How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
'You learnt a great deal, Louisa, and so did your brother. Ologies of all kinds from morning to night. If there is any Ology left, of any description, that has not been worn to rags in this house, all I can say is, I hope I shall never hear its name […] But there is something — not an Ology at all — that your father has missed, or forgotten, Louisa. I don't know what it is. I have often sat with Sissy near me, and thought about it. I shall never get its name now.' (2.9.55-57)
It's interesting that Mrs. Gradgrind gets at the heart of the matter here. In general, it feels like we're supposed to ignore or dismiss her, but all of a sudden she says something smart. Why does Mrs. Gradgrind suddenly realize that something was missing from the kids' education after a lifetime of ignoring them?
Quote #8
'My dear Louisa, then consent to receive the submissive representation of your devoted friend, who knows something of several varieties of his excellent fellow-creatures — for excellent they are, I am quite ready to believe, in spite of such little foibles as always helping themselves to what they can get hold of. This fellow talks. Well; every fellow talks. [Stephen] professes morality. Well; all sorts of humbugs profess morality. From the House of Commons to the House of Correction, there is a general profession of morality, except among our people; it really is that exception which makes our people quite reviving. You saw and heard the case. Here was one of the fluffy classes pulled up extremely short by my esteemed friend Mr. Bounderby — who, as we know, is not possessed of that delicacy which would soften so tight a hand. The member of the fluffy classes was injured, exasperated, left the house grumbling, met somebody who proposed to him to go in for some share in this Bank business, went in, put something in his pocket which had nothing in it before, and relieved his mind extremely. Really he would have been an uncommon, instead of a common, fellow, if he had not availed himself of such an opportunity.' (2.10.26-28)
Here, Harthouse demonstrates the danger of statistics. He condemns Stephen because robbing the bank is the kind of thing someone like Stephen would do, not because Stephen actually did it. Also, notice the description of teaching here. Harthouse leads Louisa through his slippery logic, first asking her to "receive" this knowledge he is imparting.
Quote #9
'Father, you have trained me from my cradle? […] I curse the hour in which I was born to such a destiny […] How could you give me life, and take from me all the inappreciable things that raise it from the state of conscious death? Where are the graces of my soul? Where are the sentiments of my heart? What have you done, O father, what have you done, with the garden that should have bloomed once, in this great wilderness here! […] I don't reproach you, father. What you have never nurtured in me, you have never nurtured in yourself; but O! if you had only done so long ago, or if you had only neglected me, what a much better and much happier creature I should have been this day!' (2.12.10-18)
The repetition of the questions, and the feeling of rushing words really heightens the tension in this scene. Why doesn't she blame her father, incidentally? Is that fair or realistic?