Dickens Symbolism in Hard Times

The world today consists of children roaming the streets, technology taking over the world, and being able to work wherever you'd like but, could you imagine a life without all these things? Believe it or not there was a time in life where these things were very uncommon to see. This would be known as the victorian era. This time period was between 1837 and 1901. Daily life was very different from now. Health, social classes, and fashion are just three examples of how daily life was different in the victorian era.

Queen Victoria 's reign saw a great change in industrialisation alongside social change which affected a variety of people and classes.

The novel had been considered by some people, mainly the higher ranked and important persons of the 19th centaury, as a criticism of ‘Victorian double morality’ meaning they felt it was presenting a false image of what went on in London. They may have also have felt that it was encouraging other people to do things considered wrong-like. This shows duality between the novel and the behaviour in London during the 19th centaury.

As the question suggests, changes in the 19th century happened rather quickly. Industrialization can be described as a transformation from an agricultural society to a more industrial one, using technology to solve problems and manufacturing goods to keep the economy going. Although this was a major change in their lives, the Victorians adapted to this unfamiliar way of life really well. As Potter (1987: 222) says, “This they did with an energy and optimism”. They used technology and science to solve problems around them.

Industrialization produced many changes in the normal day to day life of the people of Victorian England. The enlargement of the middle class, in population and fortune, caused a large order for merchandise and workers. Victorian England found many problems when trying to deal with the enlargement of the amounts of people. Massive amounts of people were attracted to England, specifically London, to find an occupation

In conclusion, Victorian England was divided into classes, with different subcategories. There was the upper class, middle class, working class, and underclass. This idea transferred into the working field. There were different jobs for different social classes. The victorian era was the reason for the industrial revolution, creating many manufactured products available to, even, the underclass. All in all, this era was a time of changing in

death. He also warns him that he too wears a chain larger than his and

The Victorian era refers to the sixty-three-year reign of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, from 1837-1901. From a huge population boom in Great Britain to technological improvements that changed the way people lived, to the increasingly noticeable differences between the wealthy and the working poor, the 19th Century saw more profound social and political developments than any century before.

1.) England's Victorian era occurred during 1837 through 1901.” the Victorian age was characterized by rapid change and developments in nearly every area, from advances in medical, scientific and technological knowledge to changes in population growth and location. over time, this rapid transformation deeply affected the country’s mood, an age that began with confidence and optimism. the Victorian era was in age of paradox and power. social class was most important during that time.there was the working class with men and women performing labor. the middle class where men worked to clean, and the upper class where money and land was inherited.”

During Victoria’s reign there were changes of great importance economically, socially, and technologically. London had a rapid growth from a 2 million to a 6.5 million population by the time of Queen Victoria’s death, due to a significant change. As a result of the industrialization, instead of a life based on ownership of lands, England was transformed to a modern economy. Based on trade and manufacturing they changed from an agrarian society in 1800’s with 75% rural to an industrial society by the 1900’s with a 75% modern urban economy. Socially, there were extreme discriminations especially between men and women. Consequently, women were not eligible for a higher education, employment and were denied the right to vote. Gradually and by the end of Victoria’s reign, women won significant political and legal rights. These included a greater access to education, the custody of children, economic independence and were able to work under fair conditions. Definitely, the Victorian Period was an era of dramatic changes that highly developed England’s power and

While the Victorian people called for romantic intrigue and petty drama in the literature of their time, Dickens’ added complexity to his novels not to satisfy the frivolous needs of Victorians but to further the theme of irony in his novel. In A Tale of Two Cities, irony is an ever-present theme and is woven into the plot seamlessly by author Charles Dickens. Coincidence is a complementary theme to irony in this novel. Dickens’ constant implementation of situations of coincidence and chance leads to a greater sense of irony throughout this book. Dickens adds complexity to the plot and further enforces the theme of irony in the novel through circumstances of coincidence, including the indictments of Charles Darnay, the life and associates of Dr. Manette, and Madame Defarge’s need for and path to revenge.

The fictional novel, Hard Times by Charles Dickens, concentrates on the Gradgrind family; of Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, his daughter Louisa, and son Thomas Jr. A major theme of friendship is portrayed in the books through the character of Mr. Gradgrind as he struggles with the idea of friendship between other characters. According to the Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle, it explains a detailed account of friendship and what it is to be a friend to others. In comparing the character Mr. Gradgrind in Hard Times, to the 5 basis of friendship written in the Nicomachean Ethics, Mr. Gradgrind cannot be a friend to others because he does not use emotion but rather factual evidence in his actions toward his children. The novel confirms Aristotle’s view of friendship with Mr. Gradgrind, proving that the standards need to be set up in order to have a proper friendship and relationship with others.

The beginning of the Victorian Period marked when Queen Victoria ascended the British throne in 1837 for 64 years until her death in 1901. She was only 18 years old when she was queen of England. In this era, there was a time when England had political stability and strict cultural patterns. Peace among the society in England was characterized by this era. There was a control in the way that people act and interact due to the cultural rules that needed to be followed. However, people in the British Empire appreciated having the consistency of having one ruler for such a long time. In addition, people lived in villages and worked on the land in the time of this period. At the same time, there were a lot significant changes. For instance, there

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

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.