Charles Dickens: Hard Times

Charles Dickens: Hard Times

Written in 1854, Charles Dickens’ “Hard Times” tells the story of many

different characters and their growth through troubles and time. The

book does not give an accurate historical background of Dickens’ time

but rather, focuses on the utilitarian value system that was popular

and attacks it with a satirical attitude. Even in book one alone,

there are several different ‘evils’ represented through characters and

events.

One specific ‘evil’ Dickens attacks is that of the public schooling

system. Mr Gradgrind, the owner of a school in the book, is often

heard telling people of how he wants facts taught to the pupils at his

school; “nothing else will ever be of service to them” he comments.

The point that Dickens seems to be portraying in this book about

schools is that the system seems to focus only on facts, nothing else,

and this is not, despite the system’s views, the most important thing

for people. People need to think of things in a broader context, the

way the character Sissy does in the book, with an open, free sprit

than even Grandgrind finds he likes as Sissy grows older. However when

we first meet Sissy and when we follow her progress through the first

book, he throws her logical answers down, as they are not “factual”

enough.

Another point of his time that Dickens portrays in a bad light is that

of the working environment for the “hands”. In the story, he describes

how these workers were packed into tightly fitted factories and made

to work for long hours with little pay or rewards. Bounderby even goes

as far, or so it seems, as to view the “hands” are mere extras to his

machinery and certainly doesn’t view them as equal beings to himself

even though, as he often comments, he used to be a young “Vagabond”

living in extreme poverty when he was younger.

One thing highlighted through the contrasting lifestyle of the “Hands”

and characters such as Gradgrind and Bounderby is that of class