passage analysis of p.229

As Sissy confronts Harthouse and persuades him to stay away from Louisa, Dickens depicts Harthouse as evil. To begin with, as Sissy begs Harthouse through pure kindness and goodwill towards Louisa, Harthouse “was touched in the cavity where his heart should have been” (226). This idea of Harhouse as lacking his heart supports the idea that Harthouse was leading Louisa down the spiral staircase to her own downfall. Contrastingly Louisa is shown to be a force of good. Louisa tells Harthouse that she comes on behalf of her “commission of love for [Louisa] and her love for me” (225). Dickens use of love to describe Sissy’s actions supports the idea that she is a force of good in the company of Harthouse.  Dickens finishes his passage saying that “moral men” would think that James Harthouse would have a change of Heart, “But it was not so” (229). Though a reader would hope for a change of heart, Harthouse’s change was “not so”. After being defeated by the epitome of good- Sissy Jupe- rather than change in his ways he feels ashamed at his weakness. Therefore though sissy was able to save Louisa from the spiral staircase, Harthouse was to corrupt a man to be saved.