MR. BOUNDERBY

 

Answers

 

                                                                

1             List all words and phrases describing Mr. Bounderby.

 

“Mr. Bounderby was as near being Mr. Gradgrind’s bosom friend”; “man perfectly devoid of sentiment”; “he was a rich man: banker, merchant, manufacturer, and what not”; “A big, loud man, with a stare, and a metallic laugh”; “A man made out of a coarse material, which seemed to have been stretched to make so much of him. A man with a great puffed head and forehead, swelled veins in his temples, and such a strained skin to his face that it seemed to hold his eyes open, and lift his eyebrows up. A man with a pervading appearance on him of being inflated like a balloon, and ready to start. A man who could never sufficiently vaunt himself a self-made man. A man who was always proclaiming, through that brassy speaking-trumpet of a voice of his, his old ignorance and his old poverty. A man who was the Bully of humility”; “looked older, he had not much hair”.

 

 

2             Ring the four phrases which explicity convey the narrators opinion of Mr. Bounderby character and find in a dictionary adjectives with the same meaning.

 

a)    “man perfectly devoid of sentiment” → insensitive

b)    “A big, loud man, with a stare, and a metallic laugh” → annoying , irritating:

c)    “A man made of coarse material” → rough

d)    “He seems inflated, he is a Bully of Humanity” → haughty, proud

 

 

3             Now, go back to the list you made for exercise 1. Which of items on it are connected with one or more author’s comments?

 

These four phrases are narrator’s judgment. Them underline Bounderby’s tendency to materiality and to richness. He is devoid of sentiment and he is a bully of humility.

 

 

4             The surname of the character contains the word bounder on purpose, find it in the dictionary. Which of the phrases you have listed reinforces the meaning of the surname?

 

Bounder: a dishonourable man; someone who behaves badly.

 

 

5             Mr. Bounderby is described as coming from a poor family, without education and self-made. In other contexts these attributes may be presented as worthy of sympathy and/or admiration. Why aren’t they here?

 

 

Mr. Bounderby is an unpleasant person who comes from a poor family. He is without education and self-made and he believe only in himself. Furthermore he is insensitive, haughty and he doesn’t care about other people. There is no attraction in being a self-made man at all.

 

 

 

 

 

6             Now, go on reading and see if what Mr. Bounderby says is relevant with the description of his character.

 

 

He says that he is a self-made man. The relevant passage is when he speaks about his childhood: “ I hadn't a shoe to my food. As to a stocking , I didn't know such a thing by name. I passed the day in a ditch, and the night in a pigsty. That's the way I spent my tenth birthday. Not that a ditch was new to me, for I was born in a ditch”. Here Mr. Bounderby exaggerates his misery and to underline his sadness and pity he repeats “ditch”.

 

 

7             Which aspect/s of Mr. Bounderby character is/are emphasized in what he says?

 

Mr. Bouderby is very self confident and he is a self made man.

 

 

8             Does what he says confirm or modify his portrait?

 

Yes, it does. In fact Mr. Bounderby says: “I was determined, I suppose. I have been a determined character in later life, and I suppose I was then. Here I am, Mrs. Gradgrind, anyhow, and nobody to thank for my being here, but myself”.

 

 

9             Consider how Mr. Bounderby speaks

 

a)    “I hadn't a shoe to my foot.. I didn't know.. I passed the day.. I spent my tenth birthday.. I was born..” “I passed the day in a ditch.. not that a ditch was new to me, for I was born in a ditch”. “I was determined, I suppose. I have been a determined character in later life, and I suppose I was then”.

b)    His way of talking is linked to his vanity; he talks only about himself and his childhood.