Hard Times, Book 2: Reaping, Chapter 5 summary
Book 2: Reaping, Chapter 5 of 37 · 11 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 5, Stephen Blackpool answers Bounderby’s questions about the workers’ Combination, defends his fellow workers, and argues that punishment cannot solve their hardships. Bounderby treats this defence as proof of a troublesome character and dismisses him, despite Stephen’s warning that losing this employment means finding none elsewhere.
What happens
- Bounderby summons Stephen into a drawing room where Louisa, her brother, and James Harthouse are present.
- Stephen says a promise keeps him outside the Combination, but refuses to condemn its members despite their rejection of him.
- Asked about workers’ complaints, Stephen describes exhausting, repetitive lives and the growing distance between employers and workers.
- Stephen argues that removing agitators cannot remove the underlying trouble, and rejects force and treating people as machines.
- Bounderby dismisses Stephen, who warns that he cannot obtain other work and leaves with a quiet appeal to heaven.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Stephen disputes Bounderby’s claim that outside agitators cause the conflict. He locates the problem in conditions that remain even when particular leaders disappear.
Quick check
Why does Stephen say he refuses to join the Combination?
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