Mr. Rouncewell is the son of Mrs. Rouncewell, the father of Watt, and the brother of George. Mr. Rouncewell is an industrious and practical man who has made his fortune in the iron trade. He has rejected a career in Sir Leicester Dedlock’s service, where his family has worked for generations. He is very proud that he has deviated from this course and that he has made his own way in the world and provides for his family with his money made in manufacturing. Mr. Rouncewell is a caring man and a political activist. The reader is told that he successfully runs for Parliament and is staunchly opposed to Sir Leicester’s political conservativism. Mr. Rouncewell represents changes in social mobility during the 19th century, in which working men were no longer reliant on wealthy patrons to make their fortune but could make their own way in new industries and trade.
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Mr. Rouncewell Character Timeline in Bleak House
The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Rouncewell appears in Bleak House. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 28
In fact, says Sir Leicester, Mr. Rouncewell is waiting downstairs to speak to them about Rosa. Volumnia and the other cousins hurry...
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Chapter 40
...Sir Leicester that the Dedlocks’ favored party has been ousted in one constituency, and that Mr. Rouncewell has taken this seat. Sir Leicester thinks this is most improper, and Volumnia is very...
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Mr. Tulkinghorn says that Mr. Rouncewell ’s political group is very active and “proud.” He launches into a story about an...
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Chapter 48
Not long after this, Mr. Rouncewell arrives and Lady Dedlock informs him that he must take Rosa away because she is...
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Chapter 55
...to find him one for him, and Mrs. Rouncewell says that they must send for Mr. Rouncewell , George’s brother. George begs her not to because, he says, he cannot face him;...
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Chapter 63
...visit to an industrial town in the north of England to track down his brother, Mr. Rouncewell . When George arrives, in a landscape of sprawling factories and ironworks, and asks after...
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Watt goes to tell his father and, when George is shown into Mr. Rouncewell ’s office, he tells his brother that his name is Mr. Steel. George tells Mr....
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...Mrs. Rouncewell to erase him from the will; since he has no children, he wants Mr. Rouncewell ’s family to inherit everything. Mr. Rouncewell says that there is no way Mrs. Rouncewell...
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The brothers are very alike and get on well. Mr. Rouncewell hopes to incorporate George into the family business, but George explains that he has taken...
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George asks Mr. Rouncewell to look at a letter he has written. The letter is to Esther and tells...
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