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Whether six three-fourths meant six pounds fifteen, or sixpence three
farthings, or six foot three, or three quarters past six, or six
somethings that he hadn't learnt yet, with three unknown something
elses over, Paul rubbed his hands and looked straight at Miss Blimber.
This scene might be compared with those of the Gradgrind's schooling.
Miss Blimber dealt in abstractions rather than hard facts, but her
abstract concepts were equally unsuitable. Paul could only understand
what he could visualise.
Many passages in Dickens's books deal with small boys being put
through their arithmetical paces. In SKETCHES BY BOZ, he describes
"a poor harmless creature, Mr Smith, who walks home to his little
back room in Islington where he has his tea; perhaps solacing him
self during the meal with the conversation of his landlady's little
boy, whom he occasionally rewards with a penny for solving problems
in simple arithmetic."
Both Pip in GREAT EXPECTATIONS and David in DAVID COPPERFIELD are
tested in arithmetic. Neither does well, because they are both
bullied, though in different ways. In Pip's case, the bully is uncle
Pumblechook. "I was hungry," says Pip, "but before I had swallowed
a morsel, he began a running sum that lasted all through breakfast.
Seven and four and eight, and six, and two, and ten and so on.
In David's case, the bully is his stepfather, Mr Murdstone. As
David describes the scene "When the lessons are done, the worst is
yet to happen in the shape of an appalling sum. This is invented
for me, and delivered to me orally - by Mr Murdstone. It begins
"If I go into a cheesemonger's chop, and buy five thousand double-
Gloster cheeses, at fourpence ha'penny each, present payment
at which I see Miss Murdstone secretly overjoyed. I pore over these
cheeses without any result or enlightenment until dinnertime, when,
having made a mulatto of myself by getting the dirt of the slate
into the pores of my skin, I have a slice of bread to help me out
with the cheeses, and am considered in disgrace for the rest of
the evening."
There is, incidentally, an interesting comment on this by Angus
Wilson in his book "The world of Charles Dickens"