Theme Of Education In Hard Times

Charles Dickens believes that the key to a quality education is the inclusion of creativity and imagination in the structure of learning. At the time of writing the novel Hard Times, Dickens was extremely dissatisfied with the education system in place in Victorian England. He believed that education was a big part of a person’s life and contributed to their outcome as human being in society. The education at the time severely emphasized utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is when actions are considered good and right if they benefit a majority. The concept of utilitarianism, eliminates the need for individuality and creates anonymity. Throughout his novel Hard Times, Charles Dickens shows the inadequacy of an approach to education, as well as life, that only pays attention to facts and ignores the importance of the imagination and the human heart. The school Dickens uses in the novel to satirically attack the type of education he despises so much is run by Mr. Thomas Gradgrind. Dickens describes him as:

A man of

Don’t call yourself Sissy. Call yourself Cecelia.” He felt there was no room for her to express herself, even by simply going by a nickname. Sissy represents everything that Gradgrind is against in the world, and everything that Dickens roots for. The character of Sissy Jupe is meant to poke at the absurdity Dickens finds in the utilitarian education system. She is full of imagination, emotion, and creativity. When asked if she would carpet a room with floral carpet, Sissy responds with “If you please, sir, I am very fond of flowers.” She sees no problem with having flowers on the carpet of a room, because she thinks they are pretty and fancies them. Gradgrind happily declares to her that she “mustn’t fancy.” He repeats that “you are never to fancy” and again repeats “Fact, fact, fact! Fact, fact, fact!” He then rants on