Theme Of Fire In Hard Times

Playing with Fire Motifs often play a major role in pieces of literature due to the wide variety of ideas they can be used to express. This is especially true for pieces that were written during or about a historically significant event, as the writer would often be trying to convey certain ideas without directly stating them. As a history major, I find it fascinating to discover the deeper meaning to the motifs in Hard Times, as it was written during the industrial revolution, one of the most significant turning points in English history. A notable recurring motif in Charles Dickens’ novel is that of fire. In Hard Times, Dickens uses the symbol of fire to convey messages of despair, wonder, fancy, and hope surrounding the main character,

In this scene, she is discussing with her devious brother, Tom, what a marriage to Bounderby could mean. While speaking, Louisa does not lift her eyes from the fire. Tom even comments on her behavior, saying “You seem to find more to look at in [the fire] than ever I could find.” (Dickens 59) However, he simply dismisses it as one of the “advantages of being a girl” (Dickens 59). This scene illustrates the parallel between Louisa and her father, as they were both focused on a fire. The fire represents creativity, wonder, fancy, and all things apart from fact. The main difference between father and daughter, however, is that Louisa has always known that there is more to life than fact, while Mr. Gradgrind is just beginning to notice it. In the context of this scene, the fire that Louisa is gazing into symbolizes this creativity that she desperately wants to use and show, but due to her rigid position in society, she is only left to look and wonder from

In this portion we finally catch sight of Gradgrind’s epiphany, realizing that his daughter is truly something special. In this scene, Louisa is confronting her father about all of the problems that he has brought about that have forced her into living a life that she does not desire. This is the first time we spot any trace of remorse in Gradgrind, and this has a snowball effect on his emotions. He finally recognizes the fire that we are so familiar with; as he is looking at his beloved daughter he sees “a wild dilating fire in the eyes that were steadfastly regarding him” (Dickens 221). This is the climax of the entire story: we view Gradgrind finally accepting into his heart that there are more truths than simple fact, that there is more to life than reason, and that a human needs something to cling onto that is hopeful. We note the regret that Gradgrind now harbors later on in the scene, when he sees “the pride of his heart and the triumph of his system lying, an insensible heap, at his feet.” He finally understands that his education system only does good for the industry system and that he is responsible for hundreds of student lives that are not being properly fulfilled because their heads are jammed up with useless information. All of the wonder and fascination and feelings are coming back to him in a rush, and his fire is finally