Dicken's Hard Times

Dickens uses the needs and wants for people to get an image in their head about what life was really like before the French revolution. "Cold, dirt,

The Industrial Revolution generated the perception that applying solely logic to everyday activities could maximize productivity and efficiency. Charles Dickens explores the dangers of neglecting emotions and imagination in his novel Hard Times. Dickens separates Hard Times into three books: Sowing, Reaping and Garnering in order to reveal the negative consequences of industrialization and forsaking imagination for facts through the events, settings, and characters in the novel.

Charles Dickens had a way of writing amazing characters. He was known for his passion in writing and his way of words. A man once said that Charles was the greatest story writer of all time. He was able to craft fully make a character that was both memorable and taught you a valuable lesson on how to be a better you. In this book I spotted a few characters that stood out to me. It was either their courage or loyalty that stuck out the most. The biggest lesson I wish to share from these characters that I learned in this novel is that it is important to study a person and get to know them before you make assumptions on their life based on their outward appearance.

Throughout history, a divide has always existed between the rich and poor in society. However, during the Industrial Revolution in Victorian England, this rift reached its peak. The working class labored for long hours and received miniscule wages, whereas the bourgeoisie grew abundantly wealthy through the labor of the working class. Published in 1848 and 1854 respectively, Karl Marx’s The Communist Manifesto and Charles Dickens’ Hard Times both comment on these troubles. While Hard Times is a novel which tells a story and The Communist Manifesto is a short publication which tries to bring about social change, both writings offer a sharp critique of the class antagonism brought about by capitalism at the height of the Industrial

The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne stands as one of the most famous works in the history of American literature. Set in Puritan Boston during the mid-1600’s, the renowned tale presents the story of a young, beautiful woman, Hester Prynne, who commits adultery against her husband, Roger Chillingworth, who was presumed dead. Due to her pregnancy, Hester is forced to admit her sin. After giving birth to a daughter, named Pearl, Hester is forced to stand on a scaffold in the center of town for three hours and endure heckling from the townspeople. Furthermore, she must wear a scarlet letter “A” that stands for “Adulteress” for the rest of her life. In the events to follow each major character shows glimpses of an evil nature that drives their stories. In The Scarlet Letter author Nathaniel Hawthorne weaves the theme of evil into the lives of Roger Chillingworth, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Pearl Prynne.

In the book Hard Times Charles Dickens describes the hardships involved during the Industrial Revolution. Charles Dickens shows his disapproval of the Industrial Revolution by highlighting bad conditions workers had to face, the poor environment of the city, and the Utilitarianism. He emphasizes how many workers helped run the factories and the importance of how miserable these workers are. “So many hundred Hands in this Mill; so many

Dickens begins the novel with a pro-revolutionary tone. His regard for the idea of the upcoming and inevitable revolution in a positive light is reflected by the atmosphere he sets for the reader. Dickens is able to make his readers pity the peasantry and sympathize with them. Through inclusion of detail, Dickens portrays the plight of the lower class writing, “gloom [gathers] on the scene that [appears] more natural to it than sunshine” (21). This allows the reader to imply that the suffering of the lower class has fallen into a continuous pattern, and they can understand the need for revolution. Additionally, Dickens uses anaphora with the phrase “Hunger [is]” (21). This gives the reader a sense of how much hunger dominates and defines their lives, effectively making their

Charles Dickens' Hard Times and David Lodge's Nice Work ----“Fact, fact, fact, everywhere in the material aspect of the town; fact, fact, fact everywhere in the immaterial.” – Charles Dickens In the early 1851, London staged the Great Exhibition to show the world, the achievements and inventions of the Industrial Revolution. Many people believed that this showed how much better, safer and healthier Britain was than its neighbours in Europe. People living in mansions amid lawns and fountains, with horse drawn carriages certainly felt that life couldn’t be better. However behind the publicity and the royal occasions there was another England, not so glorious.

In the poem “I like a look of Agony,” by Emily Dickinson, one of the ways the poem’s affects on the reader is improved is though the use of literary devices. People normally have trepidation of agony, but Dickinson uses literary devices such as imagery, personification, and connotation to reveal her contrasting enjoyment to the social norm. The opening line “I like a look of Agony,” (line 1) could be interpreted as sadistic and cold. Completely reading the poem allows the reader to understand what the first line actually means. Dickinson does not like a look of agony because she enjoys watching others suffer; she is fascinated by the expression of agony. The second line of the poem “Because I know it’s true-,”

Dickens saturates Hard Times with fairytale allusions, distinct character descriptions, and Mr. Sleary's outspoken philosophies to eradicate utilitarianism. Dickens intends for the Sleary's Circus to the antithesis of utilitarianism, and therefore its emphasis on imagination and Gradgrind's obsession with fact directly contradict, and that imagination is clearly the better of the two. After all, imagination indicates change, as it causes the people to uproot previously established conventions. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, derives from the fear of change, as innovation proves fatal to established fact. Therefore, Dickens uses the Circus as a symbol of change, the one thing utilitarianism truly fears.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Mr. Dimmesdale's most evident dread is that the townspeople will get some answers concerning his transgression of infidelity with Hester Prynne. Mr. Dimmesdale fears that his spirit couldn't take the disgrace of such a revelation, as he is an imperative good figure in the public eye. Be that as it may, in not admitting his transgression to people in general, he endures the blame of his wrongdoing, an agony which is exacerbated by the torments of Roger Chillingworth. In spite of the fact that he reliably picks coerce over disgrace, Mr. Dimmesdale experiences a significantly more difficult experience than Hester, who persevered through people in general disgrace of the red letter. Mr. Dimmesdale's

Since it was first published over 150 years ago, Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations has come to be known as a timeless and remarkably moving work of literature. It is considered to be one of Dickens’ most recognizable works, and is celebrated for its meaningful, universally-believed themes. In order for this novel to be properly understood, a thoughtful analysis of its major themes must be given.

Charles Dickens’s novel Hard Times critiques the use of extreme utilitarianism as an acceptable means to governing a society in which citizens are able to lead happy, productive, flourishing lives. “Just the facts,”19th century English utilitarianism argued, are all one needs to flourish. Those answers that we can arrive at by way of mathematical, logical reasoning are all needed to live a full human life. Hard Times shows however that a “just the facts” philosophy creates a community inhospitable to the needs of one another, a society nearly void of human compassion, and one lacking in morality. Underlying the novel’s argument is the Aristotelian concept that the primary purpose of government is to

For this essay I will be focusing on the opening chapters of Great Expectations, a novel written by Charles Dickens. I am going to consider the Victorian society at the time and dickens’ use of language to express themes, settings and characters.

In Hard Times, Dickens presents life philosophies of three men that directly contradict each other. James Harthouse sees one’s actions in life as meaningless since life is so short. Mr. Gradgrind emphasizes the importance of fact and discourages fantasy since life is exactly as it was designed to be. Mr. Slearly exhibits that “all work and no play” will make very dull people out of all of us. He also proclaims that one should never look back on one’s life and regret past actions. Dickens is certainly advocating Sleary’s life philosophy because the subjects of the other two philosophies led depressing and unhappy lives. This is made clear when Louisa realises her childhood of fact without fancy has ruined her, when Tom’s life falls apart after leaving his father’s home in rejection of his strict parenting, and when Mr. Gradgrind himself realises the faults in his own philosophy and devotes the rest of his life to virtue and charity.