With Mr. Gradgrind's philosophy on fact and fancy; fact is the only thing useful for a child and "nothing else will ever be of any service to them" (pg. 9) while dismissing any development of their emotions as well as imaginations, clearly depicts Dicken's theme of human mechanization. In the first sections of the novel, particularly in "Book the First: Sowing": Chapter 2, human beings being portrayed as machines is clearly portrayed as Dickens describes Louisa and …showed first 75 words of 564 total…

…showed last 75 words of 564 total…Head, and that there is a wisdom of the Heart..." (pg. 217), he himself has only known the facts and doesn't know anything about emotions, thus not being able to relate to Louisa's feelings. Because of this, he asks Sissy to help Louisa recover and help her find happiness. This scene also depicts how humans are mechanized. Those who do not possess any emotions do not how to deal with their feelings as well as other's.