The Role of Men in Louisa's Life in Troubled Times In Troubled Times Charles Dickens portrays Louisa Gradgrind as a realistic character who faces conflict from the beginning of the his life. Louisa encounters three major psychological conflicts in the form of three different men: Mr. Gradgrind, Mr. Bounderby, and Tom Gradgrind. Men play a very important role in shaping Louisa's life. Instead of being herself and expressing her feelings, Louisa falls back into the realm of these three men. From the beginning of her life, Louisa cannot express herself because her father continually points out the facts. Mr. Gradgrind suppresses Louisa's imagination and all she can do is wonder. An example of Louisa attempting to see the unknown occurs when she and Tom peek through a slit to see a circus (8). This is the first time that both Louisa and Tom have seen such a sight. When asked why they were there, Louisa responds curiously, “I wanted to see what it was like” (8), a response any normal child would have. His “hungry imagination” (8) is curious and needs some sort of way to free itself. As Louisa blossoms into a young woman, young Miss Gradgrind enchants one particular suitor. Her father thought the time had come for Louisa to marry and had a suitable match in mind. When Mr. Gradgrind asks Louisa if she would like to be Mrs. Bounderby, all Louisa can say is, "You have been so careful with me, that I never had a childish dream. You have dealt so wisely with me, father, from my cradle until this hour, that I have never had the conviction of a child or the fear of a child" (63). Mr. Gradgrind takes his daughter's words as a compliment to him and his firm belief in teaching only the facts. But Louisa means she hasn't experienced life and has never been given the chance. His childhood was killed by his father's stern insistence on the perpetuation of facts alone. Although Louisa realizes that she has been enslaved by theories of fact, she willingly enters into another bondage to Mr. Bounderby allowing the process of suppression to continue. Bounderby is another man in Louisa's life who expects her to conform to the system implemented by men in society. This young girl, more than half his junior, appeals to Josiah Bounderby and they soon marry.