him away. WebWhen he realizes that the object of his misery has re-entered his life, he sinks into despair; tied to this disreputable creature, he can never marry Rachael. Judith Baxter. John Baird, therefore, views this novel as a protest against the inhumanity of social attitudes which find expression in the law. SparkNotes PLUS Such insensitivity towards his mother is unbecoming and cannot be spared. This episode is particularly important to understand not only the predicament of Stephen but also to scrutinise the Victorian laws of divorce and remarriage. At the end of his long day, Stephen turns his feet homeward, walking slowly, dreading to re-enter the small apartment where his wife lies in a drunken stupor. Wed love to have you back! But he is shunned by his fellow workers for refusing to join the union, Bounderby fires him, and he is forced to leave town to seek work. James Harthouse When returning to Coketown to defend his honor, Stephen falls into a pit and injures himself. In response, they completely shun and ignore him, making Stephen actually and not just figuratively entirely independent and alone.Just before he wrote this novel, Dickens saw a real unionization and subsequent strike in the city of Preston. Stephen is an important character not only because his Famous guests included hip-hop star 2 Chainz as well as fellow retired hoopers Al Harrington and Matt Barnes. His mother, Mrs. Peglers revelations prove Bounderby to be a sham and it is learnt that his mother was not dead and he was equally loved by both the parents. for a customized plan. Moreover, his ability to find comfort in the star illustrates Stephen is a poor laborer in one of Josiah Bounderby's factories. 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He was very good to his wife, but she became a drunkard and sold the furniture and refused to work. This is because she is connected to the emotional side of life, the values of the heart, which are at odds with the school's emphasis on facts and figures. (2000 U.S. CENSUS) Stephen reached its top position of #20 in the 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. He has been hoping that Betty will be able to overcome her alcoholism and that their marriage will eventually improve. He was previously married to Maureen Scott and Rachel Roberts. He is no longer a member of the Workers Union. As Stephen departs from Bounderby's house, he encounters an old woman who asks eagerly about Bounderby. Show how Dickens represents the importance of escape in Hard Times. To Stephen, she represents domestic happiness and moral purity. Again, through satire, Dickens censures the machine age by referring to the towering smoke pipes as Towers of Babel, speaking without being understood. When his intentions toward Louisa are discovered, and Louisa flees to her father's house, Harthouse is confronted by Sissy. James Eli Adams contends that the novel grapples with a grave injustice, Stephens inability to divorce a drunken and dissolute wife who long since had abandoned him (154). Not affiliated with Harvard College. Gradgrind also imposes his one-sided practical philosophy on the local school. Your email address will not be published. Rachel is Stephens childhood friend and a factory worker. his daily toil, Stephen strives to maintain his honesty, integrity, faith, Hard Times. The former being haughty, being twice his spouses age, fails to fathom her emotions. The problem with him was that he had not sought a divorce: Your case is a very clear one, and I doubt not you would have obtained your divorce. Text me: 7034203579 LA-based Producer/Songwriter/Musician MGMT / BOOKING / PRESS https://heroic.family/artist/stephen/ He is not by nature an unkind man, and he resolves in future to live by the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. Thanks for checking out our website. This you would get as a matter of course, on the payment of the proper fees and proof of the facts. . This article, however, limits its discussion to the issue of marriage and divorce during the Victorian era and Dickenss concern for the poor labourers for whom seeking a divorce could never have been possible given the intricate processes and huge expenses. Stephen tried to help her, but to no avail. Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like On his way home from one of his schools, Mr. Gradgrind is horrified to see his children, Louisa agrees to marry Mr. Bounderby because she sees the marriage as a, Stephen Blackpool sought out California: Greenwood, 2014. In the factory that Bounderby owns, Stephen Blackpool and his friend Rachael are work hands. A poor worker at Mr. Bounderby 's factory, Stephen is a victim both of the industrial system and of society's restrictions on marriage. Stephen is virtuous, honest, and a man of principles and integrity; while Bounderby is full of vanity and deceit. Stephen is so desperately in love with another woman that he almost purposely lets his wife die. The worker group saw fit to fire him as a result of this. Stephen, on entering the apartment, finds his beloved Rachael seated by the bedside of his wife. He reluctantly agrees to leave Coketown and never return. The dishonorable and deceitful leader of the labor movement: The United Aggregate Tribunal. A History of Victorian Literature. he only wantin to work hard in peace, and do what he felt right. Many probably most of Dickens's novels feature what we'll call a Human Sacrifice. that striking is not the best way to improve relations between factory owners Louisa, on the other hand, is taught to see them as "Hands" basically a mass of parts indistinguishable from the factory's actual machinery. | Stephen is a power loom operator in Bounderby's factory. Later, the plot of the story is developed in a way that Blackpool is fired by his boss. Bounderby's title could well be "Bully of Humanity" for the manner in which he deals with this worker. He is rescued but dies soon after. Bitzer is a classmate of Tom, Louisa and Sissy. . Further, even when Louisa feels moved at her husbands ill-treatment of Stephen and offers him some money, he does not accept the whole amount but takes only two pounds and that too with a commitment to repay that: Ill tak two pound. only represents the ideals of virtue for which Stephen strives, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996. $24.99 West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2007. Blind in his vanity, he undermines his friendship in the first place and secondly, fails to view the incompatibility between him and his wife in terms of mammoth age difference and the lack of commensuration in dispositions. Blackstone, Sir William. I see you would tell me these proceedings would cost you 1000, and that your small-stock-in-trade is not worth 100. In Chapter 13, Dickens enters the story again as he draws a portrait of Rachael, the thirty-five-year-old Hand, as a ministering angel. The death comes too early, is usually protracted (you know, for a lot of meaningful death scenes and sad speeches), and can usually be blamed on The System in some loose way. Stephen Blackpool can secure divorce as he has all the necessary grounds. Imani reportedly cried to Jackson later, willing to sign the papers in order for the wedding to happen. Kidder, Paulette. His face and body are much aged because of the grueling work he must do every day at the factory, and his heart is aged ever since his wife became a drunken prostitute and left him, occasionally returning for money. that illustrates the strained relations between rich and poor. He is a big, loud, man who expresses himself bluntly. As a man with thorns and pain, Stephen cannot survive in his present position. Through the words of Blackpool, the reader learns that Dickens believes the laws of England to be unfair to the poor workingman. Stephen is a very prominent first name for males (#34 out of 1220, Top 3%) and also a very prominent last name for both adults and children (#3655 out of 150436, Top 2%). He refused, however, pointing out that she could make a case in court to invalidate the agreement by claiming that she signed under the duress. It is only after Louisa's emotional breakdown that he has a change of heart and becomes more intellectually accepting of enterprises that are not exclusively dedicated to profit and fact. In the process, he died, as a result of falling into a giant hole in the ground. Even though, Stephen was claimed to be connected to the robbery, his love, Rachael who was also the factory worker, sends him a letter and asks to come back and swears to help him get rid of accusations. Apart from it, the case of Josiah Bounderby and Louisa would also be considered to highlight how even the rich in some circumstances could not have procured divorce. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Hard Times. He knows how to succeed by looking after his own interests; he is all calculation and no heart. that seems to shine on him in his pain and trouble. This star not You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Though much is said earlier, it is important to contrast the character of the banker with that that of Stephen. Please check back weekly to see what we have added. Tom makes another offer of assistance as Stephen stands outside. He is rescued but he eventually dies. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. She accepts Bounderby's proposal largely to please her brother, Tom, whom she loves. Renews January 25, 2023 Throughout her life, she takes care of Stephens widow. Luckily, the man found a good and highly moral woman, but he was not able to marry her due to restrictions of marriage which were taken by the society. She has an emotional breakdown after being tempted into infidelity by Mr. Harthouse. She tells him that his landlady had summoned her to care for the sick woman. Bounderby terminates the interview with his favorite comment: "I see traces of turtle soup, and venison, and gold spoon in this." But Rachael awakens and seizes the deadly cup. Bounderby and his men pick up Stephen and take him to the police station. Mrs. Sparsit is a widow who has fallen on hard times. Things go really bad for him when he is framed for bank robbery. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. He is a good-natured old man who suffers from asthma, and he is also somewhat depleted by too much drink. He employs many of the characters in the novel and he is very wealthy. OK, so Stephen is obviously in a hellacious marriage. He is first mentioned in Acts 6:5, when the apostles appoint seven deacons in order to minister to the physical needs of the faithful.Because Stephen is a Greek name (Stephanos), and because the appointment of the deacons occurred in response to complaints by Greek-speaking Jewish They are better off than Tom and Louisa because Sissy Jupe has assisted in their upbringing. He deprives his mother of her motherly affection for all these years by simply giving her money. What does Stephen mean? Stephen: 2. The party was a weed fest, according to Barnes. "Ask about us. It is particularly significant to Christians , as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( Greek : Stphanos ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts , was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the first martyr (or " protomartyr ") of the Christian Church . Cost you 1000, and he is a common English first name reached top... 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