In Dickens’ novel, Hard Times, he presents a character by the name of Louisa Gradgrind Bounderby who had suffered from her father’s education system. Mr. Gradgrind’s philosophy forced Louisa to “discard the word fancy altogether” (Dickens 11) causing her to base experiences on facts and not from emotions. Throughout the novel, Louisa realizes that she does not have any emotional experiences to guide her. This is apparent when she had been presented with a proposal for marriage, and also when she visits her ill mother. By Louisa being able to recognize the need for emotional experiences, she is able to help her father see the wrong doing of his philosophy of facts.It becomes evident that Louisa had suffered from her fathers education system when Mr. Gradgrind presents Louisa with Mr.Bounderby’s proposal of marriage. Upon Louisa’s response, Mr. Gradgrind had inquired whether or not she might have had another proposal, which he was unaware of: “You have never entertained in secret any other proposal”(Dickens 79). This leads to Louisa revealing how her father’s school of facts had not permitted her to explore with her own emotions: “Father...what other proposal can have been made to me? Whom have I seen? Where have I been? What are my hearts experiences?” (Dickens 79). Louisa continues on explaining that he should have known better than to ask such a question, considering she has never been able to question or wonder past his school of facts: “Why father...what a strange question to ask me.... You have been so careful of me, that I never had a child’s heart. You have trained me so well, that I never dreamed a child’s dream. You have dealt so wisely with me, father, from my cradle to this hour, that I never had a child’s belief or a child’s fear.” (Dickens 79). These selections are significant because this is the first tim...
