MR. BOUNDERBY (extract from “Hard Times”) ACTIVITIES

1)  In the first half of the extract the character is described. There are several words and phrases on Mr. Bounderby’s look and behaviour:
-	A 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 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
-	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, one might have fancied he had talked it off, and that what was left, all standing up in disorder, was in that condition from being constantly blown about by his windy boastfulness
2) 
PHRASES	ADJECTIVES	
A man perfectly devoid of sentiment
	Numb, Uncaring, Emotionless
	
A man who could never sufficiently vaunt himself 
	Conceited, Egocentric, Full of himself	
A man who was the Bully of humility
	Arrogant, Presumptuous, Impudent	
He had not much hair, one might have fancied he had talked it off, and that what was left, all standing up in disorder, was in that condition from being constantly blown about by his windy boastfulness
	Obnoxious, Harassing, Boaster	

3)  The author connotes clearly Mr. Bounderby as an presumptuous man full of himself. He uses also two particular images to convey ironically this idea: 
-	A man with a pervading appearance on him of being inflated like a balloon, and ready to start
-	A man who was always proclaiming, through that brassy speaking-trumpet of a voice of his, his old ignorance and his old poverty
4)  The word “bounder”, contained in the character’s surname, is reinforced by some expression such as a man perfectly devoid of sentiment or the Bully of humility as well.

5)  Mr. Bounderby seems to be a self-made man who achieved wealth thanks to his work, but he isn’t connoted positively because of his behaviour: he is arrogant, egocentric, obnoxious and uncaring. This attitudes contrast with the idea of a man who reached success from poverty and ignorance. Moreover, his continuous self-exaltations suggests the reader that Mr. Bounderby always exaggerates and twists reality. Finally, the irony used by the author underlines the contradiction between how the character is and his assumed past life.
6)  Yes, what Mr. Bounderby says is perfectly consistent with his characterization: he describes his early life exaggerating every situation and highlighting his assumed skills. He demonstrates to be harassing and full of himself.
7)  Mr. Bounderby words emphasize his vanity and his narcissism, as well as his attitude to twists situation to demonstrate his superiority.
8)  What he says absolutely confirms his previous portrait. 
9) a) The word “ditch” is repeated several times, as well as the personal pronoun “I” is abused. Mr. Bounderby also uses to repeat words that convey the idea of a poor life, such as “inflammation”, and then words that exalt himself, like “determination”.  
b) Mr. Bounderby talks in a very presumptuous way.
c) His way of talking perfectly fits in with his attitude to exalt his assume superiority and to be concentrated only on himself.