Louisa and Tom Gradgrind are the children of Thomas Gradgrind, the owner of the school and parliamentary figure. Louisa and Tom are represtatives of the upper class. Midway through the story, Louisa marries Bounderby, an evil capitalist. She does this to help out her brother Tom. Tom wants a job with Bounderby as a business partner. Both Tom and Louisa pay no attention to the poor. They think that they are just "crowds passing through to their nests, like ants or beetles." Dickens then follows up that she actually knew more about the insects life than a poor mill worker from her own town. When she listens to Stephen Blackpool’s story, she can’t believe how hard it is to find a job. "Then, by the prejudices of his own class, and the prejudices of the other, he is sacrificed alike? Are the two so deeply separated in this town, that there is no place whatever, for an honest workman between them?" She says this to illustrate that the working man just can’t be successful by himself.

Thomas Gradgrind Sr. is the father of the family. He owns and runs his school where they teach people that facts are power. He applies this philosphy to his own life and in the process makes not only himself but his family completely lifeless. They believe that facts and class are power. Since he is a member of Parliamnet and is successful from his school, he believes he has achieved the highest form of existence in society. What we find out later is that eventually this non-humanistic form he has become does end up causing his downfal. Dickens makes the story end with him failing as a successful man. Social Darinwism is based on the idea of survival of the fittest. Facts can be leanred by everyone. If you can’t have and distinguishing traits about you, you are as helpful to the society as a dog.

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