. . . we are awlus wrong, and never had’n
no reason in us sin ever we were born.
(See Important Quotations Explained)
Summary — Chapter 5: Men and Masters
Bounderby attempts to cajole Stephen into telling him
what went on at the union meeting, but Stephen refuses to be used
as a spy. He says that Slackbridge is no more to blame for the desire
of the workers to unionize than a clock is to blame for the passing
of time, but he repeats his belief that the union will do no good.
When he refuses to spy on the other Hands, Bounderby angrily dismisses
him from the factory. Because his fellow Hands have ostracized him,
Stephen will have to leave Coketown in search of work.
Summary — Chapter 6: Fading Away
Outside Bounderby’s, Stephen encounters Rachael with the
old woman he met once before, who introduces herself as Mrs. Pegler. Stephen
takes the pair back to his room for tea, telling Rachael the news
of his dismissal. In spite of Stephen’s misfortune, they pass an enjoyable
evening and are surprised by the appearance of Louisa and Tom at
Stephen’s door. Louisa was impressed with Stephen’s refusal to help
her husband break up the union, and she offers him money to help
him on his way. Deeply touched, Stephen agrees to accept only two
pounds, which he promises to pay back. Tom summons Stephen outside
and makes him another offer of help. Tom tells Stephen to wait outside
the bank late at night for the next few nights, and if all goes
well, someone will appear with assistance. Stephen spends the next
few days preparing to leave Coketown, and he waits outside the bank
each evening, following Tom’s instructions. He notices several people
observing his loitering, including Mrs. Sparsit and Bitzer, but
no one comes to offer him help. Finally, one morning, Stephen walks
by Rachael’s house one last time, then sets out down the road out
of Coketown, the trees arching over him, his own heart aching for
the loving heart of Rachael that he is leaving behind.
Summary — Chapter 7: Gunpowder
As James Harthouse begins to enjoy some political success,
he also begins to plan his seduction of Louisa. He and Louisa spend
a lot of time together at Bounderby’s country estate near Coketown,
and through their private conversations he learns how to manipulate
the emotions that Louisa herself does not know she has. Realizing
that her brother is the only person for whom she truly cares, Harthouse uses
his influence over Tom to make him act more kindly to Louisa—and
he makes sure she knows who is responsible.
Summary — Chapter 8: Explosion
One morning, Bounderby charges in upon Harthouse and Louisa, announcing
that the bank has been robbed of roughly 150 pounds. The
only suspect is Stephen Blackpool, who was seen loitering outside
the bank late at night, shortly before fleeing from Coketown. Mrs.
Sparsit, whose nerves have been shocked by the event, temporarily
moves in with the Bounderbys, where she begins to spend more and
more time with Mr. Bounderby, and insists upon referring to Louisa
as “Miss Gradgrind.” Knowing that her brother is deeply in debt,
Louisa suspects Tom of stealing the money. She confronts him about
it one night, and he protests his innocence. However, as soon as
she leaves his room, he buries his face in his pillow and begins
to sob guiltily.
Analysis — Book the Second: Reaping: Chapters
5–8
Thus far, Hard Times has consisted of
two seemingly separate plot strands—the first involving Louisa and
Bounderby’s loveless marriage, and the second describing Stephen’s
ostracism from his fellow workers. In this section, however, these
plots begin to coverge. This interweaving of the previously separate
plot strands is illustrated by Stephen and Louisa’s meeting in Chapter 6,
a meeting that brings Louisa into contact with a person of the working
class for the first time in her life. This meeting illustrates that
Louisa is not entirely without compassion or feeling, and it serves
to further awaken her latent emotions. Previously, Louisa had known
the Hands only as “[s]omething to be worked so much and paid so
much,” but in going to Stephen’s room, she sees for the first time
the suffering that these individuals experience.
The meeting at Stephen’s room is also important because
it sets the stage for the bank robbery. While Louisa shows her ability
to feel compassion, Tom reveals his self-interested, manipulative
side when he tells Stephen that help may come to him if he waits
outside the bank for several consecutive nights, since Tom is the
person who robs Bounderby and frames Stephen. The weaving together
of the two plots signifies that the narrative is approaching its
climax, the moment when the conflict erupts.
