The Role of the Circus Folk in 'Hard Times' by Charles Dickens
The role of the circus is both complex and simple it is in itself a
contradiction; it has been placed within the novel to add another
dimension to the story of Coketown but also to show how fragile human
nature can be. The circus folks role are complicated in their
simplicity, they are of course there to carry out the role that they
are paid to perform as actors or performers as well as being there for
the second more complicated role of showing the notion of fancy within
the novel. It is this second role which this essay will strive to
discuss and discover.
There are many sides to the circus it is a multi talented organisation
all of the members perform more than one job they are multi skilled
workers who live and work together as a large extended family there is
affection and friendship in many ways and in many form. The idea of
the circus with its extended family and the multi job roles is a
contradiction to the ideas of Coketown and Gradgrind, within Coketown
all of the workers have singular job roles and job abilities, and they
are not multi talented instead they know only one job. It becomes
more and more apparent the role of the circus when the reader is faced
with this knowledge that Coketown and Gradgrind are interested only in
fact and that neither believes nor encourage emotion of any kind.
Indeed it is Gradgrind within the first line of the novel that tells
us as the reader the message he and Coketown carry “Facts alone are
wanted in life” (Charles Dickens: pg1, Hard Times, 1854). This is why
when the reader is first introduced to the concept of the circus i...
... middle of paper ...
...introducing the concept of the
circus Dickens has found a way of introducing love, affection and
fancy into a fact based town. It is the reappearance of the circus at
the end of the novel that finally brings the conclusion of Hard Times
when fact and fancy join together and ends the tale with a positive
ending.
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Dickens Charles, 1854, Hard Times, New York, Oxford University Press
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Dickens, C and Rowland, P, 1988 My Early Times, London, The folio
Society
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