Supporting Characters in Hard Times
Review of Minor Characters in Charles Dickens’ Novel
Jun 4, 2009
The following characters are minor characters in Charles Dickens’ novel, Hard Times, and form the supporting cast for the main characters in Hard Times.
Tom ‘the whelp’ Gradgrind
Tom Gradgrind is Thomas Gradgrind’s second child and Louisa’s closest companion. From childhood, he is sullen and rebellious. He is a weak character with no backbone, as a result he spends most of his time sulking and is easily manipulated by others.
Eventually, in order to cover his debts, he begins to embezzle money. He frames Blackpool to cover his crimes. When he is found out, he is sent to America, where he succeeds no better than he did in Coketown.
Mrs. Gradgrind
Mrs. Gradgrind is Thomas Gradgrind’s frail wife. She is physically and intellectually weak. In order to get her children to quit pestering her she often suggests that they go do ‘somethingological directly.’ Dickens says that whenever Mrs. Gradgrind seemed about to become healthier and sturdier she was “invariably stunned by some weighty piece of fact tumbling upon her.”
James ‘Jem’ Harthouse
James Harthouse is a wealthy, jaded young man. The life of pleasure and adventure bores him and so for a change of pace, he joins Gradgrind and Bounderby and supports their ‘hard Facts’ faction in parliament. It is all a game to him. When he meets, Louisa he is intrigued because she is unlike any woman he has ever met and to amuse himself, he attempts to crack her open and make her love him. He nearly succeeds but Louisa flees to her father’s house. Later, sends him away.
Mrs. Sparsit
Mrs. Sparsit is a woman of respectable birth who has fallen on difficulties and works as a housekeeper for Mr. Bounderby. She is a mean, bitter, selfish, gossiping, dishonest old woman who delights in the misfortune of others. While she detests her employer and calls him Noodle behind his back, she dislikes being replaced by his wife even more and delights when she thinks that Louisa will commit adultery with Harthouse and ruin her marriage.
Bitzer
Bitzer is a representation of what a factual system of education can create. Bitzer spits out Facts like bullets and is motivated only by his own self-interest. When he is first seen at the beginning of the novel, Bitzer correctly defines several terms when Sissy can’t. Later he is employed at Bounderby’s bank and works as a spy.
Mr. M'Choakumchild
Mr. M'Choakumchild is the teacher at Gradgrind's school. He is well trained in Facts and willingly crams Facts into his student’s heads. He doesn’t like children. As his name suggests, he chokes imagination and emotion out of children.
Mrs. Pegler
Mrs. Pegler is Bounderby's mother. Bounderby claims that she abandoned him. Mrs. Sparsit, not knowing who she is, thinks that Mrs. Pegler is somehow involved in the bank theft and brings her to the attention of Bounderby and a host of others. It is then revealed that Mrs. Pegler did not abandon her son but raised him as well as her finances allowed and that he paid her to keep silent. She visits Coketown in secret so that she can see the son that she adores.
Rachel
Rachel is the close companion and secret love of Stephen Blackpool. Near the end of the book it is revealed that Stephen could have married her but chose another instead. Rachel harbors no resentment and nurses Stephen’s drunken and sick wife out of the goodness of her heart and love for Stephen.
Slackbridge
Slackbridge is the dishonest union spokesman. He verbally abuses Stephen Blackpool for refusing to join the union.
Mr. Sleary
Mr. Sleary is the lisping, kind-hearted owner of the circus that Sissy’s father worked for. His philosophy is that people work hard and deserve to occasionally escape the realities of life through entertainment and Fantasy. He treats his people as well as he is able and encourages Sissy when she decides to go with Gradgrind. He is a kind man and helps ship Tom to America after it is revealed that he stole the money.
