Hard Times
_Hard Times_ was first published in _Household Words_ as a series and then compiled into 3 books. Dickens intertwined several people's lives in these writings. Louisa had two very different relationships with her father and brother. Louisa's relationship with her father is one where she believes at first that he is just using her to show how his "facts and only the facts" teachings work, and later she finds out that he really loves her and cares deeply for her. Unlike her relationship with Tom, her brother, which starts out with her believing that he loves her and cares deeply for her, and later she finds out that he was only using her.Louisa's relationship with her father changes with each stage of their lives. Mr. Gradgrind is a man of means who is very interested in the school of facts, and he wants he children to rely on nothing but facts. When we are first introduced to this relationship, Louisa is very mouthy and rebellious. Louisa and Young Tom were caught peeping at the circus by their father. Mrs. Gradgrind asked Louisa why she was peeping at the circus when she knew better than to have anything to do with something other than facts. Louisa stated "That's the reason!" (19) Mr. Gradgrind approache
"I fear so, father. I know he had wanted money very much, and had spent a great deal." (203) When Tom was running after the robbery, his selfishness came out when he told Louisa that she had gone home "just when I was in the greatest danger" and "you never cared for me." (210) This shows that Tom took advantage of the love Louisa had for him. Later when Tom had been on his own for a long time in exile, he came to realize how much he loved her and wanted to come home "with hope of seeing her." (218) Louisa got a letter that said Tom "died in penitence and love of you: his last word being your name." (218) Dickens, Charles. ." _Hard Times-_. Ed. George Ford and Sylvere Monod. 2nd ed. New York:Norton, 1990. 7-219. After Louisa confided in Mr. Harthouse, he helps her see how Tom has always taken advantage of her. Louisa believes that Tom robbed the bank as she tells her father Louisa was often misunderstood and taken advantage of by her father and brother. Mr. Gradgrind used her to prove how well his school of facts worked. He didn't think she needed to use her imagination or have any form of sentiment, which he later admitted was a cause for her downfall. Tom used Louisa to protect him against their father, Mr. Bounderby, and his creators. Dickens did a great job intertwining the characters lives from the different social classes in his writing of _Hard Times_. Shaw, Bernard. "Hard Times." ." _Hard Times-_. By Dickens. Ed. George Ford and Sylvere Monod. 2nd ed. New York:Norton, 1990. 333-40.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1576
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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