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Throughout the novel, Bitzer proves himself to be a prime example of the cold and calculating type of person that a purely fact-based education creates. His earliest appearances as a student in Gradgrind’s classroom establish him as an exemplary pupil, ready to provide appropriately factual answers whenever called upon. Gradgrind intentionally uses him to highlight Sissy’s ignorance, and Bitzer’s willingness to participate in this act of humiliation emphasizes both his devotion to the school’s philosophy of facts and his lack of emotional intelligence. As if this unfortunate scene was not enough to convince readers of Bitzer’s almost-robotic quality, Dickens’s physical description of him calls even greater attention to this quality. Compared to Sissy, who has dark hair and dark eyes, Bitzer is so pale that “he looked as though, if he were cut, he would bleed white.” The fact that he has virtually no color to him reflects the empty, lifeless way he interacts with the world around him. Caring only about how he can get ahead, he never stops to consider how his behavior may affect others.
The more manipulative side of Bitzer’s character emerges as he grows up, highlighting the long-term effects of Gradgrind’s teachings. He takes a position as a light porter at Bounderby’s bank, and during his time there, he spies on others with the intention of using that information to get ahead. Bitzer even schemes with Mrs. Sparsit, and together they wreak havoc on the lives of Louisa, Bounderby, Tom, and Stephen. What differentiates him from his partner-in-crime, however, is that he lacks a clear emotional motivation. Mrs. Sparsit is jealous of Louisa and resentful toward Bounderby, but Bitzer has no particularly malicious feelings towards any of the characters. He approaches his gossip and spying in the same robotic way that he behaved as a child in school. This narrow-minded, self-centered attitude drives Bitzer’s final actions in the novel as well, allowing Dickens to emphasize just how ineffectual Gradgrind’s teaching methods truly are. More concerned with enhancing his own prospects rather than bringing a criminal to justice, Bitzer apprehends Tom among the members of Sleary’s circus as he tries to escape the country. Sleary, however, easily tricks him and allows Tom to escape. This turn of events makes Bitzer appear foolish and challenges his assumption that a fact-based perspective is superior to all others.
