Charles Dickens Hard Times - Book Report/Review Example

Dickens: Hard Times Introduction Born in 1812, Charles Dickens was one of the seminal English of the 19th century. While many renowned literary writers failed to gain popular success, Dickens novels were enjoyed by mainstream culture at a level Stephen Kings novels are appreciated today. There are a great many reasons for Dickens mainstream appeal, for instance his novels were clearly and engagingly written, dealing with problems that were of concern for a great many individuals. In his novel Hard Times, while not his most popular work, these qualities that made him one of the most seminal and renowned writers of his day are all evident. In addition to presenting a highly engaging narrative, with elements of love and sensation, the novel also functions as a compelling satire on the nature of Victorian England in the immediate wake of the Industrial Revolution. This essay considers Hard Times within contextual elements of its composition, examines major and characters and themes in the novel, and finally explains why the novel has continued relevance for the contemporary world. II. Background In contextualizing the social environment Charles Dickens wrote Hard Times, as well as the authors personal background, in its clear that the novel functions along a number of notable levels. One of the pervasive aspects within the novel is the clear connection it holds with Dickens personal background and existence. Born in 1812 Dickens experienced many of the same challenges that individuals in Hard Times experienced and to some degree one could read aspects of Dickens in both the characters of Tom and Stephen. Both in the novel and in Dickens personal life existed a tenuous relation between the characters and their father. While Dickens father John Dickens has been described as gregarious, and not a stringent rationalist as the characterization of Thomas Grandgrind, he was imprisoned for not paying debts, causing Charles Dickens to move in with a friend of the family in Camden Town. This was a significant occurrence in Dickens existence as it would later influence a great amount of his work. One sees the influence Dickens early life had in the novel when one understands that during this period Dickens had to take on a long and strenuous job at Warrens Blacking Warehouse. This period of Dickens life brought him into direct contact with the social hardships that were pervasive elements of 19th century English working culture. In Hard Times there is a regular thematic recurrence of the challenges of living a life of poverty and the difficulty of maintaining subsistence without adequate labor laws and standards for the most appropriate workplace conduct. In addition to Dickens personal experience working in the difficult environment, there was considerable social purpose behind the construction of the novel. Dickens lived in a Victorian English society that experienced great social and financial upheaval. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution traditional means of production were altered and an infusion of factory and machine based production mechanism extremely altered the employment landscape. While the rapid alteration in production mechanisms enacted a drastic shift in the employment landscape, the government didnt institute equally rapid social reforms to prevent unscrupulous factory owners from exploiting their workforce. The workers, who were generally from uneducated backgrounds, were forced to endure these oppressive conditions out of a lack of outside employment options. In the novel, these workers are referred to as the hands. As a result workers experienced increasingly poor conditions and the economic disparity between the poor and rich experienced increasingly greater levels. One sees this reflected in the novel in the relations of Slackbridge and Stephen Blackpool. Slackbrdige represents the overriding factory owner social order who enacts difficult conditions on Stephen Blackpool. Stephen is approached to join a union in the novel in an effort to avoid these oppressive working conditions. Its clear that through Hard Times Dickens not only illustrates these occurrences, but does so with the intention of demonstrating the need for their amendment. In these regards, the novel functions as a compelling satire on this Victorian England, thematically suggesting that the society itself is turning itself into a machine with its over emphasis on efficiency over humanity. III. Major themes and characters There are several major characters in Hard Times. One of the major characters is Thomas Gradgrind. As one of the initial characters that is introduced in Hard Times, Gradgrind comes to pervade a great many aspects of the novel. Grandgrind is the father of both Tom and Louisa, whom he raises by teaching them his philosophy of rational self-interest. For Gradgrind this represents an attention to efficiency and production to the neglect of imagination and an overarching concern with humanity; his philosophy becomes one of the key elements Dickens thematically critiques. Another major character in the novel is Louisa Gradgrind. To a great degree, Louisa represents the human embodiment of Thomas Gradgrinds philosophy of rational self-interest. While the other female characters in the novel represent traditional feminine qualities of tenderness and caring, to many extents Louisa is cold and self-interested. Its clear that this is her prevailing weakness and towards the end of the novel she comes full circle as a character realizing the way she has lived her life has been misguided. Another major character is Joseph Bounderby. To some extent Dickens aligns Bounderbys general paradigm with that of Thomas Gradgrind, except Bounderby functions within a different structure. The two men are close friends, except Bounderby is concerned with the economic realm of existence. Bounderby is a factory owner that is criticized for practicing unfair labor practices for personal gain, without any concern for human nature. Perhaps the most important character element of of Bounderby is the description he gives of his own background. He frequently indicates that he worked his way up from nothing and established himself as a factory owner through this effort. Towards the end of the novel its revealed this he is actually an individual of privileged, shattering his false myth. The final major character is Stephen Blackpool. Stephen works in one of Bounderbys factories. Stephen is utilized to illustrate many of the novels moral concerns, specifically his striving to achieve a moral existence in the face of tremendous hardship. He also functions as a contrasting element to Bounderby and Gradgrinds over reliance on rational self-interest. The novel explores a number of themes and characters in establishing its underlining narrative. As evidenced above, one of the novels prevailing thematic concerns is the oppressive social conditions of 19th century Victorian England. In these regards, the novel advances a significant thematic point in demonstrating how the individuals and society in the immediate wake of the Industrial Revolution are structured like machines to achieve maximum levels of efficiency. Its this dehumanization that underscores one of the major thematic elements of the novel. Perhaps this thematic element is articulated most prominently through the voices of Gradgrind and Bounderby. Gradgrinds personal philosophy that he extends to the school he founds is one of stringent rationalism that de-emphasizes the human emotional and imaginatory process. This is precisely the paradigm that Dickens is rebelling against. Perhaps Dickens most prominent critique of this paradigm comes towards the end of the novel when Louisa visits Gradgrind and describes to him the emptiness she is experiencing in her life and marriage. Louisa has represented perhaps the human embodiment of Gradgrinds philosophy and her repudiation of it constitutes Dickens overt repudiation of such stringent rationalism. Similarly, in Bounderby one sees this philosophy put into action through the way he treats the employees in his factory, as Bounderby implements them not as human beings but for his own economic gain. In these regards, Stephen Blackpool states to Bounderby, “Look how we live, an’ wheer we live, an’ in what numbers, an’ by what chances, an’ wi’ what sameness; and look how the mills is awlus a-goin’, and how they never works us no nigher to onny distant object-‘ceptin awlus Death” (Dickens). Chapter 5, Men and Masters, of the novel even overtly draws a comparison between both Gradgrinds personal philosophy and Bounderbys treatment of his employees. In these regards, the children in Bounderbys school are compared to the Hands toiling in factory environments under terrible working conditions. Another prevalent theme in Hard Times is the exploration of what constitutes fact. To some degrees one sees this exploration as an extension Gradgrinds philosophy of extreme rationalism. While Gradgrind believes in a rational self-interest, there is also an understanding of fact and ideas as clear and direct. For Gradgrind there is a right answer and a right path to all questions of existence that can be quantified and taught to others so that they can assume the right path of existence. One sees such a thought process dating back to Kant and similar Enlightenment thought. Through the novel Dickens thematically critiques this perspective, indicating that what is reality is oftentimes a matter of perspective. In these regards, Dickens develops a parallel narrative to articulate the divergent perspective of Bounderby and the factory workers. Oftentimes throughout the novel Bounderby remarks that his factory workers are lazy and will not work to the fair standards; Dickens then establishes the converse perspective wherein the Hands indicate that they believe they are ultimately being exploited. While Dickens ultimately sides with the Hands, he also utilizes this parallel narrative structure to demonstrate the impossibility of stringent rationalism. Its through this critique that he is able to further establish his characterization the Victorian social order as overly concerned with efficiency over human concerns. In Gradgrinds instance, his overt rationalism is contrasted with the more fantastical nature of Sissy, who was literally raised in a circus. The circus functions to advance her characterization as imaginative. Through her interactions with Tom and Louisa Dickens demonstrates that it is this imaginative existence that contributes to her ability to connect with individuals on a more human level, an element that is missing to a degree in Louisas life causing her ultimate repudiation of Gradgrinds philosophy. IV. Continued relevance There are a great many reasons for the novels continued relevance. While the 20th century witnessed progressive labor movements that ensure many of the unscrupulous labor practices the novel satirized were outlawed, the continued need for vigilance in regards to labor practices and reform is still a necessary element in contemporary society. In these regards, one can consider the promulgation of labor unions through the country, and indeed the world. Interesting in this regard, many individuals would argue that while in Dickens time the need for unions was overwhelmingly evident, today it is the union that have come to assume an unhealthy degree of control. In great part the labor issues Hard Times explores have moved to third-world nations where more established nations have outsourced jobs to exploit low-cost labor and production costs. In these regards, the oppressive and exploitative nature of the economic climate in the novel (consider Bounderbys factory), is mirrored in the exploitative practices of companies that have moved their production operations to China and to Mexico. Its clear that Dickens opposition to these conditions in 19th century Victorian England is a message that remains relevant in the modern world. Another element that gives the novel continued relevance is it exploration of Thomas Gradgrinds philosophy of rational self-interest. While concerned with accomplishment and some sense of morality, its clear that Gradgrinds personal philosophy goes too far in embracing values of self-interest over embracing humanity. This critique continues to be relevant in the contemporary world as the encroaching values of a capitalist economy place pressure on individuals and society to abandon concern with human values for increased production and efficiency. Ultimately, Dickens critique in these regards functions as a universal support for humanity. Conclusion In conclusion, its clear that Charles Dickens novel Hard Times is a compelling satire on 19th century Victorian England. The novel both is an element of the times of its composition and greatly reflects Dickens own childhood. In terms of characters the novel presents a number of major characters, including Thomas Gradgrind, Josiah Bounderby, Louisa Gradgrind, and Stephen Blackpool. In terms of themes the novel explores the increasing social emphasis on efficiency and production over humanity, and the emphasis on facts over imagination. Its also demonstrated that due to its emphasis on progressive social concerns, the novel has continued relevance for the modern world. Ultimately, Hard Times is a masterful work that warns society against overly emphasizing efficiency over humanity. References Dickens , Charles. "Hard Times." The Literature Network. N.p., n.d. Web. . Read More