Charles Dickens And His Influence On Society

Charles Dickens And His Influence On Society
Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth on Portsea Island, England. Charles Dickens was the son of his father John Dickens
and his mother Elizabeth Barrow. Charles Dickens father was a naval clerk and his mother was aspired to be a teacher and a school director. Charles
Dickens was the second child to be born of eight children. At the age of fifteen Charles Dickens was apprenticed as a law clerk in Doctor's Commons. In
1836 through 1837 with Pickwick Papers Charles Dickens achieved immediate fame and became popular and was a well–respected writer of his time.
Charles Dickens later became a reporter in Parliament. In 1855 he had begun a series of exhausting public readings. Charles Dickens was married
to Catherine Hogarth and had ten children. During Dickens's marriage he had a serial for Robert Seymour's sporting drawings. In 1858 Charles
Dickens and his wife separated. Charles Dickens achievements were known for his biting satire of social conditions as well as for his comic
worldview. Charles Dickens fourteen completed novels and countless sketches, essays, and stories. Dickens emerged as a champion of generosity
Marshall 2 and warmth of spirit. Charles Dickens most memorable characters are those whose language or personality traits are superbly comic.
Dickens later heroes or heroines are characterized by their movement towards self actualization. Charles Dickens was extremely popular in the United
States, despite his ongoing attack of an
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What Is The Role Of Women In The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial revolution. Arguably one of the greatest moments in English and global history. A time that had industrialized the whole of England,
revolutionized science, government, literature, machinery, and even art. However, despite these evolutionary and forever game changing events, the
Industrial Revolution had a dark side. In order for the industrialization of England to be stable and maintained, human hands were required in factories,
mills, and mines. From dawn till dusk, men, women, and children engaged in dangerous and hard labour and were paid far below what they deserved
for doing so. They were mistreated in a various ways that would cause any civilized human in todays modern age to cringe in astonishment and
disbelief. In fact, many historians and philosophers have come ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Written by Dickens in 1815, Hard Times attempts to convince readers by illustrating the fact that life during the Industrial Revolution was anything but
pleasant for human beings. Centred around Mr. Gradgrind and his moderately sized family, Dickens succeeds at giving the reader a up close and
personal view of what it meant to be a father, mother, man, woman, and child during the industrial revolution. Dickens also provides the reader with
three central themes: the mechanization of human beings, the conflict of fact versus fantasy, and the significance of the female figure. Dickens set out
with a goal in writing this novel to expose the truth on how grim the Industrial Revolution really was for the human race. I therefore think that, through
examining various examples sprawled throughout the text in connection to the three themes, there should definitely be enough evidence to conclude
that Dickens interpretations of the Industrial Revolution were believably similar and, in a sense, true to what people were faced with during the 18th

Resarch essay on the classic novel by Charles Dickens,...
RESEARCH ESSAY ON HARD TIMES
English 2319
April 4, 2001
Hard Times was originally written as a weekly serial in a journal called Household Words. It was written in 1854 to depict what life was like during the
industrial revolution and reflect the distinctions between the classes during that era. The novel centres around a theme of a convincing criticism of
utilitarianism, and every character in the novel plays a role of reinforcing this theme. Utilitarianism doctrine reflects that the greatest happiness of the
greatest number of people, should be the aim of all social and political institutions –– so it is ok for the working people to suffer, as long as the
economy as a whole benefits. The novel uses its characters to expose the huge ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
His characters are overly exaggerated to enable him to portray the theme of the novel.
The characters in Hard Times are not void of humanistic qualities but they come across as shallow. The reader only gets to uncover the first layer of
their personality. Gissing reflects Dickens style when he says "I believe him to have been, what he always claimed to be, a very accurate painter of
the human beings..." (Gissing). Gissing refers to Dickens as a 'painter ' of human beings, which is a very two–dimensional metaphor. Dickens
characters are like a 'painting ' –– rather flat and straightforward. Most of his characters are not very complex and personify either good or evil. For
example Gradgrind 's character reflected a rationalistic and self–serving philosophy on life and we did not see any change in this until toward the end
of the story when he gave up his philosophy on fact and became politically active in helping the poor.
Dickens portrays characters in a particular way, he has a very narrow view of society and he places emphasis on class distinctions. "He has not a wide
scope; he is always noticeably at his best in dealing with an ill–defined order of English folk, a class (or classes) characterized by dullness, prejudice,
dogged individuality, and manners, to say the least, unengaging." (Gissing). Gissing thinks that even though we may remember the character 's names,
that is all that they are to us. They have no depth and the characters do not leave a lasting

Examples Of Schooling In The Victorian Era
Schooling During the Victorian Era
(An analysis and critique of Victorian schools using Hard Times by Charles Dickens & Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte)
"All education must start from the child" (Butler). What does this statement imply? The education of an individual all begins as a child, which will
shape their world and others around them for the rest of their life. In Hard Times by Charles Dickens is about schooling in the Victorian era, describes
what students endured during this era of schooling. Charles Dicken expresses his disdain for the utilitarian philosophy of the schools and society
of his day. Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and passed away in 1870; he was one of the most important writers of his time and one of his famous
novels is Oliver Twist. In Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is about a young girl named Jane Eyre who is attending a boarding school called Lowood.
Jane is a scrapper and expresses her dislike for the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
First, in Hard Times Charles Dickens expresses that children attending Victorian schools during his day were not allowed to have an imagination or
freedom. In both Hard Times and Jane Eyre teachers of the Victorian schools surely marked their place and asserted power over their students. In Jane
Eyre by Charlotte Bronte corporal punishment is seen as unacceptable, though in Victorian schools flogging and caning was common. Importantly,
attending any Victorian school during this era would have plain out sucked, and would have been like attempting to paddling through treacherous
waters. Do you believe corporal punishment was just, or cruel, unusual, and unacceptable? To end on this note, "Suffering teaches profound lessons"
(Scanlan). Do you think corporal punishment was put into place so that children would be hardened and ready for the cruel, merciless world, or

Hard Times Character Analysis
The novel Hard Times written by renowned author Charles Dickens is a tale that takes place in Coketown, England, during the Industrial Revolution.
The book primarily focuses on two distinct classes within the city. The wealthy class, makes up a minority of the population, consisting mostly of
unimaginative business owners. While the lower class is made up of workers, whose only reward in life, is death. One of Dicken's main characters,
Thomas Gradgrind Jr. plays an important role, validating the theorem that a character's trait can cause his or her downfall. Growing up as the eldest
son of very wealthy parents, Tom was taught to only care for facts and himself. Throughout the novel, Tom's devotion to display a great sense of
indulgence is what causes for his demise.
At a young age, Tom was taught that the only thing necessary in life was "facts and facts alone", exempting him from any morality or emotion.
This philosophical belief impacts Tom's eldest sister most of all. For all of her youth, Louisa cared for brother, because he was her spark of life
during her depression. Time nears for Tom to leave home and go work at a bank, for his father's friend Mr. Bounderby. He begs his sister to marry the
vulgar man, claiming that he couldn't stand to be away from her. She obliged –though she detests Mr. Bounderby. After learning that Louisa would do
anything for him, Tom manipulated her love to improve his quality of life at Bounderby's Bank. During the several years of her unhappy marriage,
Louisa supplies her brother with money –by selling her "trinkets" or dispensable wedding gifts– to pay for his gambling. After a visit from a master
seducer Jim Harthouse, Tom drunkenly reveals that he used his sister's presence to pay off his gambling debts and to avoid conflict with Mr.
Bounderby. While trying to win Louisa's affections, Harthouse informs Louisa about Tom's unkind behavior toward her, and she cuts Tom off.
Though this may seem like a victorious event, it ends up paving the way for a chaotic change in Coketown. Tom's motto of always benefiting for
himself, will force him to look back at his actions towards Louisa, and cause him to realize how his mistakes made his downfall.
Tom's self–centered attitude

Charles Dickens ' Hard Times Essay
Class systems sadly are an institutional part of society since biblical times and are still prominent in all cultures today. In British society, class systems
are still as prevalent as they were in the 19th century, there are seven social classes, ranging from the elite at the top to the extreme poor at the bottom.
Typically, in English societysocial class was always defined by occupation, wealth, and education with an addition of social and cultural classes.
Social classes is a prevalent aspect of British society since before recorded history, it was the addition of money, land and title that increased the
division of the classes. As the industrial revolution swung into full force, the division of classes strengthened. Social mobility became a common
occurrence as society developed and moved forward towards the twentieth century. This holds true in the novel Hard Times, written by Charles Dickens
in the Nineteenth century, examines the British class system through examples of social relationships and the labor force. (4)
Class systems throughout British society are visible in each book of Hard Times. In Book One: Sowing, the first distinctions of class discrepancy are
evident in the relationship between schoolmasters and students. Education and educators were deemed higher up in society than most people. The
school masters of Coketown, Mr. and Mrs. Chokeumchild, and Mr. Gradgrind. The children who were the stories center focus were Louis, Tom, Sissy,
and Bitzer. The

Significance of Emotional Education in Dickens' Novel,...
Set in the ever shifting world of the Industrial Revolution, Charles Dickens' novel Hard Times begins with a description of a utilitarian paradise
created by the illustrious and "eminently practical" Mr. Gradgrind, a world that follows a prescribed set of logically laid–out facts. However, readers
soon realize that Gradgrind's modern utopia is only a simulacrum, belied by the damnation of lives devoid of elements that feed the heart and soul,
as well as the mind. As the years progress, the weaknesses of Gradgrind's carefully constructed system become painfully apparent, especially in his
children Louisa and Tom, and in the poor workers employed under one Mr. Josiah Bounderby, a wealthy factory owner who is a subscriber to
Gradgrind's... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, Louisa has not succumbed entirely to her father's prohibition against wondering and imagining. Her humanity emerges gradually as the
novel progresses, as the result of her warm inner fire created by her secret fancies in otherwise her lonely, mechanized existence. As her failing and
loveless marriage to the greedy and arrogant "bully of humility" Bounderby takes its toll, Louisa reaches out, first to Stephen Blackpool, an oppressed
factory worker, and then to James Harthouse, a cynical, amoral, and thrill–seeking aristocrat who tries to seduce her. Here, the long denial of two vital
human forces, emotion and imagination, causes an explosive release of containment in Louisa, inflicting her with adulterous yearnings that drives her
to the brink of madness and to an eventual emotional breakdown at her father's mercy. Nothing in Louisa's previous education has prepared her to
handle her emerging passions. She saves herself from disgrace just in time, helped by the friendship of Sissy Jupe, who represents the wisdom of the
heart вЂ• a wisdom Louisa has never known. In the end, Louisa's true nature finally overcomes her father's strictly scientific education, and she ends up
as a mature, generous, and humane young woman that dedicates her life to helping those less fortunate than she. Tom, Louisa's only beacon in her
completely barren life, is another dismal and pathetic product of the Gradgrind philosophy of education. Self–centered and insensitive

The Role of the Circus Folk in 'Hard Times' by Charles...
The Role of the Circus Folk in 'Hard Times' by Charles Dickens
The role of the circus is both complex and simple it is in itself a contradiction; it has been placed within the novel to add another dimension to the
story of Coketown but also to show how fragile human nature can be. The circus folks role are complicated in their simplicity, they are of course
there to carry out the role that they are paid to perform as actors or performers as well as being there for the second more complicated role of
showing the notion of fancy within the novel. It is this second role which this essay will strive to discuss and discover.
There are many sides to the circus it is a multi talented organisation ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The modern reader may or may not have recognised from her description of her fathers job that she was a circus child. When Gradgrind hears her
name he becomes annoyed and insists that she no longer allow her father to refer to her as Sissy but instead he must call her Cecilia "call yourself
Cecilia" (Charles Dickens: page 4 Hard Times 1854). The fact That Sissy's father has a 'pet' name for her is important because it shows emotion
within her family, she has a bond with her father that we would refer to as affection or even love, Gradgrind and Coketown do not recognise these
emotions but view them as fancy, nothing serious or factual about them. The purpose of the school is to produce future citizens of Coketown that are
uniform and do not question what could have been, Sissy does not fit within this mould as she feels and by feeling she has fancies which is against the
principal ideas of Coketown.
The reader's introduction to the circus as an event within Coketown comes in what can be considered a surprising way. Whilst Gradgrind is walking
home past the circus he notice his own children who have been raised on fact alone watching the circus Gradgrind's exclamation of " In the name of
wonder, Idleness and folly" (Charles Dickens: page 15, Hard Times, 1854) is an unusual

Introduction to Hard Times
The shortest of Dickens' novels, Hard Times, was also, until quite recently, the least regarded of them. The comedy is savagely and scornfully sardonic,
to the virtual exclusion of the humour – that delighted apprehension of and rejoicing in idiosyncrasy and absurdity for their own sakes, which often
cuts right across moral considerations and which we normally take for granted in Dickens. Then, too, the novel is curiously skeletal. There are four
separate plots, or at least four separate centres of interest: the re–education through suffering of Mr. Gradgrind, the exposure of Bounderby, the life and
death of Stephen Blackpool, and the story of Sissy Jupe. There are present, in other words, all the potentialities of an expansive,... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Thus when Thomas finally confesses to the bank robbery, his defence is unanswerable, at any rate by Gradgrind. "'So many people are employed
in situations of trust; so many people, out of so many, will be dishonest. I have heard you talk, a hundred times, of its being a law. How can I help
laws? You have comforted others with such things, father. Comfort yourself!'" The point is capped and underscored in the chapter that follows, when
Mr. Gradgrind pleads with Bitzer, who has Tom's fate in his hands. "'Bitzer, have you a heart?'" But Bitzer, the logical end of Mr. Gradgrind's system,
its reductio ad absurdum, replies with the literal, scientific answer. Then: "If this is solely a question at self–interest with you – "Mr. Gradgrind began.
"I beg your pardon far interrupting you, Sir," returned Bitzer; "but I am sure that you know that the whole social system is a question of self– interest.
What you must always appeal to, is a person's self–interest. It's your only hold. We are so constituted. I was brought up in that catechism when I was
very young, sir, as you are aware." "What sum of money," said Mr. Gradgrind, "will you set against your expected promotion?" "Thank you, sir,"
returned Bitzer, "for hinting at the proposal; but I will not set any sum against it. Knowing that your clear head would propose that alternative, I have
gone over the calculations in my mind; and I find that to

Dickens and His Structure of Ha
Dickens and his structure Of Hard Times "On every page Hard Times manifests its identity as a polemical work, a critique of Mid–Victorian industrial
society dominated by materialism, acquisitiveness, and ruthlessly competitive capitalist economics" (Lodge 86). The quotation above illustrates the
basis for Hard Times. Charles Dickens presents in his novel a specific structure to expose the evils and abuses of the Victorian Era. Dickens' use of plot
and characterization relate directly to the structure on account that it shows his view of the mistreatments and evils of the Victorian Era, along with his
effort to expose them through literary methods. A befitting display of structure is evident through his giving name to... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Mrs. Sparsit now resides over the bank after being relieved of her job. The events taking place in book two are a "reaping" of the initial seeds
"sown." Dickens use of structure is preparing the reader for the "garnering" in book three. Book three, titled "Garnering," is where all of the
Utilitarian ideas, that Dickens scorns, begin to fall apart and fade away. Thomas Gradgrind Sr. is made aware of his misteachings through Louisa's
confession as she collapses at her father's feet declaring, "All that I know is, your philosophies and your teaching will not save me,"(Dickens 218).
Bounderby is brought down through his losing Louisa and the disclosure of Mrs. Pegler by Mrs. Sparsit. Sissy and Stephen remain to be the moral
component of Dickens' work. Sissy's hold on imagination is proven a necessity of life and is what the products of the utilitarian education seem to
lack. Stephen's portrayal of a virtuous man of the working class is used to show Dickens' idea of a tangible necessity in life. The voice of social
conscience Dickens uses throughout his novel is the structure he wanted to provide, and is shown obvious through Dickens' use of the plot. The
downfall of the educational system in Gradgrind and the exposure of Bounderby displays the utilitarian convictions destructed. "Sissy's endurance and
Stephen's death leave them as the heroine and martyr for the novel,"

Dickens' Attitude Toward Education in Hard Times Essay
Dickens' Attitude Toward Education in Hard Times Dickens wrote Hard Times in 1854, when the industrial revolution was active. This influenced the
way the book was written. In the first two chapters of Hard Times, Dickens' attitudes to education are presented. He uses two characters, Gradgrind
and M'Choakumchild to show the bad views of education and the opposition to Dickens' views. There is an immediate tension between Dickens' way
of thinking and Gradgrind's and M'Choakumchild's. Gradgrind and M'Choakumchild call the children vessels and do not use names but numbers. The
children are allowed no independent thought. While Bitzer is how he is "supposed" to be, Sissy Jupe is free spirited and... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It is said that Gradgrind always mentally introduces himself, which suggests that he self conscious and wants to know who he is before he shares
it with anyone else. He is also organised and this is seen when it says "with a rule and a pair of scales, and the multiplication table always in his
pocket". M'Choakumchild is introduced later in the second chapter; he is one of the one hundred and forty schoolmasters. Instead of the way he
looked being described, like Gradgrind, his intelligence was described. The subjects and skills that he studied and has knowledge about were listed,
e.g. "biography", "algebra" and "vocal music". M'Choakumchild knows a lot about these subjects because they are full of facts and imagination is
not really needed to know about them. He believes that fact is all that the children need to know and like Gradgrind does not believe in freethinking.
M'Chockumchild is the one who will teach the children how to be like in school life and social life. Gradgrind and M'Choakumchild are presented as
plain people who do not like change. They have only one straight–forward idea of how the education system should be. They both see children as
empty vessels and believe that they should be seen and not heard. Dickens' shows the juxtaposition of two pupils in the first two chapters; Sissy Jupe
and Bitzer. Sissy Jupe is known as 'girl

Hard Times By Charles Dickens
The fictional novel, Hard Times by Charles Dickens, concentrates on the Gradgrind family; of Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, his daughter Louisa, and
son Thomas Jr. A major theme of friendship is portrayed in the books through the character of Mr. Gradgrind as he struggles with the idea of
friendship between other characters. According to the Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle, it explains a detailed account of friendship and what it is
to be a friend to others. In comparing the character Mr. Gradgrind in Hard Times, to the 5 basis of friendship written in the Nicomachean Ethics,
Mr. Gradgrind cannot be a friend to others because he does not use emotion but rather factual evidence in his actions toward his children. The novel
confirms Aristotle's view of friendship with Mr. Gradgrind, proving that the standards need to be set up in order to have a proper friendship and
relationship with others. The 5 basis set up in Aristotle's Ethics are explained on page 252 and are as followed; "A person who wished for and does
what is good or what appears to him to be good for his friends sake, a person who wished for the existence and life of his friend for a friends sake, a
person who spends his time in our company, whose desires are the same as ours, and a person who shared sorrow and joy with his friend. An overall
message of "one must do well for others in order to be a proper friend"1 can be understood with the five basis of friendship to determine if a person is
an ideal friend. In Chapter

How Greed Affects The Lives Of People
It is hard to believe how greed affects the lives of people. Often people do not realize that money and power are not everything in life. During the
Industrial Revolution many people let their lives be heavily manipulated by their material wants rather than their needs. As a result they were often
unhappy with the lives they had while others were in abundance of happiness. Charles Dickens lived during the Industrial Revolution and knew what
life was like during those times ("BBC – Primary History – Famous People – Charles Dickens"). In Hard Times, Dickens portrays the lives of a group
of people who were directly affected by the Industrial Revolution. Thomas Gradgrind, Louisa Gradgrind, and Josiah Bounderby are three
characters that are deeply affected by the Industrial Revolution in the novel. The novel begins by giving us an overview of Thomas Gradgrind
beliefs. This man who is the first character to be introduced to the readers in Hard Times is portrayed as a monotone, mechanized man who relies
solely on facts and nothing more. In the novel he is described as, "A man who proceeds upon the principle that two and two are four, and nothing
over, and who is not to be talked into allowing for anything over" (Dickens, Book the First, CH II). He also owns a school where children do not
seem to have an individual personality as they are reduced to mere number on a list, as he refers to a girl not by her name but as "girl number twenty".
Additionally, his philosophy of not

Social Network
Introduction :
Hard Times is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens, The book appraises English society and is aimed at highlighting the social and economic
pressures of the times. Hard Times is not a delicate book . has not usually been regarded as one of Dickens 's finest novels and It is also not a
difficult book: Dickens wanted all his readers to catch his point exactly, and the moral theme of the novel is very explicitly articulated time and again.
There are no hidden meanings in Hard Times, and the book is an interesting case of a great writer subordinating his art to a moral and social purpose.
Even if it is not Dickens's most popular novel, it is still an important expression of the values he thought were fundamental to human ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Sissy serves as a foil, or contrast, to Louisa: while Sissy is imaginative and compassionate, Louisa is rational and, for the most part, unfeeling. Sissy
embodies the Victorian femininity that counterbalances mechanization and industry. Through Sissy's interaction with her, Louisa is able to explore her
more sensitive, feminine sides
Thomas (Tom) Gradgrind, Junior :is the oldest son and second child of the Gradgrinds. Initially sullen and resentful of his father 's Utilitarian
education, Tom has a strong relationship with his sister Louisa. He works in Bounderby 's bank (which he later robs), and turns to gambling and
drinking. Louisa never ceases to adore Tom, and she aids Sissy and Mr. Gradgrind in saving her brother from arrest.
Stephen Blackpool : is a worker at one of Bounderby 's mills. He has a drunken wife who no longer lives with him but who appears from time to time.
He forms a close bond with Rachael, a co–worker, whom he wishes to marry. After a dispute with Bounderby, he is dismissed from his work at the
Coketown mills and, shunned by his former fellow workers, is forced to look for work elsewhere. While absent from Coketown, he is wrongly accused
of robbing Bounderby 's bank. On his way back to vindicate himself, he falls down a mine–shaft. He is rescued but dies of his injuries.
Bitzer : is a very pale classmate of Sissy 's and brought up on facts and is taught to operate according to self–interest. He takes

Hard Times And Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare
Throughout Hard Times by Charles Dickens and Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, societies are conveyed to be significant factors in
the development of their characters. Societies establish standards, moral beliefs, and opinions that greatly influence the decisions and learning of
characters. Specifically, tragic events in both novels are not only major turning points, but also become defining moments for their characters'
understanding of other characters, conflicts, and of themselves. However, in both novels, societal influences tend to assert their dominance over
characters in the novel. In order to reveal the predominant influence of societies on one's moral beliefs, Dickens and Shakespeare directly attribute how
their characters'... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Hard Times, Gradgrind immorally teaches his daughter nothing by fact, preparing her to understand the world incorrectly and fall into emotional
ruin. Similarly, in Much Ado About Nothing, Leonato immorally condemns and disowns his daughter because of accusations of her infidelity, ensuring
social death. Both daughters look up to their fathers, who either precipitate their tragedy or worsen their tragedy, however, these fathers also clearly
experience tragic challenges of their own. Most evident, they both comfortably conduct immoral acts because they are encouraged and supported by
their societies. Due to this fact, perhaps Dickens and Shakespeare argue that the fathers' internal tragedies are the true, most troubling tragedies of their
novels and in life. However, these tragedies, spurred by societal influences, whether in the novel or in life, are seemingly overshadowed by sudden
mournful events. Ultimately, these prolonged internal tragedies can lead to a discard of a true morality throughout life in return for social acceptance and

Essay Comparing Brave New World And Hard Times
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Hard Times by Charles Dickens, have characters that resemble with one another. In Charles Dicken's Hard
Times Mr. Gradgrind is the operator of the education system, in the storyline. In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Mustapha Mond is one of the
ten World Controllers, he is in charge of Western Europe, and oversees the world under his feet. We can see how both these character have a big part
in these books to control society.
Mustapha Mond believes in the World State system where the society is governed with scientific principles. The society is educated since birth to
love the caste they are born into. The government does this to maximize the societies happiness. Mustapha Mond was a former physicist, who gave
up science after being discovered. He was given the choice to go into exile or to train to become a World Controller. Mustapha Mond gave up science.
He then controlled every aspects of the World State society, and exiles people for the unorthodox. Many characters that are described to us inBrave
New World suffer from alienation, because they do not fit into society.... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They both are in charge of controlling society. One of the biggest differences that these two characters have is that Mr. Gradgrind realizes that his
system of education is not perfect. This occurs when he faces the failures of his system. Mr. Gradgrind then confesses "The ground on which I stand
has ceased to be solid under my feet" (166.) He then changes his attitude towards his beliefs, and changes the education system. Mustapha Mond has a
very deep conversation with Helmholtz Watson and John the Savage. Mond new that the World State system was not perfect. He knows that the
regulations will not satisfy everyone, but that is why they are conditioned since the time they are created. He does not do anything in his power to
change society because of his views. He compromises in order for society to live

Role and Concept of Sleary's Circus in Hard Times
'Hard Times' is a Charles Dickens novel set in the social backdrop of the Victorian era during the Industrial Revolution that took place during the
1850s. The ill effects of Victorian Utilitarianism are upheld in this moralistic vision of the writer. Unlike most of his novels, 'Hard Times' is not based
in London but in the red and black seemingly monotonous structures of Coketown. That being said, it still realistically allows the reader to observe the
systems and structures of society forced to face various economic and social hardships. What preserves the novel as a social commentary is that the
struggles in life and human emotions are still relevant "for these times".
The rise in capitalist ideals brought forth an age where the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Though the circus is a commercial enterprise, it still feels more like a family than Grangrind's household will ever manage to. Mr. Sleary thus, acts
as a protector and though he feels compassion for Sissy, he is aware that it is not economically viable for the company to keep her and therefore
thinks of more suitable alternatives like her continued education. Unlike Gradgrind who condemns his daughter to an incompatible and unsuitable
marriage. The circus as a whole with all its colours is a great visual contrast to the image evoked by Coketown. It is not shrouded by the by–product of
its labour, like the soot that coated the city. The circus, here, stands for all that is loyal and free.
Nonetheless, there is a certain disdain in which the gypsies are viewed by the "educated" classes, as Bounderby puts it – "we are the kind of people
who know the value of time, and you are the kind of people who don't know the value of time". This is primarily because they cannot be restrained
by the laws and obligations of society. Dickens reiterates his own personal faith in those people, like the gypsies by highlighting the presence of
complete trust, emotions and faith as opposed to the doubt prevalent in most of society, even with all the privileges and high standards of morality
they seem to possess. It is able to address issues like education – that is only successful when

The Effects Of Industrialization On English Towns Essay
Hard Times symbolizes the negative effects of industrialization on English towns (Coketown in the story) including education. Charles Dickens was
born in 1812, and was a contemporary of the Industrial Revolution. Industries were growing by leaps and bounds; bringing with it pollution, social
imbalance and individual confusion. Dickens was rather poor and had no proper education. At the age of 12 he worked in Warren's Blacking
Factory attaching labels to bottles. He labored hard to educate himself and wrote novels to make a decent living. He, like the people of Coketown,
had no time for idle fancy. Education for the general population was rote learning with little to no encouragement for creativity. The people of
Coketown had no joy. Dickens brought out the dehumanizing aspects of industrialization. English factories were destroying the landscape. Economic
power that was arising from them was changing the social order of the country. Some of the English were becoming wealthy while others poor. His
repeated use of the word "same" and the phrase "like one another" reveal both the monotony of Coketown and the drudgery of its inhabitants.
Education too for the most was monotonous. A daily dose of fact and reason. The moral vision ofHard Times is dark and dismal. He brings into focus
the concepts of education, happiness, progress, industrialization and economic advantage. He develops the theme that it was the responsibility of
parents to get their sons into a

Jonathan Haidt's Hard Times
In the book Hard Times (1856/1995), by Charles Dickens, the citizens of Coketown are faced with moral situations. The characters have caused
emotional harm to others or themselves due to their decisions. Most of the replies to these moral dilemmas are based on how selfish or selfless these
characters. They can only choose between the choices that value the other people or value themselves. Two characters that make these decisions are
Stephen, a worker at the Hand in Coketown, and Louisa, the daughter of a teacher in the town. Some of their choices may seem questionable to others.
But most of them can be explained in Jonathan Haidt's book The Righteous Mind. In his book, Haidt explains about the six moral foundations, two of
them ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Us humans are selectively fair to those that have a positive relationship with us and those who have a negative relationship towards us are known as
cheaters.
Cheating
The association between Stephen and his wife is a solid example of the cheating rudiment. He is making dishonest choices because he does not have a
healthy relationship with his wife anymore. After meeting an old woman, Stephen started thinking about Racheal: "He thought of the number of girls
and women she had seen marry...how she had contentedly pursued her own lone quite path – for him." (p.82) When we love someone, we tend to think
often about the person we have feelings for. He is cheating on his wife because he is fantasizing about Racheal instead of his current wife. Later, his
wife was about to drink poison until Racheal came to save her from it. Before drinking the poison, Stephen's wife passes Stephen, who appears to be
asleep. But it turned out that "All this time, as if a spell were on him, he was motionless and powerless, except to watch her." Stephen wasn't asleep.
Rather than saving her from accidentally poisoning, Stephen decided to do nothing but watch her fall into her death. This is cheating because he would
rather have her dead than preventing him from having a marriage with Racheal. He would sacrifice her only for his satisfaction. Before this event,
Stephen tells Mr. Bounderby that his relationship goes "From bad to worse, from worse to worsen. She left

Hard Times Sowing Essay
A child with no imagination is like an Earth without wildlife. Cold, boring, and desolate. Dickens cleverly names the three sub books in Hard Times
Sowing, Reaping, and Garnering. As Galatians 6:7 reads, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return."
Dickens alludes to the bible and general farming terms in the titles of the three books to condemn the education system of the 19th Century Victorian
era and furthermore foreshadow the plot of the books. The first of the three books, "Sowing", lays the foundation for the whole story by introducing us
to Thomas Gradgrind and his school. The opening lines to the whole story read "NOW, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but
Facts. Facts

Retributive Justice System
Retributive justice, described in its literal sense, is a criminal justice system based on punishing the offenders rather than rehabilitating them. This is
a quality often seem within Victorian literature, considered to be the "socially acceptable ending". The villains are imprisoned or die, often left to
be suffering alone; the hero is rewarded with wealth and happiness. It gives the reader an impression of cosmic justice; everything will work out if
you are a good person. This is comforting for a person who believes that they are a good person, regardless of whether or not they are in reality. For
the Victorian time period, where people highly valued strong morals –– and which women were often considered the backbone for –– an ending with...
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The Gradgrind system never changes her, and she remains always honest, observant, and kind. Sissy nevers gives up on her father, always waiting
for his return. Towards the end of the book, when Mr. Sleary is telling Mr. Gradgrind that her father may be dead, Thomas says, "She keeps the
bottle he sent her for, to this hour; and she will believe in his affection to the last minute of her life" (p.282). Despite how she does not fit into the
Gradgrind system, she never abandons them either. While that may partially due to her waiting for her father's return, it also says that she is loyal
enough to stay with the family even after she finishes her schooling. She acts as a guide for Mr. and Mrs. Gradgrind, as well as Louisa to return to a
more normal, healthy attitude. Before Mrs. Gradgrind's death, the woman mentions, "But there is something –– not an Ology at all –– that your father
has missed, or forgotten, Louisa... I have often sat with Sissy near me, and thought about it" (p.194). Mrs. Gradgrind's death may have planted the
seed for Louisa to come forth about her own unhappiness and emptiness to her father after James attempts to meet with her. After Louisa breaks
down and collapses in Chapter Twelve, "Down", Sissy is the first person to assist Louisa. The older girl questions how she can stay with her. "I felt
very uncertain whether you would like to find me here," she says at Louisa's bedside. "I have always loved you, and have always wished that you
should know it" (p.219). In Louisa's dark hour, Sissy provides the unconditional love that the broken woman truly needs. This undoubtedly helps
Louisa recover. Seeing Louisa, his favorite child, collapse in response to how he raised her, Thomas Gradgrind realizes that a life full of facts is
barely a life at all. This is where he begins to change his own view on life. Both directly and indirectly, Sissy inspired the necessary change in these
three characters

For many decades, many have tried to obtain a perfect...
For many decades, many have tried to obtain a perfect mixture of a healthy state of mind in relation to a healthy body. In order to do this, people
exercise their bodies along with their minds. However, overly exercising can lead to consequences. As a result, a balance needs to be met. When
displaying too many hard core views, the mixture of a healthy mind and a healthy body disappears. Therefore, it is very important to obtain a balance
with strict rules along with some imagination. When looking at facts, it is always one sided, but when using an imagination, the possibilities become
endless and can be looked upon as positive. In the novel Hard Times, there are characters that display a strict view on facts rather than imagination. The
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Another example of how Thomas Gradgrind's teachings have failed is Louisa. Louisa sacrifices herself as a wife to Josiah Bounderby in order to
give Tom more freedom and to make Thomas Gradgrind happy. Ultimately, she is very unhappy and just a way to get her family into Josiah
Bounderby's business. As a result of two poor outcomes of factual learning failures, it is safe to conclude that the teachings of Thomas Gradgrind
are at fault. Opposed to Thomas Gradgrind is Josiah Bounderby. He does not believe in education and doesn't think that it is useless to be teaching.
The conflict that Thomas Gradgrind faces with Josiah Bounderby is that they are both different representations on how to educate their children.
Although they both share the views of factual knowledge, the twists in their views are how important education is. Thomas Gradgrind is extremely
strict with the rules and cannot stray from his set standards. However, Josiah Bounderby says that education is "to be tumbled out of doors, necks
and crops and out upon the shortest allowance of everything except blows" (Dickens 314). It is evident to say that Josiah Bounderby sees a strict
education as unnecessary and does not think it should exist. Josiah Bounderby owns a bank and a factory and has a good living. He has high
political standards and is considered a very powerful man. Most people look up to Josiah Bounderby with high regard since he is wealthy. Due to his
"self made" lies, he thinks

The Plot
The Plot – Coketown is a grimy, smelly industrial town in northern
England, its houses and skies blackened by smoke from factory chimneys.
One of its leading citizens is Thomas Gradgrind, future member of Parliament and governor of the local school.
The Plot
Coketown is a grimy, smelly industrial town in northern England, its houses and skies blackened by smoke from factory chimneys. One of its leading
citizens is Thomas Gradgrind, future member of Parliament and governor of the local school. Gradgrind lives with his wife and five children, including
the eldest, Louisa, and Tom, Jr.
When we first see Gradgrind, he is observing a typical class in his school, taught by Mr. M'Choakumchild. Gradgrind lectures the teacher ... Show more
Treating the "lower classes" with such kindness is a mistake to him; these people are spoiled enough. Bounderby lives with his housekeeper, Mrs.
Sparsit, a member of the faded aristocracy. She has lost her money, but not her disdain for those she considers beneath her.
Another resident of Coketown is Stephen Blackpool, a factory worker.
Once happily married, Stephen is separated from his wife, a drunkard who wanders off for months at a time, only to return to shame him.
Stephen is in love with Rachael, another worker, but the two of them can't marry because of divorce laws that favor the wealthy. For
Stephen and Rachael, life is a "muddle."
Gradgrind is elected to Parliament. It is decided that his son Tom should work at Bounderby's bank and that his daughter Louisa should marry
Bounderby. Louisa tries to communicate to her father that the marriage would be a mistake, but Gradgrind refuses to hear of anything that speaks of
love or sentiment. Only Sissy, who discontinues her education because she is thought "unteachable," but who stays on in the Gradgrind household,
understands Louisa's plight. But Louisa is too proud to accept Sissy's compassion. When the wedding takes place, only Tom Gradgrind is truly happy,
thinking his life at the Bounderby bank will be much easier with his sister around to defend him.

A year after the wedding, changes have taken place in Coketown. Mrs.
Sparsit now lives in an apartment at the bank, where the

Analysis of Why Fact and Fancy Are Both Necessary in...
Analysis of Why Fact and Fancy Are Both Necessary in Charles Dickens' Hard Times
Fact and Fancy in Hard Times Coketown is a monotonous town of machinery and tall chimneys. There is a sense of sameness in the town: "It
contained several large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one
another." A town so sacred to fact should progress smoothly, yet residents of Coketown "never knew what they wanted" and were "eternally
dissatisfied" (33). One of the main characters in Charles Dickens' Hard Times, Mr. Gradgrind, enthusiastically teaches facts to his students: "Facts
alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else." His ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
No little Gradgrind had ever read a fairy–tale or sung a silly children's jingle. Instead of a playroom, the children had cabinets in various departments of
science.
When Louisa was younger, Mr. Gradgrind overheard her start a conversation with her brother by saying, "Tom, I wonder"–upon which he replies
sternly: "Louisa, never wonder!" (56). Years later, he catches two of his children, Thomas and Louisa, peeping through a hole to watch the circus, and
he sternly disciplines them. Thomas and Louisa are not typical, happy, energetic young adults: There was an air of jaded sullenness in them both, and
particularly in the girl: yet, struggling through the dissatisfaction of her face, there was a light with nothing to rest upon, a fire with nothing to burn, a
starved imagination keeping life in itself somehow, which brightened its expression. Not with the brightness natural to cheerful youth, but with
uncertain, eager, doubtful flashes, which had something painful in them, analogous to the changes on a blind dace groping its way. (22)
After her father catches her, Louisa tells him that she is tired, and that she has "been tired a long time." Her tiredness refers to her sense of emptiness
in her life. Extremely upset at her children, Mrs. Gradgrind declares that Thomas and Louisa are "enough to make one regret ever having had a family
at all" (26). Thomas's

Roles Of Women In Victorian Society
Hard Times helps in illustrating the progress as well as the depression experienced by both men and women in the society. The role of the women
in the Victorian society can be categorized in social and economic roles as shown from the various duties played by the women in the story. Most
of the women in the Victorian society are associated with some stereotypical traits such as being transparent and being sensitive and that develops
further to create a story which highlights the various importance of women in the society. Dickens views on femininity are shown from hard times
and that helps in showing the various economic roles and the social roles played by the women in the buildup of the story. The study is aimed
towards the elaboration of the roles of women economically and socially in relation to the plot and characterization shown in the story.
Characterization and plot showing Social roles of the women in the society In the buildup of the story, the place of the women in the Victorian
society was seen to be at home. The mind of women was seen to be effective in performing most of the domestic as well as mothering jobs. This
can be seen as a way of achieving emotional fulfillment to most women in the society. The characters in the play helped in shaping the role of the
women in the society. Cecilia in the story is seen as an incapable girl and she had traits of blushing and showing curtsey to most people. The women in
the Victorian society were all seen to be polite

Sleary And Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism, a philosophy that values the happiness of the general population above the happiness of an individual, ironically caused more than its
fair share of sorrow. Thriving in the Industrial Revolution's environment of corrupt businessmen, lethargic politicians, and draconian educators,
utilitarianism seeks only quantifiable results, abandoning emotion and imagination in favor of facts. With its opening exclamation of "Facts, facts,
facts!" Charles Dickens immediately makes it clear that Hard Times intends to critique the flawed obsessions of utilitarianism. Most notably, he
introduces the Gradgrinds of Coketown, an unmistakable product of a society gone dreadfully wrong. Look no further than Mr. Gradgrind, Dicken's
personification... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Gradgrind, in order to provide better context for the ideological conflict between Sleary's Circus and utilitarianism. While Dickens conspicuously
decorates the circus people with fairytale imagery, he only seems to arrange these imaginative descriptions around Gradgrind in a situation where it
would highlight his differences. A prime example of this situation is when Gradgrind reminisces the method he taught his children, annunciating that
"the first object of which they had remembrance was a large blackboard with a dry Ogre chalking ghastly white figure on it. Not that they knew, by
name or by nature, anything about an Ogre. Fact forbid!" Though not spoken in reference to Sleary's circus, Dickens elaborates on the relationship
between the circus people and the Gradgrinds. On one hand, the circus people readily embrace imagination, it being part of their nature. On the other
hand, when Gradgrind even contemplates an ogre, he is greatly disconcerted. Furthermore, Gradgrind's thought process further delineates the mindset
of those infatuated with the 'facts, facts, facts,' philosophy. As evident from Dicken's abundant use of fairytale imagery, Sleary's circus symbolizes both
imagination and childhood, neither of which appeal to straitlaced ideals of

Charles Dickens' Hard Times Essay
Charles Dickens' Hard Times
Charles Dickens's novel Hard Times critiques the use of extreme utilitarianism as an acceptable means to governing a society in which citizens are
able to lead happy, productive, flourishing lives. "Just the facts,"19th century English utilitarianism argued, are all one needs to flourish. Those
answers that we can arrive at by way of mathematical, logical reasoning are all needed to live a full human life. Hard Times shows however that a "just
the facts" philosophy creates a community inhospitable to the needs of one another, a society nearly void of human compassion, and one lacking in
morality. Underlying the novel's argument is the Aristotelian concept that the primary purpose of government is to... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
A man of realities. A man of facts and calculations...With a rule and a pair of scales, and the multiplication table always in his pocket, sir, ready to
weigh and measure any parcel of human nature, and tell you exactly what it comes to. It is a mere question of figures... (6)
Even the cloistered and mousy Mrs. Gradgrind knows "there is something – not an ology at all that [Gradgrind] has missed or forgotten" (152). In her
essay "The Literary Imagination in Public
Life" Martha C. Nussbaum writes that the "missing" element in Mr. Gradgrind's political–economic philosophy is the acknowledgment of life's
qualitative dimension (431). Exchanging the qualitative for the quantitative, the economic utilitarian measures life in statistical terms. Utilitarianism
forbids the concept of human complexity to enter its fundamentally formulaic approach to life. Thus, Cissy Jupe is not Cissy Jupe, but "Girl number
twenty," a label that rigidly defines her as a commodity. Even the town bureaucrats are subjected to their method of numerical labeling– bodies number
one through four all agree that no one should wonder (41–42).
As categorizing citizens numerically strips Cissy Jupe and others of their distinctive human qualities, Nussbaum argues that it equally creates the
possibility of over–generalizing information about individuals which results in imprecise conclusions on the true nature of people. Accordingly, before
Louisa visited Stephen's home, she knew of the working

Charles Dickens ' Hard Times
In Hard Times, Dickens presents life philosophies of three men that directly contradict each other. James Harthouse sees one's actions in life as
meaningless since life is so short. Mr. Gradgrind emphasizes the importance of fact and discourages fantasy since life is exactly as it was
designed to be. Mr. Slearly exhibits that "all work and no play" will make very dull people out of all of us. He also proclaims that one should never
look back on one's life and regret past actions. Dickens is certainly advocating Sleary's life philosophy because the subjects of the other two
philosophies led depressing and unhappy lives. This is made clear when Louisa realises her childhood of fact without fancy has ruined her, when
Tom's life falls apart after leaving his father's home in rejection of his strict parenting, and when Mr. Gradgrind himself realises the faults in his
own philosophy and devotes the rest of his life to virtue and charity. Louisa breaks down at her father's knees at the end of book two. All work and
no play has made her a dull girl indeed! Mr. Gradgrind has no idea how to respond to this. "What can I do child? Ask me what you will." [220].
Louisa's philosophy, which bears a striking resemblance to that of James Harthouse, has led her to get married to a man she does not love. She
essentially blames her strife upon her father's upbringing of her. "All that I know is, your philosophy and your teaching will not save me. Now, Father,
you have brought me to this. Save me

Moll Flanders Comparison Essay
The authors of five English novels portray the role of a foster or adopted child in similar and contrasting ways. In Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe, the
hardships an adopted child faces expose their financial challenges. Throughout Persuasion by Jane Austen, adopted and foster children are given more
love from the foster parents than the biological parent as the foster parents are overcompensating trying to be the best parent. Wuthering Heights by
Emily Bronte, sheds light on the problems that can occur when an adopted child tries to integrate into a household. Charles Dickens' novel, Hard
Times, shows how an adopted child can change a household for the better by introducing new ways of thinking. Throughout Tess of the D'Urbervilles by
Both Moll and Sissy are given an education, Moll succeeds, while Sissy does not. Similarly, Catherine Earnshaw goes to live with the Lintons, and
becomes their adopted daughter for five weeks. While she lives with the Lintons, Catherine is educated on how to be a proper lady. With the Linton's
help, Catherine's "manners were much improved"(WH 55). When she returns home, she is a completely different woman, and rather than "a wild
savage... [she was] a dignified woman"(WH 55). Even though Moll, Sissy, and Catherine are educated with different methods and on different topics,
they all have an opportunity for an education; however, both Heathcliff and Hareton are deprived of an education which results in them being
academically unsuccessful in relation to Moll, Sissy, and Catherine. When Hindley returns from university, and becomes master of the house, he stops
Heathcliff's education. He "deprive[s] [Heathcliff] of the instructions of the curate, and insist[s] that he should labour out of doors instead"(WH 49).
Similarly, Heathcliff deprives Hareton of an education in order to get revenge on Hindley. Heathcliff says, "and we'll see if one tree won't grow as
crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!"(WH 182); implying that Heathcliff wants to ruin Hareton by making him uneducated just as
Hindley had done to him. Heathcliff deprives Hareton of an education by "[tying] his

Charles Dickens ' Hard Times For These Times
Fancy is a noun. It means "the power of the mind to imagine things." Do not think about it; do not think about thinking about it. Just memorize it.
Can you? There is only one right path that society has pinned you on. Like a toy car on a wooden train track, you are expected to complete the
course without straying from it. If you do, you are considered broken. Yet, what exactly is the point of mindlessly walking the same path as everyone
else, only to constantly find yourself memorizing empty facts over and over again? In Hard Times for these Times, Charles Dickens embodies the
consequences of an absolutely factual world: blindness, imbalance, and nonfulfillment. Through the convoluted stories of the opposite worlds, Sissy's
journey to becoming a jewel of balance, Louisa's tragic fight for fulfillment, and the harmonious character Sleary, Dickens defines the urgency for the
proportional combination of fact and fancy.
Gradgrind's education system is structured to plucking imagination and emotions out of the lives of children, resulting in dangerous, machine–like
human beings. He closed–mindedly abides to rules and facts; dreams and abstractness is a crime. For example, Bounderby, Gradgrind's subordinate,
insists that his workers expect "to be fed on turtle soup and vension, with a golden spoon" (72), while on the other hand, the workers believe that they
are unfairly treated like dumb objects. Both Bounderby and the workers think their opinion is the fact, but it shrivels

Gradgrin Vs Enlightenment
The beginning of the 18th century was a time period known as the Age of Enlightenment in which the want of education and knowledge was on the
rise, which led to a great expanse of intellectual growth in Europe. This change in humanity was sparked by the desire for society to use their own
understanding to interpret what they see and hear instead of just agreeing with what they are told. In Hard times Charles Dickens depicts a man by
the name of Thomas Gradgrind who also believes in the idea of having a highly educated society but his methods and beliefs had to do with the use
of cold hard facts. Thomas Gradgrind is a caricature for the worldviews of the Enlightenment period because of his strong desire for education but
differs in the ideas of reason, freedom, and wonder. When you look at the big picture for the beliefs of the Enlightenment and Thomas... Show more
The Enlightenment beliefs are centered on every member of a society having the freedom to think whatever they want even if it is wrong. Kant is a big
advocate of this and says, "The Enlightenment requires nothing but freedom– and the most innocent of all that may be called "freedom": freedom to
make public use of one's reason in all matters." (Kant 1). Kant and all the other enlightenment thinkers acknowledge the fact that in order for people to
use their reason correctly they must have the freedom to think openly. An individual cannot be restricted with his freedom and still be becoming
enlightened, enlightenment works on a personal level, which is why freedom is crucial. Kant then goes on to explain how important a ruler is to the
process of enlightenment and how the perfect ruler is one who says, "Argue as much as you please, but Obey". A person doesn't have to have the
freedom to do whatever they want, but in order to go through the process of enlightenment, they must be at least able to think

Utalitarian Principle in Charles Dickens Hard Times
INTRODUCTION
Utilitarianism is the assumption that human beings act in a way that highlights their own self interest. It is based on factuality and leaves little room
for imagination. Utilitarianism dominated as the form of government in England's Victorian age of eighteenth century. Utilitarianism, as rightly
claimed by Dickens, robbed the people of their individuality and joy; deprived the children of their special period of their lives, 'Childhood' and
deprived women of their inherent right of equality. The theme ofutilitarianism, along with industrialization and education is explored by Charles
Dickens, in his novel Hard Times.. Hard Times written in those times intended to explore its negativisms. Utilitarianism as a government was ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One has to wonder how different the story would be if Gradgrind did not run the school. How can you give a utilitarian man such as Gradgrind
such power over a town? I do like how Dickens structures the book to make one ask obvious questions such as these. Dickens does not tell us
much about the success of the other students of the school besides Bitzer, who is fairly successful on paper, but does not have the capacity as a
person to deal with life's everyday struggles. Gradgrinds two oldest children, Tom and Louisa, are examples of how this utilitarian method failed
miserably. These children were never given the opportunity to think for themselves, experience fun things in life, or even use their imaginations.
True, they are smart people in the factual sense but do not have the street smarts to survive. Tom is a young man who, so fed up with his father's
strictness and repetition, revolts against him and leaves home to work in Mr. Bounderby's bank. Tom, now out from under his fathers wing, he
begins to drink and gamble heavily. Eventually, to get out of a deep gambling debt, he robs a bank and is forced to flee the area. When Bitzer
realizes that Tom has robbed the bank and catches him, Mr. Gradgrind begs him to let Tom go, reminding him of all of the hard work that was put on
him while at the school. Ironically Bitzer,

The Industrial Revolution through the Eyes of Charles Dickens
The Industrial Revolution generated the perception that applying solely logic to everyday activities could maximize productivity and efficiency.
Charles Dickens explores the dangers of neglecting emotions and imagination in his novel Hard Times. Dickens separates Hard Times into three
books: Sowing, Reaping and Garnering in order to reveal the negative consequences of industrialization and forsaking imagination for facts through the
events, settings, and characters in the novel. In Book the First: Sowing, Dickens introduces the destructiveness of the wrong kind of education on
innocent minds. The schoolmaster Mr. Gradgrind refuses to face reality by insisting on addressing Sissy Jupe by her formal name and changing Mr.
Jupe's occupation to one less involved with "fancy" (Dickens 7–8). The classroom, "a plain, bare, monotonous vault" and Mr. Gradgrind's rigid, square,
and dry appearance reflect the stringent, detached teachings of his philosophy (Dickens 6). The name Gradgrind epitomizes what his beliefs have
made of him: a "fact machine," a grinder of fact. In Chapter 2 "Murdering the Innocents", Dickens compares Gradgrind to a loaded canon "prepared to
blow [the children] clean out of the regions of childhood at one discharge" (Dickens 7). The metaphor reiterates the damage Gradgrind's philosophy can
cause, including slaughtering the imagination of children. Gradgrind's ideology sickens his wife, a "little, thin, white, pinkв€’eyed bundle of shawls, of
surpassing feebleness,

In history, a woman was the one who would nurture the...
In history, a woman was the one who would nurture the bodies and minds of her children and husband. Dickens story takes a turn when he makes Mr.
Gradgrind take on this role. Mrs. Gradgrind is barely mentioned but continues to have a strong message in her character. Through hard facts Gradgrind
teaches both his students and children the same things and removes the burden of ideal femininity from his daughter, Louisa. Unfortunately, this
leaves her unprepared for entering the world outside her own progressive family. She is unable to fulfill the idealized roles of wife and mother, and
has no other options for adulthood outside of these. This book shows the constant need of a female role model in the household but fails to show it's
proceed... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In this quote Dickens uses simile to make his point. He compared her to "any human being not arrived at the perfection of an absolute idiot, ever
was." Dickens uses powerful words like "no nonsense" to show how submissive Mrs. Gradgrind was in her relationship with Mr. Gradgrind. He also
used the word "injunction" to show how she opposes the stereotypical "motherly" traits; she is not nurturing, nor is she affectionate towards her
children or husband. Mrs. Gradgrind is cold and aloof. Mrs. Gradgrind even goes as far to tell her children, "I really do wish that I had never had a
family" (Dickens 58). She makes repeated statements like this throughout the novel, not sparing her children's feelings. Just like Mrs. Gradgrind,
Rachael was just as much a part of this disgraceful discrimination to females.
Rachael is a factory worker who was childhood friends with Stephen Blackpool's wife. She is now in love with Stephen, and helps him deal with life as
a friend. After Stephen's death, she spends the rest of
Garcia 3
her life taking care of his widow. Steven is head over heels in love with Rachael but knows their secret love can't turn into something because of his
marriage. Steven says
"'No! Don't, please; don't. Let me see thee setten by the bed. Let me see thee, a' so good, and so forgiving. Let me see thee as I see thee when I
coom in. I can never see thee better than so. Never, never, never!' He had a violent fit of trembling, and then sunk into his

The Emotional vs. Intellectual Growth of Children in "Hard...
In Hard Times, Charles Dickens explores the importance of the developments of both intellect and emotions throughout a child's upbringing. However,
to an extent, Dickens emphasizes on the greater importance of emotional growth compared to intellectual growth; such as the much happier and more
compassionate human being Sissy is compared to Louisa and Tom, whom have had all 'fancy' rooted out of their childhood. Furthermore, although
Bitzer may not be unhappy in any way, he still lacks compassion and an understanding of emotions as a result of his education under Gradgrind's "fact
only" system. As such, the administrator of this system, Gradgrind, also lacks the ability to recognise emotion, and hence was unable to acknowledge his
children's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Even though she is aware of the reasons behind the way that she is, such is the impact that Gradgrind's education on her that she has no means of
comforting herself or repairing the damages that she has endured. Consequently, it has demonstrated the degree to which the failure of development of
her emotions has affected Louisa and caused her young life to be filled with misery. Nevertheless, if Louisa hadn't possessed her desire of emotions,
the detrimental effects, that she is aware of, would be lessened a great deal.
Bitzer undergoes the same figurative and factual education as Louisa and Tom, hence he too lacks the ability to identify with emotions. On the
contrary, Bitzer did not possess the "inner fire" that Louisa had, and as a result did not feel that he had been repressed or miserable. He develops into
a cold and heartless human being and has no compassion whatsoever for anyone or anything. Bitzer's heart is "only accessible to reason" and he feels
no need to thank his educator, Gradgrind, when is asked of him during Tom's escape. Furthermore, Bitzer notes that his "schooling was paid for" and
that when he graduated, "the bargain ended". This emphasizes how in Bitzer's mind, everything is determined upon figures and reason, and has no
room for any sort of compassion. It is through Bitzer that Dickens demonstrates how even though on may not feel as though they are suffering from the
lack of emotional growth, it is plain to

While Every Culture, Race, Community, And Family Have Their
While every culture, race, community, and family have their own definition of normalcy, there are undisputable aspects that every being needs to
pursue a successful lifestyle. With modernizing industrialization, came a more noticeable discrepancy on what these aspects should be. In Charles
Dickens's 1854 novel, Hard Times, he explores these varying viewpoints while quite obviously taking a stand for one perspective. Throughout the
novel, one can clearly see that there are two different models for raising a child. These models are through the guidance of Sleary's circus members
and Mr. Gradgrind. Sleary's circus has a very humanized approach to raising a child. Unlike Mr. Gradgrind. Through the influential writing ofCharles
Dickens, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Sissy seemed to be the only one who knew that Louisa felt no form of love towards Mr. Bounderby. She felt extremely sympathetic for Louisa,
mourning the loss of freedom that she never truly had. At this moment, Louisa could not bring herself to look at Sissy. She felt coldness and pride that
prohibited her from having any real feelings. Sissy was able to experience life in completely different way that Louisa was not.
Sissy Jupe was also able to experience the wonder of imagination and exploration that other children like the Gradgrinds were not. Children brought
up by the Gradgrind system had their creativity stifled. They lived their lives by fact and reason and were heavily discouraged from letting their
minds wonder. This mental suffocation was far different from what Sissy was taught. Because Sissy grew up in a performing arts environment, she
was exposed to the importance of creativity and imagination. She was free to stray from the confines of fact and reason, and it was even encouraged.
Those who supported Grandgrind's system were infuriated by her failure to comply with their social normalcy. It seemed that anytime Sissy would
answer a question in M'Choakumchild's classroom, she would be incorrect because her answers were "not in the figures at all" (43). While this public
humiliation occurred quite often in the classroom, Sissy's freedom to explore the world within

Charles Dickens Allusion Essay
A literary allusion is a "brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance"
(Allusion). Dickens used allusion to describe and emphasize facts about many of the characters, as well as their actions or circumstances, to present
facts, and to "impose his fictional world upon the reader" (Larson 18). Through the use of allusion, the reader is able to view "Dickens' fictional
world in an eternal order of value" and to "judge characters and read plots as moral designs" (Larson 18). In Hard Times, Dickens' use of allusion
conveys the concerns of choosing to indoctrinate their children in the utilitarian idea of fact through their education while choosing to neglect and avoid
When discussing Sissy, the reader learns of "Sissy's happy children loving her; all children loving her; she, grown learned in childish lore; thinking no
innocent and pretty fancy ever to be despised; trying hard to know her humbler fellow–creatures, and to beautify their lives of machinery and reality
with those imaginative graces and delights, without which the heart of infancy will wither up, the sturdiest physical manhood will be morally stark
death, and the plainest national prosperity figures can show, will be the Writing on the Wall
–she holding this course as part of no fantastic vow, or
bond, or brotherhood, or sisterhood, or pledge, or covenant, or fancy dress, or fancy fair; but simply as a duty to be done" (Dickens

Utilitarian Logic in Hard Times Essay
Utilitarian Logic in Hard Times
Utilitarianism "Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty–four grinders, four eye–teeth, and twelve incisive. Sheds coat in spring......" A
perfect example of a product of utilitarian education, Bitzer defines a horse off the top of his head in a split second. Utilitarianism is the assumption that
human beings act in a way that highlights their own self interest. It is based on factuality and leaves little room for imagination. Dickens provides three
vivid examples of this utilitarian logic in Hard Times.
The first; Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, one of the main characters in the book, was the principal of a school in Coketown. He was a firm believer in
utilitarianism and instilled this ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
How can you give a utilitarian man such as Gradgrind such power over a town? I do like how Dickens structures the book to make one ask obvious
questions such as these. Dickens does not tell us much about the success of the other students of the school besides Bitzer, who is fairly successful on
paper, but does not have the capacity as a person to deal with life's everyday struggles.
Gradgrinds two oldest children, Tom and Louisa, are examples of how this utilitarian method failed miserably. These children were never given the
opportunity to think for themselves, experience fun things in life, or even use their imaginations. True, they are smart people in the factual sense
but do not have the street smarts to survive. Tom is a young man who, so fed up with his father's strictness and repetition, revolts against him and
leaves home to work in Mr. Bounderby's bank. Tom, now out from under his fathers wing, he begins to drink and gamble heavily. Eventually, to get
out of a deep gambling debt, he robs a bank and is forced to flee the area. When Bitzer realizes that Tom has robbed the bank and catches him, Mr.
Gradgrind begs him to let Tom go, reminding him of all of the hard work that was put on him while at the school. Ironically Bitzer, using the tools of
factuality that he had learned in Gradgrinds school, replies that the school was paid for, but it is now over and he owes nothing more. I think this is
extremely funny how,

Charles Dickens Utilitarianism
Charles Dickens was not just an author of the book "Hard Times" which is a sequel of three books during the Victorian period. Dickens illustrated a
utilitarian lifestyle of hardship in an industrial world. The literature and contextual realism of the book gives fact of real world issues though a fictional
work. He wrote to not only show the effects of the utilitarianism and industrialism demonstrated in the novel, but he also shows that there can be change
in this ordainment through individuals. Although all of the characters are psychologically distorted and damaged in some way without respect to the
fumes of the industrial factories, Louisa provides the means of change through her own struggle and hardship. Louisa shows the means of change
through her family household, but this does not aide the society of change of the utilitarian control and education. Charles Dickens, "born on February
2, 1812, in Portsmouth, England" according to The Critical Companion to Charles Dickens, grew up in agonizing poverty. This was in the very midst
of child labor and parents would often send their children to work by age 3–5. (Davis 3). Moreover, at 12 years old, Charles Dickens "was sent to work
at a shoe polish factory" and worked there for less than a year. (Davis 3). There was no room for childhood play and laughter as he was working day
in and day out for support of his family with little wages. In Critical Insights, Eugene Goodheart presumes that "the humiliation and disgust

Charles Dickens And His Influence On Society

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