Although Louisa the novels principal female character, she is distinctive from the novels other women, particularly her foils,Sissy and Rachel. Wild these other two embody the Victorian ideal of femininity -sensitivity ,compassion and gentleness Louisa’s education has prevented her from developing such traits. In fact, her father Mr gradgrind seriously brought up his children so that there is no scope of development of inner feelings and wonder in them. Louisa is silent cold and seemingly unfeeling. She is extremely unhappy like her brother in her house because of the manner in which all kinds of restraints are imposed upon her and Tom by their father. None of gradgrind children is allowed to imagine things or to wonder at things or to have any feelings of curiosity.
in judging the character of Louisa we have to examine her relations with and her attitude to five persons her brother Tom, her father Mr gradgrind ,her husband Mr bounderby ,James Hart house and cecilia jupe. Louisa has a great affection for her brother tomwhom she otherwise heads with all her heart.when Tom needs money because of his gambling habits he goes to the extent of selling some of her trinkets to help him out of his troubles.she refuses him only when he needs a large amount of money. But even then she feels a genuine affection for him and when she suspects him of having committed the robbery at the bankpossible so that he may not get into trouble. Louisa has a lot of respect for her father in spite of the fat that she is opposed to the manner in which he has brought her up.
When he proposes that she should marry Mr bounderby, she knows that her father is doing a great injustice to her, and yet she does not defy him on this occasion. She has dislike bounderby ever since childhood. She married him because of mixed motives.firstly her father conveys boundaries proposal to her in such a manner that she is left in no doubt about the fathers intention in this respect. Secondly there is a strong desire in har hath to push her brother in life and she thinks that she will be able to do so by becoming the wife of her brother’s employer.
Louisa does certainly feel attracted towards Harthouse because of his smooth manners and his assumed honesty in dishonesty. She feel somewhat drawn towards him because he speaks like a man to be free from all kinds of pretensions and hypocrisy.then she is drawn towards him because he seems to take a lot of interest in her brother for home she has undoubtedly so much affections. Louisa is not clever or she would enough to see the kind of strategy employed by Harthouse in order to win her heart. But it must be said Louisa’s credit, in spite of The subtle ways in which heart house tries to acquire hold upon her affections,she does not fall into his arms when he declared his love for her in a dent and impression tones.
when she finds herself is in the greatest crisis of a life she is home to her father and tell him of a predicament. Sri wheels hymn of the way he brought her up suppressing her emotions inhibiting her natural aspirations stiffening her sensibilities and rendering har incapable of behaving in a manner in which any normal girl would behave. Mr. Gradgrind realises his mistakes and tries all his best to come down his daughter. Cecilia jupe stands beside gradgrind family to strengthen the Louisa and protect Tom from the the trials of the court. Louisa accepts cecilia as her best friend in the world.