Reflection Of Gradgrind In Charles Dickens Hard Times

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Charles Dickens’ Hard Times portrays Gradgrind in an intriguing way. He works his way up in life, starting as a hardware trader, later starting a school and eventually becoming a member of Parliament. He is strict in forcing facts and figures on his family and his students because he wants them to succeed; his flaw with this is that his philosophy seemed to work for him, but in reality it doesn’t work for anyone (including him). This connects and contrasts with two characters in the story, Josiah Bounderby, the owner of the local factory, who is successful through lying and poor treatment of others, as well as James Harthouse, who causes damage in people’s lives just out of boredom. Despite how Gradgrind is a driving force in the symmetrically …show more content…

This behavior goes from forcing facts to accepting creativity as well. The change is important for seeing how Gradgrind represents the utilitarian society, as well as seeing the effects Gradgrind’s fact-based philosophy has on himself and his society. Gradgrind was always compassionate, despite the way he viewed himself. It was out of compassion that he started his school, even though it didn’t turn out as positively as he had hoped. It was also out of compassion that he took in Sissy Jupe, despite the fact that the reason he went to visit Sissy was to kick her out of the school. However, Gradgrind’s compassion verses his teachings are epitomized in his talk with Bitzer (who was a student of his). When Bitzer tries to bring Gradgrind’s son to justice, Gradgrind pleads with him and asks him “Is [Bitzer’s heart] accessible...to any compassionate influence” (214). This demonstrates the conflict of his compassion and his teachings because Gradgrind didn’t teach compassion, and didn’t consciously find it important. This is regardless of the fact that compassion motivates him throughout the book. Eventually though, with that compassion comes a new change of behavior as …show more content…

This society is one based on monetary worth and seemingly based on fact (despite how Bounderby succeeds through lying). However, although from Gradgrind’s point of view it could be seen as effective at the beginning, it has its negative aspects as well. Gradgrind spends time and energy in trying to prepare his kids for this society to try to make sure that he won’t have to worry about his kids not succeeding. Gradgrind knows that the hands that work for Bounderby and the members of the circus lead a more difficult life and he wants to prevent that, thus showing his compassion in a society that doesn’t reward it. This doesn’t work though as it leaves Louisa emotionally drained when she comes home; the teachings also lead to his son becoming a bank robber. The fact that they ended up this way demonstrates that in this utilitarian society, compassion is punished.
Later on in Hard Times, Charles Dickens shows an insight on the situation when the narrator mentions why Gradgrind taught the way he did and the effects it has in the following passage:
[He] had meant to do great things. Within the limits of his short

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