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Lit Guides Lit Terms Shakespeare Translations

Hard Times "

Hard Times Book 2,

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$ Chapter 5
Summary & Analysis
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% Themes Key # # # #

Summary Analysis

Stephen joins Mr. The contemptuous way in

Bounderby, Louisa, Tom,
and Mr. Harthouse in the
Bounderbys' drawing room.
Bounderby demands that
Stephen reveal details of
the newly formed union.
Though Stephen does not
believe the union will result
in any good, he refuses to
act as a spy on the other
hands, because he doesn't
blame his co-workers for
doing what they're doing.
Looking around, he senses
that the only one
sympathetic to him is
Louisa.
Stephen goes on to explain
reasonably that it's only
realistic to expect worker
uprisings, because it simply
isn't natural for one person
to hold power over all the
rest. Mr. Bounderby is
angered by his words, and
fires Stephen, telling him to
leave the factory at once.
which Mr. Bounderby
treats Stephen and his
opinions is a
condemnation of the
manufacturer-work
relationship, which is
portrayed as abusive and
selfish on the part of the
manufacturer, Bounderby.
The scene also establishes
Stephen's inherent
decency and dignity and
that Louisa has the
potential to be
compassionate despite
what her education did to
her.
Themes
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Stephen sees to the heart
of the matter, and is merely
pointing this out to
Bounderby. But Bounderby
reacts angrily to anything
that does not go as he
wants it—a testament to
his sense of entitlement—
and he thinks nothing of
firing Stephen on the spot.
Themes

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Related Quotes

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Book 2, Chapter
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