Dickens' Views of the Victorian Society Revealed in his novel Hard Times
Hard Times wasn't originally meant for a book. It was written in entry
format for a magazine. Each chapter in the book able to hold its own
without the help or the chapters before or after. This makes the book
slightly bitty, each chapter not flowing as freely into each other as
they would do in a normally written book. Like so many of Dickens'
novels, "Hard Times" puts societal problems of the day on trial. In
this work, the problems Dickens focuses on are those of the
poverty-ridden, dehumanising factory towns that sprung up in England
during the Industrial Revolution. In the world depicted in the novel,
workers are treated as little more than interchangeable parts in the
factory's machinery, given just enough wages to keep them alive and
just enough rest to make it possible for them to stand in front of
their machines the next day.
We are introduced to a style of teaching that is dependent only on
facts. Thomas Gradgrind champions this system and has raised his
children, Tom and Louisa (and their siblings) this way. His long-time
friend, Bounderby, a factory owner, also appreciates the system.
Louisa is a misled, miserable girl and Tom is an ambitious and
unwholesome youth. When a circus performer's daughter, Sissy Jupe
joins the Gradgrind School, she shakes things up a little by her
interpretation of life other than of hard facts. Her father has
outlasted his usefulness with the circus and he runs away, deserting
her. Gradgrind takes pity on her and takes her in as one of his
servants.
As time goes on, Sissy Jupe becomes a member of the family and is ...
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...ardships and how it has affected them later on in
life. Children today are still being brought up in much the same way.
They may not have to deal with choosing their on paths at such an
early age, but they do have to deal with racism, popularity and
bullying. Dickens language, settings and times may be quite far off
the modern suburban life we live in now but as for the plot and
scenario's he couldn't be more exact. Even Dickens views on education
are still pretty close to today's curriculum. Many authors like Swift
have learnt a great deal from Dickens, you can see how his early texts
have been newly interpreted and changed to suit new authors styles. As
far as Dickens style is concerned, I think you'll find a lot of
authors have copied it, adding a slight twist here and there to try to
copy there idol's amazing work.
of this boy, for on his brow I see written which is Doom, unless the
Her husband walks into the house and is immediately looking for a confrontation. It is throughout this confrontation that the exploitative and abusive nature of Delia and Syke’s relationship becomes clear. Syke taunts her with his bullwhip, rolls around laughing in mirth at her fear, and continuously kicks the piles of clothing she is working on. Syke, overbearing and dominating, paints a startling portrait of sexist masculinity. He stands in clear contrast to the ways in which Delia is described in his presence: her “thin, stooped shoulders” sag deeper and deeper.
Another man - we are not told who the man is or why he is present, are
The novel Hard Times by Charles Dickens offers a glimpse into the life and times during the industrial revolution in England during the nineteenth century. Dickens offers a wide range of characters from the upper class factory owner to the lowest class factory workers. He creates characters in this range of social classes and crafts this story that intertwines each person and their transformations throughout the novel. Almost every character in this story is complex and has characteristics that run deeper than their place in society, and this is what makes the novel so very important and intense. While there are many complexities linked to these characters, some do not appear to be as complex but in actuality they are. A strong example would be Josiah Bounderby, the wealthiest character in the novel.
Understanding the experiences of one’s past may inspire the decisions that will lead the course of one’s life. Charles Dickens’s childhood was overwhelming and had many difficult phases. It is truly impressive for a young boy to support his family, mostly on his own, and be able to maintain a suitable education. These hardship episodes may have been difficult for him, but it made him who he had always wanted to be. Eventually, he had been known as one of the most significant writers since Shakespeare.
By using the older sister’s point of view to narrate the story, the author is able recount the injustices done to Sister as well as angle for sympathy from the audience. From the beginning of the story, Sister builds a case by blaming the discomfort and anguish of her home on Stella-Rondo. Sister states “Of course I went with Mr. Whitaker first…and Stella-Rondo broke us up”, to depict how the strained relationship with her younger sister started. Although there are many unexpected conflicts within the family, this action of Stella-Rondo stealing her older sister’s boyfriend is the core, driving force of all of the conflicts within the household. To relentlessly reiterate this point, the author uses the narrator’s anger to constantly bring up the separation of the spoiled Stella Rondo and Mr. Whitaker.
Hard times is set in the 1840’s in the North of England. It’s set at a
Janie decided that she must separate from Logan in order to revive her dream of true love. Ultimately, Janie’s interpretation of love matured just as she had, so she began to alter her knowledge of love. Nanny loved and cared for Janie, but she also deceptively manipulated every aspect of her life. Nanny lived the life that she longed for through Janie’s life. “Here Nanny had taken the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon.and pinched it in to such a little bit of a thing that she could tie it about her granddaughter’s neck tight enough to choke her.
Stella-Rondo brings out jealousy in Sister that causes tension between them. Sister hates that Stella-Rondo married Mr. Whitaker since Sister supposedly had him first. She feels like Stella-Rondo broke them up by lying. Most likely, Sister is upset because she was not the one to end up with the guy she liked, but she displays her feelings childishly. Sister’s snide comments towards her sister are the real reason that Stella-Rondo turns their family against her. Stella-Rondo’s lies about her daughter, Shirley T., increase Sister’s jealous feelings. Stella-Rondo claims that Shirley-T. is adopted, but Sister does not believe her. Sister wants her family to see through Stella-Rondo’s lies and realize that this two-year old child is not adopted. She points out that Shirley-T. is the “spitting image of Papa-Daddy” (359). Sister cannot stand that Stella-Rondo left Mr. Whitaker after only staying married to him for two years. The fact that “the first thing she did was separate! From Mr. Whitaker!” when Stella-Rondo got married and moved away infuriates Sister (359). Consequently, Sister makes sure her family knows that she had him first. In the heat of the moment at the end of the story, Sister starts saying that Mr. Whitaker left Stella-Rondo, not vice versa, which only builds up more tension.
love does not exist in this world then the people who live on it will
He felt extremely unfit for his identity when he began to watch pornographic movies in his office, so he lied to his boss that it was his assistant who watched it on his computer. Furthermore, he blatantly shouted at his assistant as if he was punishing himself for the dirty movies that he watches in his office. The director deliberately covers the unblinking truth contained in the character’s sexual urge as a way to allow interpretation for the audience. It is easy to get lost in one’s identity in the society, and the availability of sex has made people lost interest in what is ordinary and acceptable. Sissy as an intruder of Brandon’s life insinuates the monstrosity that devours his personality and interrupts his identity to make him feel desperate and scared for his unconscious sexual attempt of his sister. The incest delusion triggers Brandon’s monstrosity that lays within his inability to suppress his addiction to sex, dual personality, and repetition trauma occurrences in the extremity
Social Classes of Industrial England in Charles Dickens' Hard Times In his novel, Hard Times, Charles Dickens used his characters to describe the caste system that had been shaped by industrial England. By looking at three main characters, Stephen Blackpool, Mr. Josiah Bounderby, and Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, one can see the different classes that were industrial England. Stephen Blackpool represented the most abundant and least represented caste in industrial England, the lower class (also called the hands) in Charles Dickens' novel. Stephen was an honest, hard-working man who came to much trouble in the novel, often because of his class.
The role of the circus is both complex and simple it is in itself a
"I must entreat you to pause for an instant, and go back to what you know of my childish days, and to ask yourself whether it is natural that something of the character formed in me then" - Charles Dickens
Importance of Social Class in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations Social class played a major role in the society depicted in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. Social class determines the manner in which a person is treated and their access to education. Yet, social class does not define the character of the individual. Many characters were treated differently because of their social class in Great Expectations. Seeing the contrast between how the poor and the rich were treated will give a clearer understanding of how much social class mattered.