1.)
Significant Passage:
The narrator’s opinion of Stephen seems to
change, from almost pity in the beginning (“he took no place among those
remarkable “Hands”(66)) as his humble life is recounted, to a sort of respect
for him as having virtues above the upper class. This is especially apparent in
this passage:
Book
Two, Chapter 6, Fading Away
“[Stephen] was neither courtly, nor handsome, nor picturesque, in any respect; and yet his manner of accepting [the money], and of expressing his thanks without more words, had a grace in it that Lord Chesterfield could not have taught his son in a century.” (p. 157)
“[Stephen] was neither courtly, nor handsome, nor picturesque, in any respect; and yet his manner of accepting [the money], and of expressing his thanks without more words, had a grace in it that Lord Chesterfield could not have taught his son in a century.” (p. 157)
2.) Discussion Question: Louisa and Thomas
both grow up in the same house on the same rules, yet Louisa turns out a rather
thoughtful, kind woman and Thomas turns out to be a lazy mooch who takes
advantage of his sister. Is the reason really as he says, “a girl comes out of
it better than a boy does”? Or is there another fundamental difference between
the upbringing of Louisa and Thomas?
“Part of Your World” – Louisa has all
these “things” stored in her head, like Ariel has trinkets in her cavern, but
what she really wants is to be part of a world she has been sheltered from all
her life—the world of imagination. They both have parents who have tried to
shelter them, thinking they are doing the right thing, but actually harming
their child.
I really like what you said in your passage analysis about Stephen being described in a way superior to those of the upper class. I think that idea is very interesting, and also well-supported throughout the book as Dickens mocks and criticizes the fact-based, superficial regimen of life lived by the upper class. Looking specifically at the quote you analyzed, I think the list of Stephen's unnattractive qualities was an effective strategy Dickens used to distinguish Stephen from the upper class, and then once they were polarized, he was able to say that Stephen (and thus his class as a whole) was more virtuous. It also furthers a main theme of the novel: that the physical (like appearance, or measurable things like Fact) is less important than the intrinsic (emotion, human connections, imagination).
ReplyDeleteI think Stephen's superiority can be seen through his introduction which is far more favorable than some of the introductions of other characters. In the chapter titled "Stephen Blackpool", he is described as "a man of perfect integrity" (66). I truly believe that this is the highest form of compliment that Dickens can give a character. Yes, he is none of the things listed in the quote provided her, but he has "perfect integrity". As Emma mentions, I think Dickens offers similar support to the other characters in his class (though none as positive as Stephen himself). For example, in the same chapter, Dickens describes Stephen's neighborhood as "the hardest working part of Coketown" (65). Additionally, when Slackbridge provides his speech to the union, Slackbridge is described in opposition to the hard working members of the lower class who are described as simple yet filled with "solid sense". These are not attributes used for the upper class, even though they consider themselves to be full of sense and logic and Facts.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your discussion question, I believe there may have been slight nuances to Tom and Louisa's upbringing, but there is not a lot of support other than Gradgrind's repeated statement that Louisa is his favorite child. I think the different paths they took were not so much a result of different parenting, rather it stems from their temperamental differences. Even before Tom became a gambling addict, dependent on Louisa for money, he was a selfishly motivated person. Tom knew that he was going to be apprenticed to Bounderby and that it would be a miserable experience unless he exploited his loving sister for leverage on Bounderby, “Old Bounderby has been keeping me at it rather. But I touch him up with you, when he comes it too strong, and so we preserve an understanding” (94). Tom willingly takes advantage of Bounderby's interests in Louisa instead of protecting her. Louisa, on the other hand, readily supports her brother in his gambling habits and in consenting to marriage even at her expense. I think it is these fundamental differences in personality - empathetic and caring versus selfish and greedy - that form the immense discrepancy between the two and their ultimate fates.
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