I'm Jagruti Vala and I'm a student of English department, MKBU.
In this blog I want to share The major themes of HARD TIMES: FOR THESE TIMES.
Tittle:- Hard times: for these times
The novel is divided into three sections:-
Sowing, Reaping and Garnering.
Written:- 1854
Setting:- Coketown, England
Genre:- Novel, social criticism.
Here the brief introduction of Charles Dickens:-
<<<CHARLES DICKENS:->>>
The most important thing in life it to stop saying "I wish" and start saying "I will ".
Born:- February 7, 1812
England.
Died:- June 8, 1870
Stroke.
• He was an English writer and social critique.
• Charles Dickens is the most popular novelist of the Victorian era.
• He has written most of his works as a series in magazines and he also worked on the post of manager in editor's office.
• He was very famous because of his narrative style, which always reflects the real facts of society.
• Dickens is among those all writers who have faced the harshness of society.
• The evil side of progress and modernism.
• Dickens considered as the finest writer in the scholars and critics of the 20th century.
• He had written many successful works such as:
- David Copperfield
- Oliver twist
- A Christmas carol
- Hard times.
Here some major themes of Hard times are given below:-
The major theme of "utilitarianism" :-
The central theme of the novel Hard times.
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that emphasizes the greatest overall happiness as the ultimate goal and self interest.
In the novel, the character name Thomas gradgrind embodies these utilitarian principles, facts and reason over emotions and also imagination.
Thomas gradgrind's rigid adherence to utilitarian principles leads to stifling of creativity and the neglect of emotional and moral development in his children, Tom and Louisa.
This results in their personal unhappiness and moral conflict.
Throughout the story, Dickens portrays the effects of utilitarianism on the industrialized society of Coketown, where workers are treated as mere cogs in a machine, and human suffering is often overlooked in the pursuit of profit and efficiency.
In "Hard Times," Dickens uses the theme of utilitarianism to shed light on the harsh realities of industrialization and to argue for a more balanced and compassionate approach to education, work, and social policy.
He suggests that a society solely driven by utilitarian values can lead to moral and emotional impoverishment.
•Thomas Gradgrind's Philosophy:
The character Thomas Gradgrind, a prominent figure in the novel, embodies the utilitarian philosophy.
He runs a school in Coketown that emphasizes the importance of "Facts" and suppresses any emotional or imaginative aspects of education.
This strict adherence to utilitarian principles leads to the emotional and moral stunting of his own children, Louisa and Tom.
•Utilitarianism vs. Compassion:
Throughout the novel, Dickens contrasts utilitarian values with the need for compassion and empathy.
Characters like Sissy Jupe and Stephen Blackpool embody more compassionate and humane values, standing in stark contrast to Gradgrind's rigid utilitarianism.
•Critique of Social Policies:
Dickens uses the novel to critique certain social policies of his time, such as the Poor Laws, which were influenced by utilitarian thinking.
These policies often failed to address the real needs and suffering of the impoverished.
The novel serves as a powerful commentary on the utilitarianism and the need for a more holistic consideration of human well-being.
The other themes of this novel Hard times are given bellow:-
• surveillance and knowledge
• Fancy vs. Facts
• Fidelity
• Escape
• surveillance and knowledge:-
In the story, there are characters who spent time keeping secrets and hiding their history and then there is another set of characters who devoted themselves to researching, analysing and listening in on the lives of others.
• Fancy vs. Facts:-
It is also illustrated in this novel the apposition between fancy and facts.
Clearly, the gradgrind school opposes fancy, imaginative literature and wondering.
Instead, they encourage the pursuit of " Hard Facts" and statistics through scientific investigation and logical deduction.
But the gradgrinds are so merciless and through in their education that they manage to kill the souls of their pupils.
Sissy jupe and the members of sleary's circus company stand as a contrast , arguing that " The people must be amused".
Life cannot be exclusively devoted to labour.
• Fidelity:-
This one touches upon the conflicts of personal interest, honesty and loyalty that occur throughout the novel.
Certainly, characters like, Josiah bounderby and James harthouse seems to be regularly dishonest while Louisa and sissy jupe hold fast to their obligations and beliefs.
In Louisa's case, her fidelity is exemplified in her refusal to violation her marital life despite her displeasure with her husband.
Sissy exemplified fidelity in her devotion to the gradgrind family and perhaps even more remarkably, in her steadfast belief that her father in going to return for her seeking " the nine oils" that she has preserved for him.
• Escape:-
The theme of escape really underscores the difference between the lives of the wealthy and lives of the poor.
In Stephan Blackpool, we find a decent man who seeks to escape from his failed marriage but he cannot even escape into his dreams for peace.
On the other hand, we find Tom gradgrind who indulges gambling, school and smoking as " escape" from his humdrum existence.
After he commits a crime, his father helps him to escape through Liverpool.
Again, Louisa gradgrind desires a similar escape from the gradgrind system, though she resorts to imagined pictures in the fire rather than a life of petty crime.
Finally, James harthouse rounds out the options available to the nobility.
With all of his life dedicated to leisure even his work assignment is a sort of past time from which he easily escape when the situation has lost its luster.
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•Reference or work cited:-
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