Look carefully at the opening chapters of hard Times and explore some of the ways in which Dickens' attitudes to education are presented in these chapters.

Anna Hunter

Look carefully at the opening chapters of hard Times and explore some of the ways in which Dickens’ attitudes to education are presented in these chapters.

Look imparticular at the following:

His presentation of the teacher/inspector
The different responses of Sissy Jupe and Bitzer and how as readers we respond to them
The ways in which Dickens uses narrative and speech in his novel

In his novel, Hard Times, Dickens presents his attitude to education. His attitude in his novel shows that he thinks education is too formal and he disapproves of the way children are taught. He thinks that children should be more imaginative and have their own opinion and show their emotions. Dickens comes across as very critical towards teachers in those days. He makes his views more powerful by giving physical descriptions. He describes his characters in great detail.

He presents Gradgrind as a single-minded man with little patience and little knowledge and the knowledge he does have is just facts, which have been poured into him which he, is passing onto children. He doesn’t seem to know much about children or how to teach them, so he just drums useless facts into their heads. It seems like Gradgrind wants everyone to be like him and that in his eyes, a good education is the most important thing in life. I think this because, for example, in the schoolroom, Gradgrind says

“Facts, facts, facts. Nothing but facts.”

This suggests nothing else matters to him except facts and that there is no point in life unless you have facts. This also tells me that Gradgrind is quite bossy and he is telling the children not to talk about anything unless it’s factful.

Dickens also presents the teacher as having no imagination by the ay he talks to Sissy Jupe.

“Don’t call yourself Sissy. Call yourself Cecilia.”

By not allowing ‘Cecilia’ to be called Sissy it is showing that the teacher has no imagination and that he is trying to humiliate Sissy. Gradgrind could also be seen as being quite insensitive. This could also suggest that Gradgrind doesn’t particularly like children or form a close relationship with them and that he likes to call people by their Christian name, whereas nowadays children get a choice of what they get called at ...

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Dickens also presents the teacher as having no imagination by the ay he talks to Sissy Jupe.

“Don’t call yourself Sissy. Call yourself Cecilia.”

A physical description of Gradgrind gives the readers clues about what he is like.

“The speaker’s obstinate square coat, square legs, square shoulders.”

The word ‘square’ has been repeated to give the readers the impression that he isn’t very interesting and that he is dull. ‘Square’ is a thick, physical shape, which won’t change, this implies that Gradgrind is stubborn.

Overall, Gradgrind is presented to be malicious but we know from elsewhere in the text that this isn’t true.

“He was an affectionate father, after his manner.”

Dickens presents the Inspector in the same way as Gradgrind, a man with no imagination and a life based on facts. He is also presented as being quite rough and violent.

“…ready to fight all England.”

I think that the word ‘all’ suggests that the Inspector is a person who argues with anyone and anything. This could also suggest that he likes to do things quick and if anyone prevents this, he will fight them.

“Knock the wind out of common sense.”

This suggests that the Inspector must be very big and strong as this is an impossible thing to do. I also think the Inspector likes things done his way.

“…fall upon him neatly.”

The word ‘neatly’ suggests that the Inspector likes things done quickly, efficiently and correctly.

Dickens also uses alliteration to put his views across and to describe the characters.

“A mighty man” is an example of this and again suggests a great deal of strength in the Inspector; it could also suggest that he is a bully.

The word ‘mighty’ leads me to believe that the Inspector thinks he is superior to others.

“Do you ever see horses walking up and down the sides of rooms in reality-in fact? Do you?”

This shows the similarity between Gradgrind and the Inspector, both having no imagination and both being men of facts. Because he is saying ‘in reality’ this makes me think that the Inspector didn’t really read any fairytales and that he had no fun and he doesn’t have an imagination and because, now he has a good job, that no children should be allowed to have a good time with their imagination.

Dickens carries on to present his attitude to education through the descriptions of Sissy and Bitzer and their responses when spoke to.

Sissy Jupe is described as shy “trembling voice” and genuinely polite as she says “sir” and curtseys. This shows that despite her unusual upbringing, she has good manners. Dickens is telling us that unconventional upbringing is not as valid as Gradgrind’s way.

When Sissy is asked to define a horse but is unable to give a perfect definition, Gradgrind gets angry which makes us feel sorry for her which gives a negative opinion of education in those days because its like bullying, Sissy can’t give a factful answer so the teacher upsets her and humiliates Sissy.

Dickens uses Sissy’s responses to make the readers feel sorry for her. Sissy answers questions shyly and with imagination, which gets her in trouble, which is Dickens’ criticism of teachers as she is being punished for having an imagination and emotions.

Dickens presents Bitzer as being at the end of the sun beam and meaning he is full of facts, just like Gradgrind and the Inspector.

I think Bitzer acts like he does because her is scared of Gradgrind and the Inspector so he tries to be like them so they respect him and won’t punish him.

“…of which Bitzer being at the corner of a row on the other side, a few rows in advance, caught at the end.”

‘On the other side’ and ‘caught at the end’ suggest Bitzer is the opposite of Sissy. He has had all his imagination taken away with only facts left.

“…if he were cut, he would bleed white.”

This suggests that he is more like a machine then a human.

“Quadruped, Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders…Age known by marks is mouth.”

This again suggests that Bitzer is like a machine, or a robot, as this definition seems to flow out without him even thinking about it.

Bitzer is described as having “ends of lashes that looked like the antennae of busy insects. This suggests that he is creepy and sly, like insects. It also implies that Bitzer is going to turn out like everyone else because insects are connected with dirt and with living in large colonies.

Dickens uses narrative and speech to put his views across. He makes Gradgrind very formal by his speech calling Sissy by her full name is a brought up formally. This makes Gradgrind seem an unpleasant person, as he is strict and hard on the children.

Dickens presents the circus folk as the opposite of Gradgrind and the Inspector.

“Its all the same to me what he is or what he is not, whether in English or whether in French.”

This suggests that the circus folk aren’t bothered about having a good education and about how they speak. The way they talk make them sound casual young, caring, colourful, humorous and without a care in the world. The fact that the circus folk make the readers laugh makes me think that you don’t need an education full of facts and that you can have a fun, good life with an imagination.

Throughout Hard Times, Dickens is trying to get his views about education across by using similes, metaphors, alliteration, physical descriptions and language. He is trying to say that children should be taught with imagination and emotion and have the right to their own opinion as children who are taught the facts may grow up demeanful and warped, whereas children with imagination are nicer people, for example Sissy.

I think Dickens’ attitude to education is very clear to see, as he is extremely critical towards teachers and education.