Hard Times book club questions
by Charles Dickens · a kit for three meetings · 13 questions · printable
Thirteen discussion questions for Hard Times, grouped by the novel's three books, with a reading plan, themes to talk about and a sheet you can print. Two good openers: how fair is Mr. Gradgrind's offer of education if Sissy must give up her friends? And what might children gain or lose when teachers demand facts instead of imagination?
The reading plan
Meeting 1
Book 1: Sowing, chapters 1 to 16
About 2 h 26 min to read
Meeting 2
Book 2: Reaping, chapters 1 to 12
About 2 h 32 min to read
Meeting 3
Book 3: Reaping, chapters 1 to 9
About 1 h 50 min to read
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Meeting 1: Book 1: Sowing
- What might children gain or lose when teachers demand facts instead of imagination?
- How fair is Mr. Gradgrind's offer of education if Sissy must give up her friends?
- Why might Louisa and Tom see escape as an answer to their upbringing?
- What might Louisa learn from Sissy's troubles that school cannot teach her?
- What does Stephen Blackpool's difficulty ending his marriage suggest about the fairness of legal relief?
Meeting 2: Book 2: Reaping
- What might lead Stephen Blackpool to defend workers who have rejected him?
- How does Tom's silence shape what readers expect when Louisa begs him for the truth about the robbery?
- How trustworthy is Mrs. Sparsit's judgment when she wants Louisa to fall?
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Meeting 3: Book 3: Reaping
- What can Sissy's care offer Louisa that her father's teaching has not?
- How convincing is Sissy's demand that James Harthouse's permanent departure is the only possible repair?
- How should people weigh Rachael's defense against the suspicions raised by Stephen Blackpool's absence?
- How should the exposure of Mr. Bounderby's lies change the way readers judge his earlier boasts of hardship?
- What might justice require beyond rescue when Stephen Blackpool appeals for justice and understanding?
Themes to talk about
Tips for the host
- Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
- Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Les Temps difficiles, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
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