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Introduction :
Hard Times is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens, The book appraises English society and is aimed at highlighting the social and economic pressures of the times. Hard Times is not a delicate book . has not usually been regarded as one of Dickens 's finest novels and It is also not a difficult book: Dickens wanted all his readers to catch his point exactly, and the moral theme of the novel is very explicitly articulated time and again. There are no hidden meanings in Hard Times, and the book is an interesting case of a great writer subordinating his art to a moral and social purpose. Even if it is not Dickens’s most popular novel, it is still an important expression of the values he thought were fundamental to human …show more content…

Sissy serves as a foil, or contrast, to Louisa: while Sissy is imaginative and compassionate, Louisa is rational and, for the most part, unfeeling. Sissy embodies the Victorian femininity that counterbalances mechanization and industry. Through Sissy’s interaction with her, Louisa is able to explore her more sensitive, feminine sides
Thomas (Tom) Gradgrind, Junior :is the oldest son and second child of the Gradgrinds. Initially sullen and resentful of his father 's Utilitarian education, Tom has a strong relationship with his sister Louisa. He works in Bounderby 's bank (which he later robs), and turns to gambling and drinking. Louisa never ceases to adore Tom, and she aids Sissy and Mr. Gradgrind in saving her brother from arrest.
Stephen Blackpool : is a worker at one of Bounderby 's mills. He has a drunken wife who no longer lives with him but who appears from time to time. He forms a close bond with Rachael, a co-worker, whom he wishes to marry. After a dispute with Bounderby, he is dismissed from his work at the Coketown mills and, shunned by his former fellow workers, is forced to look for work elsewhere. While absent from Coketown, he is wrongly accused of robbing Bounderby 's bank. On his way back to vindicate himself, he falls down a mine-shaft. He is rescued but dies of his injuries.
Bitzer : is a very pale classmate of Sissy 's and brought up on facts and is taught to operate according to self-interest. He takes

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