sissy for not including Sparsit in her curtsy. This reaction from Bounderby could prove that that the felling is mutual between Sparsit and Bounderby. But I could be racing to conclusions. Bounderby is a businessman he is someone who believe's in proper educate when around other people, and he believed that it was just common curtsy to scold Sissy for not including Sparsit and nothing more. Reading more of the novel should revel more into if this is true.
Building on what others have said about how Dickens has shown the industrial revolution to have brought on a generally degrading and depressing way of life for many, I think that Tom jr. is yet another example of how imposing an oppressive and unimaginative lifestyle on someone can only serve to harm the individual and the society. Tom reveals a bitterness that harbors potential for violence of some kind (perhaps physical, mental, or verbal in nature) in chapter eight while in conversation with Louisa about their lives when he confesses that he "is sick of his life" (page fifty-seven) and would like to "kick" (page fifty-eight) out like a passion-ruled "Donkey" because of his frustration. His comparison of himself to a dangerous animal lacking self-control and his concession that his unhappiness is a result of the "jolly old...Jaundiced Jail" (page fifty-eight) that Mr. Gradgrind has created for Tom by totally enveloping and oppressing him with facts all his life uncovers Dicken's opinion that the methods Mr. Gradgrind has raised his children with have only starved them of an outlet for the emotions and imagination that all human beings must feel, and that this will eventually lead to negative consequences when Tom finally decides to "kick" out.
I thought it was interesting to get more insight into Sissy's father as we learn about his profession in chapter nine. We learn, of course, that Mr. Jupe was a clown, and that his performances were often not worthy of a humored response from his audience. "Yes, But they wouldn't laugh sometimes, and then father cried." We learn that he gets so upset it drives him to beat his preforming dog. We discover that due to his lack of success and his inability to do what he much to support his daughter, he ends up leaving her so that the life she ends up with will be better than the life he could provide for her.
I agree with Jordan that the relationship between Mrs. Sparsit and Bounderby is indeed ironic. One displays the image of wealth while the other hold a more simple picture of living. I would also like to say that Charles may have something when he says that there is an interest that Bounderby has in her due to the level of respect he shows for her opinion and how much he defends her and begs others to acknowledge her as an important figure in the setting.
I would like to discuss the end of chapter 9 when Tom comes into the room while Jupe is telling Louisa about her father. "Here Tom came lounging in and stared at the two with a coolness not particularly savouring of interest in anything but himself". This shows that Tom doesn't care about the conversation they have been having. He goes on to tell Louisa that she needs to dress up and go talk to Bounderby. This also shows that he thinks that the potential success Bounderby has to offer her is more important than Jupe and her feelings about her father. This shows that he is not very compassionate and he only thinks about success. He is like this because if your are only taught to think about facts and evidence then you wont be able to think about peoples feelings.
I’d like to bring up the final outburst of Mrs. Gradgrind in chapter eight. In all honesty, her final statement took me quite by surprise, and I believe it’s an interesting look into her character. To start, she interjects about the possibilities of what could happen if Mr. Gradgrind heard what Louisa and Tom were talking about, stating “I should never hear the last of it” from him. She then continues rambling about the lectures in “combustion, and calcination, and calorification” that she’s had to listen to. Her final statement is the most shocking in which she states that “(she) really does wish (she) never had a family, and then “(they) would have known what it was to do without me.” Up to this point, Mrs. Gradgrind has appeared to be very supportive of Mr. Gradgrind and his fact grind, and while she is still relatively supportive through her statements, it almost appears to be out of fear or desperation and not necessarily shared beliefs. Her tone is frantic as if she does not care herself what the children talk about, but what her husband will think. She appears exhausted of the entire atmosphere that the family lives in. Her final outburst seems to really show that she wishes things could be different, and that without her, things could be even more difficult for the children. This leads me to suspicion that perhaps she has at times served as a buffer between Mr. Gradgrind and the children, and her involvement may increase in the chapters to come.
Maybe it's just me - and if so, then I'm just thinking aloud here - but it seems to be easy to view both Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby as passionless, but I'd like to point out that they are thoroughly possessed by two very strong devotions, despite their outward appearance of bland detachment towards the world around them. Mr. Gradgrind to his facts and the exaltation and preservation of them, and Mr. Bounderby to both the exaltation and preservation of himself in all his self-christened glory. Even though Mr. Gradgrind denies his students and very own children the luxury of entertaining their naturally questioning and imaginitive minds, he (albeit unknowingly) holds himself to a double-standard as he allows himself the indulgence of his one undying passion of hammering the world into a series of categorized and concrete facts - and harassing others to look similarly upon the world simply because it is what he believes is best for the rest of the people around him. Mr. Bounderby is more blatantly and consciously selfish, as he is shown to be unwilling to share some of his prized comforts even to one of his loyal employees of twelve years when he rudely does not offer Stephen Blackpool any refreshments despite it being lunch time, despite Mr. Bounderby actually having his lunch out and eating it in front of Stephen, and despite Stephen's "haggard and worn" (page seventy-three) appearance. Again, I hope I'm not stating the obvious and being short-sighted in initially thinking that Gradgrind and Bounderby are more - to use a word that some people before me have used before when talking about the effect that Gradgrind and Bounderby have on others - robotic than human; to provide their characters with more depth, it becomes apparent, through their respective passions, that Gradgrind and Bounderby are unaware and inconsiderate of how others feel and all the less admirable for it.
I would like to go off of Melissa's comment about Louisa and her interest in a foreign type of love. I agree wholeheartedly with Melissa, especially regarding the idea that Louisa is not interested in Sissy's relationship with her parents because of a lack of love in her life, but because the love that the two girls have experienced is so different. I believe that it is crucial to understand that Louisa has not been neglected or abused by her mother and father, only guided in the direction that they saw as the best option for their child. I would like to point out how this is not so different from some families today, where a parent may insist on their child going into a profession that is successful, such as law or business, instead of a riskier occupation such as art or theatre. For this reason, I'd like to suggest that it's possible that this relationship between Louisa and her parents may be a symbol for the increase in menial jobs during the industrial revolution and the decrease in the need skilled artisans. The idea of quantity over quality shows throughout the book so far, but especially in the attempt of Gradgrind to keep his children involved in numbers instead of anything involving "wondering". If this has any truth in it, then I would consider Louisa to be, to put very simply, an artist among mathematicians.
I also got the feeling that the old woman was Mr. Bounderby's mother. Though no clear connection was made, I think the woman's infatuation with Mr. Bounderby suggests a sort of motherly bond. Mr. Bounderby is obviously not a very likable character, yet she saves up every year so that she can visit him. She doesn't even speak to him, she "only wants a glimpse," which seems like something a mother would do--wanting to check up on her child even if she is no longer apart of his life. Like Kelly said previously, this would make Mr. Bounderby's entire existence within Coketown a lie, as he has formed his entire life around how he was abandoned in a ditch and become a self-made man. And while that would still be possible if the woman is his mother, it would be much less likely. I think it would make a lot of sense if Mr. Bounderby's story of being a "self-made man" was a lie, because as someone who grew up in poverty, one would think he would have more sympathy for the plight of the poor. The fact that he has to make sure everyone knows about his past also makes it more questionable. This is just a guess though so I could be completely off.
I would like to add to what Kelly was saying about the old women posibly being Mr. Bounderby's mother. She asks Blackpool "and healthy...as the fresh wind?" wondering how Bounderby is doing. After she thanks him greatly; she is really appreciative of him telling her Bounderby was doing well. Only someone who really cares about a person make all the effort she does to be checking up on him and making sure he is still healthy. Also, working for an entire year to save up for one trip and still having to go through all the trouble of traveling many miles by train and also walking many more isn't something just anyone would do.
I agree with what Bryce had to say about Mrs. Gradgrind. Even though we as readers haven't seen her stand between Mr. Gradgrind and the children, I do get the sense she doesn't like the situation. I wonder if this will lead to future conflict and which side she will take: Louisa's which is starting to lean toward Sissy's or Mr. Gradgrind. Or maybe they will all rebel against the machine like society. In any case Mrs. Gradgrind does seem to be suppressed by her husband due to her description as "feeble," causing me to think that their is something she is holding back.
I’d like to build on what has been said by many before on the character of Stephen Blackpool, particularly his name. As mentioned earlier, Blackpool is representative of the working class as a whole. I thought this was articulated quite well in his name. At first hearing the name Blackpool as it relates to the industrial revolution, I was reminded of the old Gates rubber plant in Denver. My dad used to tell me stories that he had read of police dogs passing out from the conglomeration of potent fumes arising from the chemical puddles that were spread throughout the building. Whether this is directly relevant or not, it does bring to mind the waste products of the machinery present in factories. Many of these waste products begin as parts of materials that contribute to the production of the final product, but in the end may find itself mixed into a ‘black pool’ of other waste products; this particularly brought to mind oils and greases. Stephen Blackpool is an important part to the industrial revolution; the working class is the fueling force of the production of the time period. However, in the end, they are spit back into the world often as damaged people, both physically and mentally. Blackpool is part of this chemical conglomeration that litters the floors of industrial-era England.
I would like to discuss the relationship between Mr. Bounderby and Mrs. Sparsit. There has already been mention of how ironic their relationship, seeing as Bounderby supposedly came from nothing and Sparsit is "a born lady". The impression I got from their relationship goes off of that interesting happenstance. I believe that Bounderby has collected Sparsit as something of a trophy that accentuates his success and grandness, something that Bounderby, the king of the upper class, is very fond of flaunting. "If Bounderby had been a Conquerer, and Mrs. Sparsit a captive Princess whom he took about as a feature in his state-processions, he could not have made a greater flourish with her than he habitually did". I think this is an interesting example of their relationship because Bounderby is compared to a Conqueror who takes Sparsit for his own, like an explorer would claim a plentiful new land for himself. I believe that Dickens wrote a character like Sparsit in part to show just how inflated and powerful Bounderby is. He has the power to not only have a "born lady" working as a glorified servant, but to woo her to the point that she clings to every word he says. It's as if he wants everyone to see that, while everyone else was busy trying to get dogs to roll over, he had tamed a tigress to sew up the holes in his knickers.
I think it is interesting that the lower class characters that we are introduced to seem to pursue fancy rather than fact for the most part, while most of the wealthier or middle class characters are more grounded in fact. Sissy and the circus performers are obviously more imaginative and are in a lower class but what is interesting is that the factory workers--specifically Stephen Blackpool--that we are introduced to also seem to have a more imaginative, less black and white picture of the world. One would think that factory workers in particular would have a factual view, as they have to basically work as machines instead of analyzing what they are doing. Dickens even writes " So many hundred Hands in the Mill; so many hundred horse steam power" which depicts the Hands as machines. I think this is meant to be ironic and call attention to the working class and what they have to offer because they are often written off by society.
(This is Miranda Speaking, technical difficulties) In response to Joel, I also thought it was interesting that Dickens (as interesting as Dickens can be) revisited Mr. Jupe. I think that this was a comment on how society had been broken down spiritually and become nothing but quota-oriented, with both Sissy and her father representing the human condition under these circumstances. Because of this metaphysical starvation, Mr. Jupe loses control of himself and beats Merrylegs, much the same as he might have if he were actually starving. Historically it can be seen that limiting basic needs in life cause tensions both domestically and in society, and Mr. Jupe represents how we all can be broken down. On the contrary, Sissy represents the hope that also exists in all of us, as she struggles to adapt to Gradgrind's daly grind of stifling fact. Her age of seven helps to emphasize this as it shows the spectrum of emotion that exists within every person. A particularly inspiring moment demonstrating this, for me at least, was at the start of chapter IX where it is stated that, "The girl believed that her father had not deserted her; she lived in the hope that he would come back, and in the faith that he would be made the happier by her remaining where she was," which is a stark contrast to the outlook on life by any other character.
I agree with what Diana said in her first comment about louisa. It is ironic that she is the character that wonders the most about things that she learns which are facts. when she has been the one that has been taught to not wonder all her life. In most cases if you have been taught somthing at a young age and have been told repedetlity all your entire life you will not disobey. But louisa does she is very curious about sissy's life asks her all these things about her father.
I thought the old women who showed up in chapter twelve was an interesting character. Because of her strong interest (to the point of "walking nine miles to get to the station,") in Mr. Bounderby I like to venture that she might be his mother. Even though he continuously complains about his mother leaving him maybe its not true (or perhaps it is and he just hyperbolizes it.) Her joy in hearing that he's "as large and as loud as a Hummobee." says to me that she is thoughtful about his well being. If this does turn out to be his mother, and people were to find out, it would be an interesting turn in the story. Even if she isn't his mother she cares enough about him to "kiss the hand" of Stephen who working in Mr. Bounderby's factory.I am looking forward to finding out who she is and how she will effect Bounderby if he meets her.
"Wondering again!" said Tom.
"I have such unmanageable thoughts," returned his sister, "that they will wonder."
I think this line best sums up all we have said regarding thoughts, and I'd like to shed a little light on the way I view the whole facts scheme. Of course, we have now come to understand Mr. Gradgrind more through these recent 6 chapters and he's been flushed out as (surprise surprise) totally dependent on issuing, analyzing, and organizing facts. And here lies his problem with all "creative" characters. We have all mentioned that he worships facts, and that he disdains imagination, but I believe it is much simpler than these even his character is exposed. He needs control. The same control that he has learned to exert over words, those around him (as the "eminently practical") and facts. And because he cannot control thought when it extends beyond fact he has tried to rid of it altogether. He struggles to classify every thing he observes and because wonder eludes his power of control it is "nonsense." This control speaks to his character (and can be identified pretty readily in each of his actions) and just reinforces the reasons why we all feel pitted against him and his cohorts. And while much of this has been mentioned on varying levels, I believe it is worth pointing out, still, because of the way Louisa, Tom, and Sissy all come to respond to these attitudes. For in a world where we affirm that thoughts and dreams are infinitely reaching, Gradgrind (and other fact-worthy individuals) claim they must be managed, and Louisa is told to be ashamed of her "unmanageable thoughts." Really, shouldn't thoughts be unmanageable? Spontaneous? Wonderous? Ironic... Generally, I just wanted to mention that the obsession with facts runs deeper in the characters than we may have understood initially, that fact is simply a thought contained; all else cannot be classified and therefore should not be explored (for fear of losing control, superiority and expertise). Just keep in mind: your education should never limit your learning; facts should never limit thought. Gradgrind is inclined towards both of these things.
Also Miranda:
I would like to invite you all to consider the relationship between Boundarby and Louisa. I'm really curious to see how the relationship unfolds, because she is clearly not his biggest fan, but he continually is expressing his interest in her doings, as in his conversation with Mrs. Sparsit saying "that the little puss [Lousia} can get small good of such companionship," regarding her being introduced to Sissy. Being a friend of the Gradgrind family, his interest could be just friendly concern, but the fixation on Louisa rather than Tom, the more natural choice to be concerned about the welfare of on the basis that he is the older male of the family, is intriguing. I have to admit, I'm suspicious of it. Does anyone else feel this way?
Also Miranda:
I would like to invite you all to consider the relationship between Boundarby and Louisa. I'm really curious to see how the relationship unfolds, because she is clearly not his biggest fan, but he continually is expressing his interest in her doings, as in his conversation with Mrs. Sparsit saying "that the little puss [Lousia} can get small good of such companionship," regarding her being introduced to Sissy. Being a friend of the Gradgrind family, his interest could be just friendly concern, but the fixation on Louisa rather than Tom, the more natural choice to be concerned about the welfare of on the basis that he is the older male of the family, is intriguing. I have to admit, I'm suspicious of it. Does anyone else feel this way?
I think that Louisa and Sissy will become good friends and we will be able to see this more and more throughout the book. First reason, being that they are the two characcters that show more rebelious attitudes and seem like they don't fit in Coketown because they dont agree with what Mr. Gradgrind says. Second Reason is because in chapter nine Louisa is listening and giving her adviced to make sissy feel better about herself when sissy said, I am so stupid" and Louisa told her,"she would get wiser by and by like Louisa understands what she is going thru and thats what friends do.
One more note:
"He answered evasively, because the old woman appeared to take it for granted that he would be very happy indeed, and he had not the heart to disappoint her."
Stephen Blackpond (and all those oppressed in general) have, by habit, learned to silence their own opinions. Though things are quite difficult for him, he settles to be passive and keep the old woman ignorant to the truth of things. How do any of the characters expect to see change when they can't be honest with their own situation? In their attempts to maintain modesty and feed lies to their superiors to satisfy them, they are only continuing the condition. I think the "rebellion" of these oppressed individuals is close at hand.
I like where Bryce was going with his examination of Mrs. Gradgrind. She certainly does seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place; it must be difficult simultaneously feeling regret for having deprived her children of fancy and fear of what her husband might think if she were even marginally to condone wonder, which is the topic of Sissy's and Louisa's conversation in Chapter 8.
Beyond merely her predicament, I think it's important to see Mrs. Gradgrind as a foil for Louisa. Whereas Louisa is intended to be sympathetic to the reader, via her endeavor to become more "human," contrary to her father's wishes, she displays traits of intellectual and emotional capability far beyond her mother's. Mrs. Gradgrind's refusal to accept that, naturally, all humans will expire like the "red sparks dropping out of the fire, and whitening and dying," shows her relative immaturity.
It's clear that Louisa is always willing to face the consequences of her actions (evident in her acceptance of the blame for both watching the circus with Tom and for "wondering"). Her mother is not; she makes apparent her inability to live in the real, cause-and-effect world when she tells Louisa, fearfully, that she "would never hear the last of it" if "[word of Louisa's having been wondering] was ever to reach [Louisa's] father's ears."
Ironically, Louisa, the younger and ostensibly less mature of the two women, seems much more intellectually and emotionally prepared to live an independent life -- if she were ever allowed to do so -- than her mother, Mrs. Gradgrind. Mark another victory for the spirit of youth.
Quick point of contention:
I sympathize with the common sentiment about this blog that the old woman may be Bounderby's mother.
Nonetheless, let's say she's not? Please refrain from assuring me you know she is because you checked Sparknotes. That's not terribly useful.
So, we have an old woman who cares greatly about Bounderby. Aside from the possibility of being his mother, I think there's also room for other interpretations. An old teacher? A foster mother?
I know she'll probably end up being Bounderby's mother, but I think it's useful to think of her only, perhaps, as an old woman who might have known a younger, kinder Bounderby, who had not yet become a man obsessed with his wealth and power. The text clearly states that the old woman has not actually met with Bounderby; she tells Stephen Blackpool, "[Glimpses are] enough for me," from which the reader should infer her ignorance of Bounderby's despicable self-absorption.
To respond to Gabi's comment, I would like to add that the different ways of thinking builds on the idea of being "over-educated," as Mr. Gradgrind is. Gradgrind is well-schooled to believe in the importance of facts above all else, as are his equally well-schooled colleagues. The factory workers, who are presumed to be less intelligent/ well-schooled, are much more open to an imaginative, colorful view of the world. This adds to Dickens' point that education works towards stamping out more creative thinking.
One last thing:
I want to point out that all the citizens of Coketown are called the Hands; not just the working class. This serves to reinforce Dickens's picture of a utilitarianism; by using synecdoche to reduce all the residents of his fictional society to mere hands, he removes the residents' thoughts and emotions. If you're just a pair of hands, you must not be very good at thinking. Nonetheless, Stephen Blackpool did remark that he "held no station among the Hands who could make speeches and carry on debates. Thousands of his compeers could talk much better than he, at any time."
Dickens has made a distinction between the multitude Hands; all the people of Coketown are essentially cogs in a grand machine, though some can think, and some cannot. Blackpool seems to think he's of the ignorant variety. Hey... it's almost like he's oppressing himself because he's adopted his society's oppressive ideals.
"It's a bad job; that's what it is. You had better have been satisfied as you were, and not have got married. However, it's too late to say that.' 'Was it an unequal marriage, sir, in point of years?' asked Mrs. Sparsit […] 'Not e'en so. I were one-and-twenty myseln; she were twenty nighbut.' 'Indeed, sir?' said Mrs. Sparsit to her Chief, with great placidity. 'I inferred, from its being so miserable a marriage, that it was probably an unequal one in point of years." This quote is on the subject of marriage and is ironic in that its on the subject of Bounderby having a craving for marrying a much younger woman and his overall disdain of his current wife when in the previous chapter, he lectured Blackpool about divorce being a luxury of the rich and that the only way for him to get around it is for him to get used to his miserable situation. Just to outline the irony more clearly, it is ironic that though bounderby has lost interest in his wife and wants to pursue a newer one with a younger woman, he as a rich man cannot get out of a marriage which he had told Blackpool only rich people could afford. Just a thought.
To add to Gabi's, an example of reinforcement of this idea is that after Blackpool is told by Bounderby that divorces are only for the rich and Stephen will have to deal with what he has, he does not just accept this, take the advice of Bounderby and move on but rather constantly fantasize about what it would be like if he could leave his marriage to his alcoholic wife who does not even participate in his life and be with Rachael and live together in a happy marriage.
I'd like to comment on how Louisa has been identified more than once with fire. In Chapter III she is described as having "a light with nothing to rest upon, a fire with nothing to burn." Then again in chapter 8 after being scolded by Mrs. Grandgrind she talks about how the dying embers reminded her of how short her life would be. I think this identification with fire is very fitting considering Louisa's, excuse the pun, fiery personality.
Not sure if this has been said but I got 3 minutes so whatever. In response to all the discussion about Mrs. Sparsit i'd like to agree but also add that she is a different class than we have seen yet, she is an more of an aristocrat where most of the other characters are either just poor or wealthy.
Quality.
Post a Comment