American Dream...

1. Between Factories and Dreams: A Comparative
Exploration of ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’
Exploring the Struggles of Industrialization and American
Dream
Present by: Aakash Chavda

2. Academic Details
Presented By : Aakash Chavda
Roll No : 1
Semester : 1
Paper No : 104
Paper Name : Literature of The Victorians
Topic : Between Factories and Dreams: A Comparative Exploration of ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Death of a
Salesman’
Submitted To : S. B. Gardi, Department of English, MKBU.
E-mail Id : aakashchavda637@gmail.com

3. Introduction
● Charles Dickens published this
‘Condition of England’ novel ‘Hard
Times : For These Times’ in 1854.
● The novel is bitter indictment of
industrialization and its dehumanizing
effects on society..
● Story follows the life events of Thomas
Gradgrind and Josiah Bounderby
● Louisa and Tom Gradgrind have been
harshly raised by their father to know
nothing but pragmatic informations.
● And consequences of their factual and
Utilitarian philosophy.
(“Hard Times | Victorian England, Social Criticism, Satire”)
● ‘Death of a Salesman’ is a play
published in 1949, regarded as both,
the masterpiece of playwright and a
cornerstone of a contemporary
American drama. (Viorst)
● It had become most performed and
adapted play in American theatrical
history.
● Through main character, Willy
Loman, Miller examines the myth of
American Dream and the shallow
promise of happiness through
material wealth. (Viorst)
● The work garnered many awards
and honor, including Pulitzer Prize
and the New York drama critic circle
award.
Hard Times Death of a Salesman

4. Historical Context
● The Industrial Revolution had wrought its major changes by the mid nineteenth
century on England.
● Relation between master and worker had been difficult since the beginning of
industrialization.
● The historical American Dream is the promise of a land of freedom and with
opportunity and equality for all. This dream need no challenge, only fulfilment.
(Wattley)
● Original premise of success is
enterprise, courage and hard-work,
since after the end of First World
War this too, has changed.

5. Industrial Society in Hard Times
● Cocktown is intended to be a typical, fairly large industrial town in north of
England, it was a town of red brick, or brick that would have been red if the
smoke and ashes had allowed it.
● Cocktown is a town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable
serpents of smoke trailed themselves ever and ever. (Dickens)
● Thomas Gradgrind a man of facts and calculation, portrayed as embodiment of
dehumanizing effects of industrialization on human society.
● The workers in the factory generically called “The Hands”.(Dickens)
● Hardships of the working class, had embodied in the character of Stephen
Blackpool. Dickens referred him as a ‘Old Stephen’, a rather ‘Stooping man’.

6. The American Dream in “Death of a Salesman”
● James Truslow Adams, who first introduced the
term American Dream, “ Dream of a land in
which life should be better and richer and fuller
for everyone”(Adams)
● Willy Loman, a travelling salesman, desperate
to achieve even a small measure of American
Dreams’ success, which he has always aspired.
(Viorst)
● Instead of the ideas of hard-work and courage,
Willy believes in salesmanship, which implies a
certain element of fraud. (Wattley)
● Ability to put over or sell a commodity
regardless of its intrinsic usefulness.

7. Character Analysis - Gradgrind
● A sincere, eminently practical, but utterly misguided character, opens the
story with dogmatic account of his “Hard Facts” philosophy. He boast of
being led by reasons only. (Blanco)
● Thomas Gradgrind, a creature of mere fact and no sentiment and
imagination, a modern, no-nonsense figure of industrial age.
● His speech mirrors his personality, he speaks totally standardized variety
of English, he talks in dogmatic, self-asserted and bookish style.
● Thomas Gradgrind, undergoes a deep change of personality at the final
stage in the story, Louisa’s and Tom’s misfortunes made him a wiser and a
better man. (Blanco)
● Now, his words expresses sentiments and feelings.

8. Character Analysis - Willy Loman
● Adherence of cult of personality, of being well-liked is the reflection of
Willy’s personality, he has be shaped by the society that believed steadily
and optimistically in the myth of success, and he was the agent of that
society.(Wattley)
● Willy’s failure to achieve material success stems from his own choices, rather
than from denial of opportunity or success.
● Still Willy believes in American Dream, because he seen closely the success
of his father and brother Ben.
● Willy instills the philosophy of being well-liked in their sons - Biff and
Happy, for he believes that his son will achieve all that he never did in his
life.
● Willy believes that being popular and well-liked by others is the best asset
for his sons, emphasis on this quality than hard-work.

9. Role of Education In Hard Times
● “Now, what I want is facts, teach these boys and girls nothing but facts, facts
alone are wanted in life”. (Dickens)
● All the time, Gradgrind and M’choakumchild are voicing their educational
philosophy, a philosophy that devoid of imagination. (Lincks)
● The children are metaphorized as plants, pitchers, cannon targets and machines
waiting for an electoral charge.
● The heartless educators, Gradgrind and M’choakumchild kill the imagination,
sensitivity, common sense, and fancy of the innocents in the Gradgrind’s school.
(Lincks)
● As a result, Tom robs a bank to pay his debts, and Louisa, following his mind
not heart, was stuck in an unhappy marriage with Bounderby, a man twice
older than her age.

10. Willy’s Teachings to His Sons
● Knowing the fact that as a salesman he is not popular, Willy wanted to remain
apple of his son's eyes. He often acts as a pal or friend to BIff and Happy, and
sometimes defends and encourages wrong actions of his sons. (Wattley)
● Willy encourages and defends, Biff’s deed of stealing football from school and
labeled as a daring works.
● He even encourages the boys to steal some lumber in order to impress his
brother Ben, by showing him that his sons are fearless.(Wattley)
● Willy did not told anything to Biff when he was failed in math exam,since he
was popular and attractive figure in the school because of his athletic prowess.
● Both, Biff and Happy Grew-up under the shadow of American Dream without
any actual talent.

11. Family Dynamics
● The family dynamics operates in Gradgrind family in very suffocating and rigid
way.
● Daughters must have to move out of the family and make new alliance through
marriages to keep the biological, political and economical health of
community.(Humpherys)
● Louisa is her “father’s favourite child” and “the proud of his heart”. (Dickens)
● The children of Mr.Gradgrind are unhappy with their fathers philosophy of hard
facts.
● Mrs.Gradgrind is more troublesome character, she is generally represents
dismissively and marginalized in her household. It takes very little to see that
she is in a terrible marriage. (Humpherys)

12. Continue…
● Father-son conflict is one of the main theme of the play, and family dynamics
more or less revolves around this themes.
● Adultery cast its shadow on the father-son relationship. Initially, Willy was
respected by their both son, they both idealized him.
● The strong father-son bond that existed between Biff and Willy, in the
flashback scenes disintegrates upon Biff’s discovery of his father’s adultery
while still a teenager. (Wattley)
● It is at this point Biff’s idealization of his father ends, and turns to a sense of
betrayal and resentment.
● Linda sees through her husband and sons, she knows they are deluded, but she
continues to bolster their fantasies, believing that she is doing most loving thing
to her family.(Viorst)

13. ● Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America (1st ed.). Routledge, 1931. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351304122
● .Blanco, Agustín Coletes. “LINGUISTIC CARICATURE IN ‘HARD TIMES.’” Atlantis, vol. 7, no. 1/2, 1985, pp. 19–36.
JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41054514. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
● Dickens, Charles, and Marcus Stone. “Hard Times, by Charles Dickens.” Project Gutenberg,
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/786/786-h/786-h.htm. Accessed 14 October 2023.
● Humpherys, Anne. “Louisa Gradgrind’s Secret: Marriage and Divorce in ‘Hard Times.’” Dickens Studies Annual, vol.
25, 1996, pp. 177–95. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44371905. Accessed 21 Oct. 2023.
● “Hard Times | Victorian England, Social Criticism, Satire.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hard-Times-
novel-by-Dickens. Accessed 8 November 2023.
● Lincks, John F. “The Close Reading of ‘Hard Times.’” The English Journal, vol. 58, no. 2, 1969, pp. 212–18.
JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/812596. Accessed 21 Oct. 2023.
References

14. ● Viorst, Judith, et al. “Death of a Salesman.” Encyclopedia.com, https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-
magazines/death-salesman. Accessed 14 October 2023
● Wattley, Ama. “Father-Son Conflict and the American Dream in Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’ and August Wilson’s
‘Fences.’” The Arthur Miller Journal, vol. 5, no. 2, 2010, pp. 1–20. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42909022. Accessed 21
Oct. 2023.
.

15. Conclusion
● Comparative exploration of both the works reveals intriguing parallels and
distinctions, delve into the complexities of human existence, grappling with the
impact of industrialization, personal aspiration and pursuit of American Dream.
● Both works, gives deeper understanding of the interplay between factories that
shape human society and dreams that fuel human spirit.

16. Thank You