Hard Times

Hard Times

In this paper I would like to discuss the possibly affects that this book might have had on the world, the time around Charles Dickens, and the fact that Charles Dickens paid close attention to the world around him.

Charles Dickens, born Charles John Huffman Dickens, was born on Feb. 7 1812 in Portsmouth where his father was a clerk at the Naval Pay Office. Four years later his family moved to Chatham and then later moved to London. In 1824 Charles Dickens father went to Debtor's Prison. In 1833 Charles Dickens published his first story "A Dinner at Poplar Walk". In 1838 one of Dickens most popular stories, Oliver Twist, was published in three volumes. In 1851 Charles Dickens father passed away. Next in 1861, another Dickens classic was published, Great Expectations. On June 9 Charles Dickens dies, at the age of fifty-eight. And was buried in Westminster Abbey.

This is the Penguin Classics version of Hard Times by Charles Dickens that has be en edited by Kate Flint, who also added the introduction. I was unable to find any information about the editor, other than her name. I believe that Charles Dickens books, this one included, have had a great affect on the world. Not only in the fact that some of the books that he has written are considered to be classic or in the fact that some of these books are required reading in many high schools through out the U.S.. But also in the fact that I believe some of his books had an influence in the way the some of the laws in his time where formulated.

The way that Charles Dickens go about doing this is by writing about the social problems within the government or just problems with the way that thing are being done in general. One example that I have found was in chapter 11, page 77, and footnote number 8. The line says "I ha' coom to ask yo, sir, how I am to be ridded o' this woman." When you look at the footnote it says that this line in the book is speaking of a problem that was quite common during Charles Dickens time period. The problem that this line speaks of is that it was all but impossible for a person who was of lower class to get a divorce.