Imagining a life based purely on facts is a little horrifying. The line, “They had been lectured at, from their tenderest years; coursed, like little hares.”, shows how Mr. Gradgrind raises his children. Mr. Gradgrind teaches his children the facts, and only the facts. Gradgrind’s children are sheltered which keeps them from interacting with other people. The man loved facts and he based his whole life off of them. He loved them so much he is passing them down to his kids by not teaching them anything but the facts. I believe he deprived his children from having a normal childhood because he wanted a childhood of his own that he was never able to live. Imagining myself in this situation, I would not be able to withstand this denial and go mad. I think Gradgrind's method of discipline isn't the most effective even if he is teaching his children "the facts and only the facts."
"'Why, father,' she pursued, 'what a strange question to ask me! The baby-preference that even I have heard of as common among children, has never had its innocent resting-place in my breast. You have been so careful of me, that I never had a child's heart. You have trained me so well, that I never dreamed a child's dream. You have dealt so wisely with me, father, from my cradle to this hour, that I never had a child's beliefs or a child's fear." Louisa seems to be brainwashed into thinking that living a factual life is the correct way to live. Mr. Gradgrind's children seem to contain a sense of order in their lives, yet I believe that they truly wish to have a small amount of freedom. They have yet to experience life out of the ordinary and tedious fashion. Louisa mentioned that she had never experienced "a child's fear", referring to her father's raising techniques. I believe this statement is a bit naive, considering the fact that everyone will come across a situation they cannot control, and when that day comes, you will be more prepared to handle it with experience; something Louisa does not have. The method Mr. Gradgrind uses to raise his children does not equip them with the common knowledge that many other children may have as they approach adulthood.
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