Hard Times - The Theme of Education

Hard Times - The Theme of Education

In this piece I intend to explain how Dickens is trying to represent

education in the Victorian era and how he feels about the style of

teaching that is widely used during his times. I also intend to make

references to how the representation of Victorian schools by Dickens

compares, historically to the actual conditions in a school from the

Victorian era.

As soon as the book begins we are introduced to a style of teaching

that is dependent only on facts. One of the main characters of the

novel is Thomas Gradgrind and he is the enforcer of this utilitarian

style of education and is described as a man who is very strict.

Dickens introduces us to this character with a description of his most

central feature: his monotone appearance and attitude. “Stick to

facts, sir!” This exclamation suggests that the character likes to

shout and sound firm. The short, punchy sentence suggests an assertive

and strong character.

Dickens also makes Gradgrind seem boring and grating by the gravelly

and rough sound of his name and how it is pronounced. “Grind”, in

particular suggests the grindstone, and flogging away at work

constantly and is associated with the mechanical, repetitive drudgery

of the factory system.

Dickens also employs the outer appearance of Gradgrind to parallel the

inner personality of Gradgrind, “Square coat, square shoulders and

square legs”. This seems to highlight Gradgrind’s nature of

unrelenting rigidity. Dickens also uses tricolons to really exaggerate

the impression of this character being dull, boring and old fashioned.

As a result, his educational ideas are seen to be dull and boring too.

We get the overall impression from Dickens that he doesn’t

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...stressed by the ‘factory’ style approach to the children and their

education. He exaggerates this to show the ‘production line’ attitude

to education is wrong and does not help the child. He believes that

the school in Hard Times treats all children the same and there is no

exception to the rule. He sees it as a rather utilitarian style

approach, a ‘one size fits all’ kind of regime and believes that this

system has obviously failed. His distress seem to turn to the kind of

anger a activist would show in a protest and in a way his writing of

the book is his form of a protest which is made through humour. He

strongly believes that children at such an early stage in their

childhood are too young to be exposed to such a formal and rigorous

style of education and should instead be allowed to express their

emotions and have their youthful imaginations nurtured.