Summary

Several years have passed since the last section. Gradgrind has taken a position in Parliament and spends most of his time in London. Tom has started his apprenticeship at Bounderby’s bank, and he hears that Bounderby plans to ask Louisa to marry him. When Tom tells Louisa of the news, he encourages her to accept the proposal, as it will make life easier for both of them. When the proposal happens, it is Gradgrind who brings the question to Louisa’s attention, not Bounderby himself. Louisa decides to accept the offer because she does not understand love: she has never experienced love and therefore hasn’t come to expect it in a marriage. She is more eager to please her father by marrying his friend than she is to find a good partner for herself. Only Sissy has an emotional reaction to Louisa’s engagement...