The text is divided into two sequence: the first in which there is a description of the character Mr. Bounderby, and the second in which he tells Mrs. Gradgrind his childhood.
The grotesque is present in this quotations: "... as a man perfectly devoid of sentiment can approach that spiritual relationship towards another man perfectly devoid of sentiment."
"A man who was the Bully of humility"
"... because it was a cool spring afternoon, through the sun shone."
"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."
"I was born with inflammation of the lungs, and of everything else, I believe, that was capable of inflammation."
"Mrs. Gradgrind faintly looked at the tongs, as the most appropriate thing her imbecility could think of doing.
The effect of the grotesque is present in the first quote because it creates a comic situation. Indeed the repetition of the expression "man perfectly devoid of sentiment" creating laughter in the reader. The fact that they become very good friends is another demonstration of the equality of their character. In this way Mr. Bounderby is received by the reader as a severo person, just as Mr. Gradgrind (The definition of an horse).
The second quotation creates a comical situation. In this case, what causes laughter is the caricature. Indeed the term "Bully" is written with a capital letter, this gives to the character the primacy of bullies.
The fact that it is the bully of humility portrays the character as a miserable person.
The third quotation creates laughter thanks to the word "though". Indeed this word contrasts with the cold spring day and the presence of the sun.
The fourth quotation, as the fifth, creates a tragicomic situation. Indeed in the fourth quotation the reader initially laughs as Mr. Bounderby did not know the name of the sockoing, then, however, the reader realizes that this situation shows the ignorance of the character.
In the fifth quotation the reader initially laughs for Mr. Bounderby's ignorance, after tries to empathize with the pain he felt and therefore understand the gravity of the situation.
The ignorance of the character is metonimy of the children of Victorian Age's ignorance.
The last quote creates a comical situation. Indeed the woman does not understand everything that Mr. Bounderby told her and therefore all the pain I suffered, but she understands only the last sentence. Understanding only the last sentence, the gaze is based on the tongs that had been used by Mr. Bounderby in his speech. This action of Mrs. shows his state of indifference to the sad childhood of his interlocutor.
The effect of pathos is present in the sentenses where Mr. Bouderby tells Mrs. Gradgrind his childrenhood conditions: "I was one of modt miserable little wretches ever seen. I was so sickly, that I was always moaning and groaning. I was so ragged and dirty, thay you wouldn't have touched me with a pair of tongs."
Mr. Bounderby is described as coming from a poor family, without education and self-made. In other contexts these attributes might be presented as worthy of sumpathy and/or admiration, but here they aren't. These feelings are not there for different reasons such as:
the presentation of the character
the name used
trades who now plays
the physical description
selfishness with which it is presented.
The character is indeed presented as a friend of Mr. Gradgrind. The reader knows this man as he is described in the second chapter, and has a bad image of him. Furthermore MR. Bounderby and is associated with Mr. Gradgrind as both are without feelings.
The surname Bounderby remember the name bouder (canaglia).
He was a rich man. His trades were banker, merchant, manufacturer, and so on. A rich character never creates sympathy in the reader.
In the physical description Mr.Bounderby is represented as a monster: large and powerful. This characterization creates fear in the player to meet Mr. Bounderby.
Selfishness of the character is explained by his boast of himself, being the bully of humility and wanting to be physically on a higher plane of Mrs. Gradgrind in order to dominate it. This last action is reminiscent of the animals.