The Representation Of Landscape In Hard TimesBy Charles Dickens

Authors have often uses natural phenomena to comment on what is happening among the characters. Dickens wrote a book called, “A Tale of Two Cities” which was about the French Revolution and how life was like in the 1800’s. Natural phenomena are things from nature that Dickens uses for the characters in the book, for example, animals, the weather, flowers, and anything that occurs in nature that will fit what is happening among the characters, and the book. He also uses symbols, themes, he creates the atmosphere in the beginning of the book, and an outlook of what is about to happen in the book. We’re about to look at the different types of natural phenomena that Dickens uses in his book. On Chapter 5, Dickens uses an example of natural phenomena, which was when during the summer thunderstorm at the Manettes’ house in Soho. Dickens’s use of nature to mirror human emotions is effective.

In Thomas Cole’s Essay on American Scenery, the reader is able to appreciate Cole’s predilection and love for the American scenery. It is his belief this scenery is superior to the European scenery, since the latter’s “primitive features of scenery have long since been destroyed or modified … to accommodate the tastes and necessities of a dense population.” However, Cole presents his audience with a gloomy prophecy about America’s future, which he believes will be the same as Europe’s. Still, while acknowledging that industrialization could eventually take over many natural regions, Cole is hopeful that nature will remain victorious, since it will still be predominant. Because of this, he advises the American people to take advantage of

The novel, A Tale of Two Cities, was written by Charles Dickens and was published in 1859. A Tale of Two Cities is a historical fiction based during the French Revolution. As two groups of people who both live in London and Paris find themselves in a situation that affects all of them, which ends with some deaths and suffering. Charles Dickens purpose for writing A Tale of Two Cities was to inform and amplify the readers mind on human nature. Throughout the book Charles Dickens uses many themes and characteristics, that bring out human nature in all his characters, to broaden the view of the readers.

Classical landscape by Charles Sheeler is an exterior oil on canvas of the Estate of Mrs. Edsel B. Ford, Grosse Pointe Farms (figure 1) filled with deep, hidden irony. It was painted in 1931, and is based on a watercolor study. It’s a calm, clean, and serene painting that takes your breath away. It’s depicting a place someone would want to be in, a place where things get done, and a place where one can go to achieve this idea of the American dream. Charles Sheeler used American industry as a major theme of his art, his work “lends itself to an analysis in terms of geometric forms” he examines his subject matter so closely in order to fully understand the composition, the effect, and the design he wants to depict. Sheeler painted the plant’s exterior as an idyll, a beautiful, picturesque scene of the industrial age booming; however, in reality the United States was in the middle of the worst years of the Great Depression. Therefore, this painting done in Sheeler’s hyper-realistic artistic style is not actually depicting what the factory actually looked like.

Humanity is but a facet of the sublime macrocosm that is the world’s landscapes. In the relationship between man and landscape, nature is perpetually authoritarian. In her free-verse poems, The Hawthorn Hedge, (1945) and Flame-Tree in a Quarry (1949), Judith Wright illustrates the how refusal to engage with this environment is detrimental to one’s sense of self, and the relentless endurance of the Australian landscape. This overwhelming force of nature is mirrored in JMW Turner’s Romantic artwork, Fishermen at Sea (1796). Both Wright and Turner utilise their respective texts to allegorise the unequal relationship between people and the unforgiving landscape.

In A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, isolation impacts Madame Defarge and Sydney Carton by altering their perception of life, influencing Madame to become obsessive with her vengeful goal of eliminating the aristocracy and damaging Carton by forcing him to contain his depressive emotions.

Humanity is inherently flawed. Charles Dickens illustrates this in his novel A Tale of Two Cities as he writes about the lives of the Manettes and the people they draw around them. In this novel, Dickens uses Sydney Carton, a main character in the novel and the lover of Lucie Manette, to reveal his thoughts about the inherent nature of humanity. The characteristics of humanity change and mutate with the experiences of each person and the workings of their own mind, as illustrated by Mr. Stryver’s inhumane and thoughtless treatment of Sydney, the first time Sydney saves Charles Darnay’s life, and Sydney’s love for Lucie Manette.

The theme for this reading was relating to the social construction of wilderness within nature. Thesecond reading ‘Nature as countryside’ also focussed on the production of space with an emphasison the (English) countryside but I felt it hard to read and follow so did not take a critical lens whenreading it. I decided to focus on Cronon’s work.Cronon describes how we have created a nostalgia towards the loss of wilderness, as an untouchedplace devoid of any trace or forms of human impact in a hostile response to an increasinglymodernising world. Where in a world of increasing civilisation, the comforts of a civilised lifeportrayed as threatening the ‘frontier’ man’s masculinity. This created the belief that these wildlandscapes were disappearing

This is a very important passage because it establishes the theme of duality from the get-go. It was the most luxurious time for the upper class, and the worst of times for everyone else. It was the age of wise philosophy and learning, it was also the age of\ foolish policies and unnecessary suffering. This theme is further expressed in the first chapter when Dickens talks about the religious and justice systems in each country. England is fascinated by supernatural ghosts and other religious phenomenon. In France people pay attention to religion out of fear rather than actual interest. The author also compares France's harsh justice system to England's lax one. Criminals overrun England; And when the courts do serve justice they do so indiscriminately,

The great Chinese philosopher, Confucius, once stated, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” In the French Revolution, there was major tension between the peasants of France and the affluent monarchy, which oppressed the peasants to the point of starvation. Forced to fight for their lives, the peasants revolted, and became the leaders of France. This change is seen with characters with Madame Defarge and Sydney Carton as they adapt to these changes in their society. The concept of foolishness happened to the peasants in Paris because the aristocrats did not believe that the peasants were worth their respect. This can be seen when Marquis St. Evrémonde is not anxious when he kills the son of Gaspard he believes that his gift of one gold coin will suffice and he will forgive him. This was not the case and this is what led to his demise. This was additionally the idea that was seen when Madame Defarge was the only one who was willing to kill Lucie and her daughter. Despite the fact they are the family of Dr. Manette, a friend of the revolution, because they were related with the St. Evrémonde. This scene showed her real intentions. Moreover, the idea of good intentions are apparent when Carton was smart enough to realize that his opportunity to show Lucie he would do anything for her happiness. He knew that he would have to die, but that did not deter his thought process. Everyone has good intentions, but sometimes their intentions are

In A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, it uses duality throughout the story. Duality often refers to having two parts and is usually used with opposite meanings. Charles Dickens wanted us to know about duality by the very first paragraph of his novel. One of the dualities has to deal with the two cities of the title, London, England and Paris, France. Also, some of the dualities show us opposite parallels dealing with two or more people. The two emotions love and hate also have something to do with the theme. I think the use of the doubles is significant

The French Revolution mainly took place in the city of Paris during the late 1700’s. The Revolution did not only affect the people of France, but also the citizens of England as well. The French Revolution is known as one of the most brutal and inhumane periods of history. If one studied the beliefs and views of the people involved at the time, one would see a reoccurring theme of “ being recalled to life”. Born from the world of literature, Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities takes a deeper look at the culture of the late 1700’s, in both England and France. Dickens uses the character of Lucie Manette to further examine one of the major themes presented in the novel, consisting of the belief of one being

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.

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.