How does Dickens show his dislike for the education system in "Hard Times"?

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How does Dickens show his dislike for the education system in Hard Times?

In the novel, Hard Times, the education system that Dickens writes about is Utilitarian. Dickens shows the view that he disapproves of the utilitarian system he presents and shows this initial dislike throughout the novel by using satire and irony to mock the system.

Dickens presents his dislike for the education system through the titles he has chosen for his chapters. Such as the chapter title ‘murdering the innocents’, this title could show the dislike because it shows that Dickens believes that this way of educating the children is ruining their childhood and making them lose the naivety and imagination that all children have when growing up.

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Another way Dickens portrays his dislike is by the mocking names that he chose for his characters. A main example is the character Mr Gradgrind whose name could be seen as ‘grind’ meaning to break down the children’s imagination. This could be portrayed as a comical way to show Dickens dislike for the education system because he is choosing names which could have hidden meanings which mock, but at the same time, reinforce what the education system is doing to the children.

Another example could be Mr M’Choakumchild. This character name makes me think that Dickens has ...

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