Hard Times
Hard Times: For These Times (commonly known as Hard Times) is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1854. The book surveys English society and satirises the social and economic conditions of the era.
Education
Dickens uses many techniques throughout the novel to show his views on education to his readers, the first of which is to create different characters, some of which contrast each other in different ways . Two of such Characters are Sissy Jupe and Bitzer. They differ in the ways they have been taught and the ways they see the education system.
Bitzer is a model student, he has always strictly followed the system and been taught exactly how the system requires him to be taught. He is shown as lifeless and colourless. When asked, Bitzer describes a Horse as a ‘Quadruped’ and ‘graminivorous’ and gives endless facts about the animal. Although this description is very factual and impressive, the use of long complex words and the amount of facts show that he has simply been taught these facts, and probably has never even seen a Horse. Sissy on the other hand does not understand how to factually define a Horse when asked, this is because she has been brought up with Horses all her life and they are too familiar and important to her just to be described in facts. This is one way that Dickens tries to show to his audience that this type of education is wrong, the teaching of bare facts limits the imagination of the student and a more practical way of teaching, like Sissy has had, would help the children understand the facts that they are being taught, instead of just learning them.
Dickens also shows the characters of some of the staff at the school to make his views known. Mr Gradgrind is the first to be introduced and Dickens portrays him as ‘squared’ , both in his appearance and character, he reveals little about him apart from the fact he is rigid, and has little individuality. Mr Gradgrind believes in teaching facts and ‘facts alone’. Mr Gradgrind is a very stubborn and self-proud man with. He addresses Sissy as ‘girl number twenty’. He gives no individuality to the students, and as with the teachers, Mr Gradgrind sees the students to have no personality and are all the same.
Dickens creates the name ‘ M’Choakumchild which alone seems to pose a threat to the children.
Dickens also uses a long list of complicated subjects like ‘Orthography, etymology, syntax and prosody, to satirise the education system and show that it is ridiculous to teach young children such things. In effect Dickens says that the teachers had been over taught and maybe if M’ Choakumchild had ‘learnt a little less, how infinitely better he might have taught much more!’ This is saying that if there was slightly less room for facts in his brain there would be more room for thought.
Gradgrind’s children, Thomas and Louisa, demonstrate Dickens views best of all, as they are the ones that are being effected by the education system. As far as education goes Thomas and Louisa are deemed to have the best, as their father is a very knowledgeable man. They have a ‘model house’ and they are seen as ‘model children’. But still they are not complete, Dickens suggests to the reader that the children lack imagination and fun.
Dickens believes that children should be taught to use their imagination and to think for themselves as well as being taught facts. He also believes that the attitude from the education staff towards learning is wrong, they believe that to be the perfect student is to know a great deal of facts, and to think for themselves is not an issue; but Dickens does not believe this.
Marriage
There are many unhappy marriages in Hard Times and none of them are resolved happily by the end. Mr. Gradgrind's marriage to his feeble, complaining wife is not exactly a source of misery for either of them, but neither are they or their children happy. The Gradgrind family is not a loving or affectionate one. The main unhappy marriage showcased by the novel is between Louisa Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby. Louisa marries him not out of love but out of a sense of duty to her brother, Tom, the only person in the world she loves and who wheedles her into saying "yes" because he works for Bounderby and wants to improve his chances at rising in the world. Bounderby's intentions regarding Louisa seem a bit creepy at first, but he turns out to mean no harm to her (except that he deprives her of any marital affection). The only solution to this bad marriage, once Louisa has escaped the hands of Jem Harthouse, is for Louisa to live at home the rest of her days. She will never be happy with another man or have the joy of children, though Dickens hints she will find joy in playing with Sissy's future children.
Stephen Blackpool, too, is damned to unhappiness in this life as a result of his marriage. The girl who seemed so sweet when he married her many years ago becomes, by a gradual process, a depraved drunk who is the misery of his life. She periodically returns to Coketown to haunt Stephen and is, as he sees it, the sole barrier to the happiness he might have had in marrying Rachael. Mrs. Sparsit (an elderly lady who lives with Mr. Bounderby for some time) was also unhappily married, which is how she came to be Mr. Bounderby's companion before he marries Louisa.
Industrialism
The industrial revolution was an era of mechanization. During this era, in 1854, Charles Dickens (1812-1870) wrote Hard Times to comment upon the change within society and its effect on its people. Dickens points out the flaws and limitations of this new society in his eloquent and passionate plea on behalf of the working poor The novel shows presents to readers the authors perspective of life during the nineteenth century and makes comments on the central theme of fact versus fancy. Due to this theme, the novel ends with many characters realising that a person needs more than just fact in their life.
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 corrupt 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 Sissy and Bitzer within Hard Times. For example, when Sissy and Bitzer are introduced to the reader, it is evident through the symbolism used that Dickens favours Sissy, of the lower class.
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