Discuss the theme of education in ‘Hard Times’ and a ‘Kestrel for a Knave’.

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Michelle Louise Dell

Hard Times & A Kestrel for a Knave

Discuss the theme of education in ‘Hard Times’ and a ‘Kestrel for a Knave’.

   Both the authors of ‘A Kestrel for a Knave’ and ‘Hard Times’ are critical of the education system of the era of time that they have came from and experienced. Charles Dickens, who wrote ‘Hard Times’ is criticising a 19th Century concept of life called utilitarianism which affects education in a bad way. Barry Hines is critical of the selective school system favoured in Britain and only started to fade in the 1970’s. Both writers share the same view that pupils’ individuality and freedom are being destroyed by the systems, and are being turned into either knowledge spewing machines, or are left neglected to rot on the loser shelf.

    The children’s’ lives are followed in the books, and are portrayed as victims of the systems. The consequences of this are both shown to be negative; in ‘A Kestrel for a Knave’ young Billy Casper’s life is an awful one, and in ‘Hard Times’ when they reach adulthood they are unable to function properly. Both systems are shown to be failures.

   ‘Hard Times’ reflects social concerns in the mid 19th century. Society used to focus on ‘the home’ but the Industrial Revolution saw a change in this. People now focused on work, it was the object of their lives. This period brings to life ‘Utilitarianism’ - this was the solution to any problem or decision. It is the concept of determining whether one’s action is right or wrong by the amount of happiness its consequences bring to an amount of people. An action or decision is deemed right if it has affected the majority of people in a good way, and no regard is given to the people in the minority. ‘THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER’.  

   The theory tells that life has no room for ‘fancy’, which were things like art, entertainment, play - any use of the imagination which is not to make money or to benefit one in a materialistic way. Cold hard facts, calculations and precision of everything were hammered in, producing uncharitable and ‘hard’ individuals, devoid of feelings or compassion. This theory was devised by the eighteenth century philosopher, Jeremy Bentham. He assumed that all human beings were motivated by nothing other than material values. The weaknesses are highly exposed as this philosophy is explored by Charles Dickens in ‘Hard Times’.

    Dickens’ view was influenced by many things, obviously what he saw going on around him, which was people turning into hard hearted machines, the effect of a utilitarian society. He was afraid the country would become a army of automatons, emotionless. Dickens’ view was also influenced by Thomas Carlyle, who wrote ‘Sign of the Times’ in 1829, criticising the effects of industry. He argued that people were becoming like machines and that their individuality were being eroded. He shared the same view of Dickens that the country was in danger. He wrote:

‘It is in the age of machinery in every outward and inward sense of that word . Nothing is now done directly or by hand; all is by rule and calculated contrivance... Men are grown mechanical in head and in heart, as well as in hand.’

   Carlyle shows concern with the term ‘hand’ and his regret that so little human contact is still in evidence, and that all has been given over to machines. This relates to ‘Hard Times’ as throughout Dickens refers to his workers as ‘hands’, individuals only have any importance to their masters because of the amount of work they do which benefits the master by bringing in money. Another stronger yet subtler influence is shown in Carlyle’s ‘all is by rule and calculated contrivance’. In the opening chapter ‘some boy’, as he is referred to, Bitzer gives a definition of a horse.

“Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four eye teeth, and twelve incisive. Sheds coat in spring; in marshy countries, sheds hooves, too. Hooves hard, but requiring to be shod with iron. Age is known by marks on mouth. “

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   This explanation of a horse is completely factual, completely devoid of emotion, showing that he has been made to memorise with no imagination or feeling included, hence ‘all is done by calculated contrivance.’

   The books is started the way it is to show the reader immediately how reliant on facts the education is. It is opened mid conversation on the topic of facts, “Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but facts. facts alone are wanted in life.” The word fact is given a capital letter by Dickens, probably to emphasise ...

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