Stephen Blackpool: The Pathetic Figure.

        He fails in his struggle for survival in a materialistic and unfair society. In materialistic world, money is the most important thing that is used to rise in the world. The world is injustice because the rich people have more chance than the poor people do. Every activity in daily life requires money, so the poor can’t survive in the materialistic world. Living in poverty, the workers must stay in the lower class forever and have no chance to rise to a higher status. They also face the hardship in their lives especially when they are sick and have trouble because of the low salary, terrible welfare and working condition Having not enough money, Stephen can’t divorce his wife because of high expense in lawsuit. He must suffer with his unhappy marriage to his alcoholic wife. He wants to marry Rachael, his lover. The characters of his wife and Rachael differ very much. His wife is helpless, drunken, doesn’t work, sells the furniture, pawns the clothes and plays old Gooseberry. He knows that his wife doesn’t make a home perfect. Home must be consisted of love and understanding that his wife can’t give. She increases his burden, so he doesn’t want to come back to his house. He walks along the streets night long before he goes back to his house. His suffering is shown in the phrases that present his hardship and pressure like “ a dread that always haunted his desolate home..., and the grayer hair upon his head.” His grayer hair shows his suffering in his life. On the contrary, Rachael is diligent, generous and kind. She is compared with light, angel and shining star because she gives Stephen advice, consolation, love and compassion that decrease his trouble. Her characters are pleasant, gentle, compassionate, honest, sensitive and generous. For example, she has “ a quiet oval face, dark and rather delicate, irradiated by a pair of very gentle eyes and further set off by the perfect order of shining black hair.” She comforts and understands him when he has a trouble in his life. She can fulfill his happiness that he hasn’t in his family. After he meets her, he becomes happy. She is generous that she comes to take care of his wife lying on the bed. Everything seems to be perfect and in order when she is in the room. She also prevents his wife from committing suicide. When Stephen is accused of robbing the bank, she believes in Stephen and confirms that he will come back to clear himself from the accusation. This chapter has a title “ No Way Out”, meaning that he is distressed, desperate and lacks freedom. Dickens also comments on English society that law of divorce is complicated and has high expense, so the lives of the poor people are helpless. Furthermore, he can’t survive in the unfair world because of his character. He is submissive, too innocent and too good while the society is unjust and terrible. Many times he faces the problem, and he is submissive. He is steady, sincere and good to everyone, so he is easily oppressed and deceived. In the strike, he tries to keep his loyalty to master. Therefore, he is ostracized and accused of betraying the union. When he goes to see his master, his master rewards his loyalty by accusing that he is disloyal. He is submissive, isn’t angry with the workers and doesn’t attack his fellow workers. Finally, he is dismissed, can’t find new work and has to get out of the town. It is irony that Stephen is honest, diligent and loyal but faces misfortune. Firstly, this shows the unjust society because good man is punished. Secondly, the outer appearance seems to be fair and just. The society seems to have democracy. In reality, the problems of the workers aren’t taken seriously, and people in the higher class don’t care the workers’ problems. In addition powerful and selfish men like Slackbridge and Bounderby are self-centered. They want to show their power and dictation. They dismiss Stephen and don’t care about his suffering. Dickens also comments that in the capitalist society, everybody must belong to one group and follow its rules to make wealth because man creates the rules and is afraid to be lonely; or else the violator will be ostracized. The individual is hard to survive in the materialistic world like Stephen who finally dies. The law of divorce is unfair and illogical and requires great money because of its high expense. He still suffers with his wife because he lives in poverty. He must submit to his fate because he can do nothing. He is too innocent and doesn’t doubt about Tom’s plan. Tom tells him to hang about the bank, and he will get a new job. Tom uses Stephen’s virtue to deceive him because Tom is going to rob a bank and frames Stephen. Stephen complies to follow his plans with no suspense and is finally suspected of robbing the bank. Moreover, people have an unfair accusation and believe that he robs Bounderby’s bank. It is an unfair accusation because they have no evidence to prove that he is guilty. In addition, Stephen has no power to defend himself. The rich people like Bounderby must have more credit that the workers like Stephen. Bounderby is trusted, respected and resolute. He believes in his ability that he is a self-made man. He easily sums up results without enough evidence and believes that Stephen is a robber because Stephen leaves Coketown and because Mrs. Sparsit and Bitzer notice that Stephen watches the bank for several nights. Bounderby will make notice boards and reward anyone who can arrest Stephen. While everybody believes in Bounderby’s accusation, Stephen can’t prove himself that he doesn’t a robber. This shows that the rich people always do everything right, and the poor people do everything wrong and have only mistake from their birth to their death. Stephen lives in the lower class and has no power, so everyone suspects him and believes the rich and powerful people.

        Finally, his death increases sympathy and compassion for him. Falling down the Old Hell Shaft, he is unable to clear himself from accusation. Everybody still suspects Stephen, and Stephen couldn’t be heard. Therefore, Bounderby offers 20 pounds reward for the apprehension of Stephen Blackpool and gives the information about Stephen. Slackbridge also attacks Stephen by encouraging the workers to break friendship with Stephen and calls him a thief, plunderer and proscribed fugitive. When everybody suspects him, Rachael fights for him and confirms that he will come back to clear himself. She protects Stephen and understands his hardship by saying that “ The master against him on one hand, the men against him on the other, he only wantin to work hard in peace and do what he felt right.” Sissy comes to comfort Rachael who still have confidence in Stephen. Sissy and Rachael go for a walk on Saturday to comfort Rachael. They finally find that Stephen falls down the Old Hell Shaft, so they run to ask for help. The setting around the Old Hell Shaft increases compassion for him. The pit is so deep and dark, and the wind blows idly over it. Everybody mourns, cries and feels pity for him. Finally he is helped to get out of the Old Hell Shaft. Before he dies, he complains to Rachael about his hardship and terrible lives of workers. He asks Mr.Gradgrind to clear him and make his name his name good by asking the information from Tom. Besides, he still conceals the truth about the real robber, Tom Gradgrind, although he must die when everyone still believes that he commits the crime. Actually, he must suffer with Tom’ crime. He has a hard life because somebody else possesses of his roses, and he possesses of the same somebody else’s thorns in addition to his own. He asks for Mr. Gradgrind’ s help and says, “ Yor son will tell yo how, Ask him. I mak no charges: I leave none ahint me; not a single word. I ha’ seen an’ spok’n wi’ yor son, one night. I ask no more o’ yo than that yo clear me- an’ I trust to yo to do ‘t.” Stephen is generous and too good because he knows that if he tells everyone about the real robber, Tom, Tom who is still young must be sent to the jail. Stephen knows that Mr. Gradgrind, the scholar, will feel ashamed. Although he must dies, he is still concerned about the consequence that will happen to Tom’s life. Finally, he dies, and Tom goes to live with Mr. Slearly. At last, Tom can go safely away from England. In the end of the story, Mr. Gradgrind publishes broadsides in the street that are signed with his name and that exonerate Stephen Blackpool from misplaced suspicion and publishes the guilt of his own son.

        In conclusion, from Stephen Blackpool’s life, we can see his misery and hardship that he has to face. He is the most pathetic figure. Although he is honest, diligent, generous and good man, he can’t survive in the unfair and harsh world. He also a representative of the workers’ problems that workers have no choice to rise in the higher status because they are poor and lack education and because the rich people oppress them and treat them like a machine that has no heart. The rich people ignore the workers’ problems. The capitalists are selfish and self-centered. Stephen Blackpool’s miserable life shows that Dickens doesn’t ignore the lower class’s problems but asks for solution to improve the workers‘ lives because this is an important problem.

The setting increases the compassion for Stephen. It is dark and silent. Everybody mourns for him, and the darkness symbolizes sorrow and death. This picture also shows Rachael’s love for Stephen. She kneels on the grass, clasp his hand and tries to comfort although he hurts badly and is going to die.

This picture shows the relationship between Stephen Blackpool, his wife and Rachael. Stephen and Rachael love each other, but he can’t divorce his wife because of the high expense in lawsuit that he can’t afford. Rachael is good and generous woman who takes care of Stephen’s wife. She is like an angel, light and shining star. On the contrary, his wife is helpless and alcoholic. She increases Stephen’s burden and tries to commit suicide, but Rachael can save her life.