Industrialization in “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens Essay

The industrial revolution was an era of mechanization. During this era, in 1854, Charles fiend (1812-1870) wrote tight clock to comment upon the change within society and its effect on its people. heller points egress the flaws and limitations of this new society in his eloquent and fervid plea on behalf of the working poor (Charles dickens Hard Times, 2000). The raw shows gravels to readers the authors perspective of life during the nineteenth century and makes comments on the central prow of fact versus fancy. Due to this theme, the novel ends with many characters realising that a person involve more than just fact in their life. The novel examines the utile ashes by dint of various characters such as tom turkey, who has been brought up in the utilitarian education outline. Dickens exposes his bear views on this governing body through with(predicate) nance Jupe, the un amend daughter of a circus master, and the positive influence she has on the Gradgrind family.d oubting Thomas Gradgrind has a strong rationalist philosophy and entrusts that fact, and fact but is the one thing needful but through the sarcastic mood Thomas Gradgrind is described, Dickens makes his own comments regarding his conflicting views of this philosophy. Dickens introduces Mr Gradgrind as Thomas Gradgrind, sir. A man of realities. A man of fact and calculationswith a witness and a pair of scales, and multiplication table always in his pocket, sir, hold to weigh and measure and parcel of human nature (p48). This portrays Gradgrind as a man who places a numerical value on every(prenominal)thing and does non believe in anything other than black and white fact. Gradgrind is described with a satirical tone which signifies that Dickens is mocking Gradgrind and the system which he believes in.Dickens ridicules Gradgrind through his use of sarcasm against him. This is shown when Dickens says You might hope to get roughly other nonsensical belief into the head of Georg e Gradgrind, or Augustus Gradgrind, or arse Gradgrind ( every suppositious, non-existent persons), but into the head of Thomas Gradgrind no sir (p48) The no sir is an intrusion of the authors sound which, in a condescending tone, ridicules Thomas Gradgrinds strong belief in the utilitarian system. Through Mr Gradgrind, Dickens ridicules the system and it is unambiguous that Dickens disagrees with it.tom turkey is a product of the utilitarian system and Dickens uses him to convey his own opinions of the system. turkey cock was brought up by his father under a system that allowed room for nonhing but fact (p47). He was not uncovered to any emotion and as a result he did not develop any decent morals. He was taught to value fact alone whilst remaining ignorant of compassion. His callous nature is evident when he positions Steven Blackpool to be falsely accuse of robbing the offert. Tom instructs Steven to just hang about the bank an hour or so (p191) and soon afterwards Tom goes frontwards with the robbery. As a result of Toms instructions, the citizens blame Steven for robbing the bank as he was seen hanging about the bank just before the robbery. This incident reveals Toms visionary nature due to the fact he is mercilessly able to permit his fellow worker take the blame for his crime.It also signifies that even model Tom was brought up in a system that was believed to be necessary this utilitarian system did not teach him other more crucial things such as how to be a good person. some other modeling that reveals Toms cunningness is when Tom decides to visit Louisa after having ignored her for a long hitch of time. The only reason Tom does this is because he is aware that Mr Bounderby has proposed to Louisa and he wants to figure that she accepts his proposal as this ordain increase his earnings at Mr Bounderbys bank. Tom says to Louisa Has father said anything particular to you, today or yesterday, Loo? and so her brother glanced at her f ace with colossaler involution than usual, and, encircling her cannon with his arm, drew her coaxingly to him (p130).The way Tom treats Louisa indicates that he only shows interest in his sister when he has something to gain from it. His actions are manipulative when he coaxingly brings her towards him. This shows that, even though Tom has been provided with what was believed to be the finest education, ad has learnt every Ology, he is still extremely selfish and uses people to his own will and benefit. Tom has turned out to be a very dilute man and, being a product of the utilitarian system, Dickens uses Tom to declare that this system does not work.Dickens portrays the idea that the utilitarian system has drained all the goodness of human nature through the symbolic description of nance and Bitzer within Hard Times. For example, when faggot and Bitzer are introduced to the reader, it is evident through the symbolism used that Dickens favours Sissy, of the lower class.The gi rl was so dark eyed and dark haired, that she seemed to receive a deeper and more burnished intensity from the sun when it shone upon her, the boy was so loose eyed and light haired that the self-same rays appeared to draw out of him what little discolor he ever feature (p50).This career is significant because it reveals Dickens opinion of the utilitarian system. It is no cooccurring that Bitzer, the boy who was educated under the system of fact has been described as polishless while Sissy, the poor and uneducated girl, has been described as lustrous. The colour symbolises the fancy while the paleness represents the fact and through the above passage Dickens states that Bitzer is being filled with so much fact that it is course all the fancy out of him. Sissy, on the other hand, has not been educated and filled with fact on that pointfore she has been characterised as dark and full of colour.Another example that epitomises Dickens use of colour to represent goodness is whe n Sissy is revealing to Louisa that she never once envied her. She says I had nothing to complain of, and was not at all hurt (p148). This demonstrates Sissys unpretentious nature and the author believes this is a respectable quality to possess which he set offs by saying Her colour rose as she said it modestly and hurriedly(p148). This shows that Dickens has used colour to represent kindness whilst a lack of colour, such as that describing Bitzer, to highlight the negative outcomes of the system.Through Sissys influence on the Gradgrind family Dickens presents the idea that there is another thing needful than just fact. Another critique, David Craig, also agrees that Dickens conveys is opinions his views on the utilitarian system through inspection of the Gradgrind family. Hard Times is increasingly taken over by an examination of the family, showing how detrimental and limiting an upbringing which allows no place for imagination and fancy can be. The effect Sissy has on the Gr adgrinds is shown through the way the characters change throughout the novel. For example, at the beginning of the novel Louisa is unable to express her emotions because even if she does provide she is told not to. Later in the novel when Louisa becomes ill Sissy spends grand amounts of time with her. This gives Louisa an opportunity to learn about love and compassion. This is evident when Louisa cries out Forgive me, pity me, help me Have compassion on my great need, and let me lay this head of mine upon a loving heart.This name and address by Louisa is very different to anything said by her earlier in the novel. It is an outburst of emotion and there is evidence of expression which Dickens has indicated through the use of exclamation marks. Another incident that epitomises Sissys kindness, and the consequence this has, is the speech presumption by Mrs Gradgrind preceding her death. She tells Louisa You learnt a great deal, LouisaOlogies of all kinds, from morning to nightb ut there is something not an Ology at all that your father has missed, or forgotten, Louisa I dont neck what it is.I have often sat with Sissy near me, and sight about it (p225). Sissys presence is noteworthy because it indicates that Sissy inspires Mrs Gradgrinds emotional being, something that the Gradgrinds were never capable to before. It shows that Sissy possess a certain touch of humanity that not even the most fact-filled person could provide or teach. Through this Dickens states that even though Sissy has not been educated, she has much to offer to the land she has more than what Mr Gradgrind could ever have taught his children.Charles Dickens lived during the industrial revolution, an era command by utilitarianism. His knowledge of the system as well as his face-to-face opinion is revealed in Hard Times through the characterisation of the Gradgrind family, Sissy Jupe and Bitzer. Mr Gradgrind believes that fact is one and only thing you need whilst Sissy believes there is more to life than fact. Throughout the novel these two philosophies are compared and as an end result readers are positioned to believe, through techniques of characterisation and symbolism used by Dickens, that fancy is just as important as fact. Dickens states that a person without fancy cannot possess the goodness and modesty present within Sissy and that even the most intelligent person who knows all their Ologies cannot be a moral person if they do not value their emotion and imagination.ReferencesOldham, R. (2000). Charles Dickens Hard Times. Retrieved 27 August 2005, from http//www.pillowrock.com/ronnie/hardtimes.htm