Analysis Hard Times by Charles Dickens - 1807 Words

Hard Times as a Social Commentary with Parallels in the Modern Era The novel Hard Times by Charles Dickens is clearly an incitement of the economic and social burden associated with economic and social disparity. The work is set in a small fictional mill town, Coketown, where the challenges of the newly emerging industrial revolution were fundamentally being set at the footsteps of the poor, who had little if any opportunity for upward mobility. During this period the alternatives for those with little money in the way of work were very few and most tasks were menial, dark and difficult. The challenges seen in this work, probably more than any other written by Dickens reflect his own experience as a child laborer during a period of economic unrest in his own family, when he was forced to work at a Blacking Warehouse, pasting labels on bottles with other child laborers in London after his father was arrested and placed in debtors prison. (Hawes 10) Dickens through this experience was given a stark reality check with regard to the life of the poor. Fr om this knowledge Dickens seems to have never really stepped away from this concern and in some way details this social and economic reality in all his works (Clausson 157). Without the economic means there was really no way for the poor to move out of the challenges of poverty as every type of vocational or even classical education costs far more than one could earn as a laborer. As is seen in his other works as well, withoutShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Hard Times By Charles Dickens875 Words   |  4 PagesAntoine Wood Dr. Dolata ENG-460 16 Jan. 2016 In Hard Times one Carefully Observes the Idea of Change and can Incorporate Different Morals as They Coincide and Transcend Today In the story of Hard Times written by Charles Dickens one can clearly tell that the story is set during a time when many believed in stressing the importance of strict disciplinary actions. The story kicks concerning the idea of facts. Within the text one can notice the idea of a few things: the nature of learning, common knowledgeRead MoreAnalysis of the Credibility of Characters in Charles Dickens Hard Times1512 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of the Credibility of Characters in Charles Dickens Hard Times Hard times was written in 1854 by Charles Dickens. Dickens was a prominent Victorian novelist who wrote about the society that surrounded him. He was educated and middle-class but had some sympathy with the way poor people were treated. He was critical of utilitarianism and felt that those in power showed little understanding of the poor. His sympathy with the poor stemmed from his childhood andRead MoreAnalysis of Why Fact and Fancy Are Both Necessary in Charles Dickens Hard Times1362 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Why Fact and Fancy Are Both Necessary in Charles Dickens Hard Times Fact and Fancy in Hard Times Coketown is a monotonous town of machinery and tall chimneys. There is a sense of sameness in the town: â€Å"It contained several large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one another.† A town so sacred to fact should progress smoothly, yet residents of Coketown â€Å"never knew what they wanted† and wereRead MoreMasterpieces Always Come With Good Reasons And Fantastic1716 Words   |  7 Pagesthose fantacies and make-ups show a writer’s reflection on facts and reasons he or she received, and are extensions of those facts and reasons, rendering the work interesting and even more convincing. In three famous and classic works, On Liberty, Hard Times, and The Communist Manifesto, we can see how writers combine facts with fictions and compose excellent works. I. On Liberty by John Stuart Mill In his work On Liberty, Mill starts from historical facts, analysing facts using his reasons and getsRead MoreVictorian Schools Using Hard Times And Jane Eyre916 Words   |  4 PagesUnfair Treatment (An analysis of Victorian schools using Hard Times and Jane Eyre) The Victorian Era was a time of much turmoil. Through the reign of Queen Victoria there were many aspects of society that took a standstill and some may say, declined. Education is a tremendous example of the stand still in the British society, showing the negative approaches to teaching. Preston Barker wrote about the conditions of victorian schools explaining, â€Å"Children soon learnt to do what the teacher asked, otherwiseRead MoreGreat Expectations1707 Words   |  7 Pagesthe rest of the animal kingdom. The underlining theme of human nature is evident in Great Expectation by Charles Dickens use of his characters. A main characteristic that Dickens displays is friendship. The friendship between Pip and Herbert is strong. Herbert was significant to Pip’s growth in social class and eventual to his revelation. â€Å"Friendship was one of the human characteristics Dickens enjoyed†¦by associating fellowship with good characters and deeds, he made it known that he admires friendshipRead MoreCharles Dickens Utilitarianism Analysis996 Words   |  4 PagesUtilitarianism and Charles Dickens - The Analysis of Impact of Utilitarianism in Hard Times towards Humanity The utilitarianism, is one of the ethical theory genres which greatly affects the western and even world’s development of philosophy. Its originality can be traced back to ancient Greece Democritus and Epicurean Hedonism theory. Jeremy Bentham is considered to be the founder of the utilitarianism theory during the latter half through 18th century in England. Based on the theory of utilitarianismRead MorePip’s Character Change in Charles Dickens Great Expectations1173 Words   |  5 PagesPip’s Character Change in Charles Dickens Great Expectations Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens is a compelling story rich in friendship, love and fortune. The main character, Pip, is a dynamic character that undergoes many changes through the course of the book and throughout this analysis, the character Pip, will be identified and his gradual change through the story will be quoted and explained. The main character, Pip, is a gentle character. His traits include Read MoreCharles Dickens s A Christmas Carol1923 Words   |  8 PagesEnglish author Charles Dickens has written many well known novels such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, of which both have a recurring theme: the expectations of society. During the Victorian Era, England was over populated and had terrible living conditions, with an enormous gap between the rich and the poor. Generally, people during the Victorian Era were not allowed to talk about things such as sex and crime, and had to live by strict social rules set by society. With the social disparitiesRead MoreSandwich Factory1688 Words   |  7 Pagesmany - a crowd of insignificant people. This assignment will begin with an analysis and interpretation of the short story â€Å"The Sandwich Factory† by Jason Kennedy. To put the story into perspective the assignment includes a discussion of the text, â€Å"Nice work† by David Lodge and the picture, â€Å"Relativity† by M.C. Escher. The assignment ends with a short essay about the description of Coketown in Charles Dickens’ novel â€Å"Hard Times†. A: The short story, â€Å"The Sandwich Factory† by Jason Kennedy from 2007