Mr. Bounderby (extract from Hard Times)

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

The description of Mr. Bounderby is based both on the technique of telling and showing.

Mr. Bounderby physical appearance: Big, loud man with a stare and metallic laugh; a man made out of a coarse material; a man with a great puffed head and forehead; swelled veins in his temples; such a strained skin to his face; a pervading appearance on him of being inflated like a balloon; brassy speaking-trumpet of a voice of his; looked older; he had not much hair; hair all standing up in disorder

Mr. Bounderby’s behavior and personality: a man perfectly devoid of sentiment, the Bully of humility, constantly blown about by his windy boastfulness

Mr. Bounderby’s status: Mr. Gradgrind's bosom friend, Banker, merchant, manufacturer, A rich man, a year or two younger than his eminently practical friend

Mr. Bounderby's past (told by the character): old ignorance and old poverty, I was born with inflammation of the lungs, and of everything else, I believe, that was capable of inflammation, I was one of the most miserable little wretches ever seen,  I was so sickly, that I was always moaning and groaning, I was determined, I have been a determined character in later life

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.

Why, Mr. Bounderby was as near being Mr. Gradgrind's bosom (close or intimate) friend, as a man perfectly devoid of (free of, without)sentiment can approach that spiritual relationship towards another man perfectly devoid of sentiment. So near was Mr. Bounderby - or, if the reader should prefer it, so far off (remote).

A man who could never sufficiently vaunt himself a self-made man (having become successful or rich by one's own efforts).

A man who was the Bully of humility (proud, selfish, insensitive).

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(suffering from, marked by) boastfulness. 

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?

The author's comment is revealed by the use of some figures of speech to better describe the character:

as near being Mr. Gradgrind's bosom friend, as a man perfectly devoid of sentiment can approach that spiritual relationship towards another man perfectly devoid of sentiment. […] A man made out of a coarse material, which seemed to have been stretched to make so much of him. A man with a pervading appearance on him of being inflated like a balloon, and ready to start. However, each choice of adjective is connotative.

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 = a dishonourable man

The meaning is reinforced by expressions, which refer to a moral description of the character, such as: a man perfectly devoid of sentiment; the Bully of humility; constantly blown about by his windy boastfulness

5. 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 sympathy and/or admiration. Why aren't they here?

Mr. Bounderby's dishonorable nature prevents him for being a sympathetic character. It follows that his social origins do not make the reader, and the narrator, feel pity for him. On the other hand, the mainly negative description provided by the largely connotative use of the language, make him appear detestable. In conclusion, the filter provided by an omniscient, intrusive narrator, is responsible for the reader's reaction to what is told.

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

The behavior shown by the character in the second sequence of the text is partially consistent with the previous description provided by the narrator.

Since his sentences are self-centered (he just speaks about his own experience), Mr. Bounderby looks as proud and selfish as the narrator has introduced him. However, differently from his point of view, the character believes to be a self-made man. He states to have been successful just for his own determination.

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

A narcissistic behavior, a tendency for acting like a victim and a self-overvaluation are aspects emphasized by Mr. Bounderby's sentences. The considerations are the result of the language adopted and situations chosen in the conversation.

8. Does what he says confirm or modify his portrait in the previous text?

What Mr. Bounderby says in the second sequence of the text confirm the character's boastfulness, told by the narrator in the first one. In addition, the portrait is confirmed because he really appears a "Bully of humility".

9. Consider the way Bounderby speaks. 


a)  Underline any repetition of pronouns, words or sentence pattern in the extract you have read

Repeated pronouns: I x 19 (I was x 5)

Repeated words: ditch x 3; inflammation x 2; determined x 2

Repeated sentence: I was born in a ditch; I was born with inflammation of the lungs

b)  How would you define his way of talking

His way of talking is egotistical and compulsive.

c) How does his way of talking fit in with his character as described by the narrator?

His way of talking fits in the description provided by the narrator. In the first place, his name perfectly represents his nature. Secondly, his physical description reminds to poor and humble origins. In addition, he shows to be extremely proud and selfish: he is a self-centered man with a simple and practical mind. Last but not least, he does not seem to have progressed in behavior, education and experience (he does not mention any success made during the life). Therefore, as the narrator stated, he is not a self-made man. Such a consideration is the result of techniques used by the narrator to introduce the character. Since the narrator is intrusive and uses a largely connotative use of the language, mainly concerned in moral aspect of the character, the reader is totally conditioned in his/her idea of Mr. Bouderby.