Activities:
1. List all the words and phrases describing Mr. Bounderby

friend, as a man perfectly devoid of sentiment can approach that spiritual relationship towards another 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.

Mr. Bounderby looked older; his seven or eight and forty might have had the seven or eight added to it again, without  surprising anybody. He had not much hair.

2. Collect the 4 phrases which explicitly convey the narrator’s opinion of Mr. Bounderby’s character and find in a dictionary adjectives of the same meaning.
A man who could never sufficiently vaunt himself a self-made man. (he's not aware of what he does and thinks)

I was determined, I suppose. I have been a determined character in later life, and I suppose I was then. (he is not aware of his personality)

Mrs. Gradgrind, a little, thin, white, pink-eyed bundle of shawls, of surpassing feebleness, mental and bodily (intellectual and physical weakness)

who was always taking physic without any effect, and who, whenever she showed a symptom of coming to life, was invariably stunned by some weighty piece of fact tumbling on her (he cannot deduce conclusions from the reality around him)

3. Now go back to the list you made for exercise 1. which of the other items on it are connected with one or more of the author’s comments.
A man who could never sufficiently vaunt himself a self-made man.

4. The surname of the character contains the word bounder on purpose . Look it up in the dictionary. Which of the phrases you have listed reinforces the meaning of the surname?
bounder (noun)
a man who behaves badly or in a way that is not moral, especially in his relationships with women.

I think the third instance reinforces the meaning of Bounderby (from “bounder” actually). The third instance explains how Mr. Bounderby  demonstrates his ignorance and his rudness. Also the first instance explains how Mr. Bounderby has no sentiments, according to the definition of bounder.

5. Mr. Bounderby is described as coming from a poor family, without , without education and self-made. In other contexts these attributes might be presented as worthy of ympathy and/or admiration. Why aren’t they here?
Charles Dickens describes the reality as it appeares in Hard Times. For this reason Mr. Bounderby is not appreciated for his ignorance: people without education might be controlled by other more powerful people into society. Only people who fit in society have the possibility to progress on the social ladder and keep God's blessed, accordingly to Puritanism principales.

6. Now go on reading and see if what Bounderby says is consistent with the description of his character.
Mr. Bounderby is proud of his victory against his inflammation of the lungs. Besides, he demonstrates his superiority on social ladder: he is devoid of sentiments, not influenced by emotions. He believes in his superiority.

7. Which aspect/s of Bounderby’s character is/are emphasised in what he says?
Mr. Bounderby emphasises his determination to face problems. Mr Bounderby obsessively assures that he has been rised from the poor class.

8. Does what he says confirm or modify his portrait in the previous text?
??? We have not read any text with the character of Mr Bounderby.

9. Consider the way Bounderby speaks.
a) Underline any repetition of pronouns, words or sentence pattern in the extract
you have read .
“A man...” is the largest used syntactical construction: it reveals the impersonality of the narrator, he is behind Mr. Bounderby and he is telling the reader Mr Bounderby's personality.
b) How would you define his way of talking
Mr Bounderby repeats many times the argumentations in his speech. Maybe it is an afford to see the reality from many different points of view. Besides, Mr. Boundery uses to talk a lot, he prefers long instance from a tight question-answer dialogue.
c) How does his way of talking fit in with his character as described by the narrator?
The use of long instance could represent Mr Boundery's sense of superiority due to his aquired high social position. The lack of arguementations (or their repetitions) could be explained appealing to his ignorance and inability to advance a thesis. This makes Mr Bounderby an incoherent person able to advance incoherent speeches.