Dickens convinces the reader to appreciate some of the characters in Hard Times more than others over the course of the novel. Dickens makes unsympathetic characters embody the bad characteristics of their society, such as selfishness, self-importance, and the values ​​of utilitarianism, furthering his argument against that philosophy. On the other hand, he makes the most likable characters represent the good qualities of the world and people that he believes need to be preserved, such as honesty, compassion, and imagination. One of the characters that Dickens convinces the reader to appreciate is Sissy. When Sissy is first introduced she is described as having "eyes and hair so dark that she seemed to receive a deeper, brighter color from the sun when it shone on her." (1, 2, p.14) A quality What Sissy pleases the reader is her perseverance. Even though she went through many difficult times, such as the loss of her father, she retained her imagination and the brilliance she had as a child. Not only did she maintain her lively character, but she also positively influenced those around her. When Louisa comments on how her sister Jane's face looks radiant, she responds and says, “Really? I'm very happy that you think so. I am sure it must be Sissy's doing.”(3, 1, p.220) Other characteristics that Dickens gives to Sissy to attract the reader are her thoughtfulness and compassion. This is evident when Louisa returns home after the incident with Mr. Harthouse. Sissy confronts him so that he doesn't hurt Louisa again. He does this even though Louisa didn't ask him to. He also shows his honesty in this scene when he convinces Mr. Harthouse to leave Coketown. She simply tells him the truth about the… middle of paper… nest. I've heard you talk about this law hundreds of times. How can I help the laws?”(3, 7, p.279) It is clear that he feels no remorse or guilt for the crime he committed, or for indirectly causing Stephen's death. He even goes so far as to say to Louisa: “You have regularly given me up. You never cared about me." (3, 7, p.280) This was after marrying Mr. Bounderby for Tom's sake and giving him money to pay off his debt from gambling and drinking. Dickens makes the reader like some of the characters and dislike others to further his argument against the problems of his society. He makes the likeable characters embody the good and admirable qualities of the society, while the unlikable characters personify the. problems. It does this through descriptions of their appearance, language, attitude and interaction with others.