Coketown is an industrial city filled with large, smoking factories.Mr Bounderby is not happy that a circus girl will share Mr Gradgrind's home with his daughter, Louisa and his One day, Mr Bounderby receives a visit from a poor factory worker called Stephen Blackpool.Mr Gradgrind's ideas are shared by a rich man called Mr Bounderby, who owns many of Coketown's factories as well as the local bank.Hearing that the performer's young daughter Sissy is all alone, Mr Gradgrind decides to adopt the girl.