How does Dickens present his attitudes to education in the opening chapters of hard times?
How does Dickens present his attitude to education in the opening chapters of "Hard Times"? Charles Dickens presents his ideas and attitude towards education in the Victorian times through his descriptive language, storyline and characterisation in the opening chapters of his novel "Hard Times". It is a condition-of-England book which means a story that shows a representation of life at the time it was written. It highlights the economic and social problems England faced during the period and incorporates them into the story. This is a style that Dickens is known for using in most of his works. Dickens brings across his opinions of movements such as Romanticism and Utilitarianism through his use of language and the way he presents his characters. The novel was published in 1854 during a time when industry in England was expanding and developing resulting in a higher demand for workers. Because of this, child labour became common, this meant that many children were not receiving a proper and decent education, and it is these circumstances that affected Dickens's life. Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812 into a middle class family and received a good education in his early years, but then his father lost a great deal of money and he was forced to end his education and go to work in a shoe-dye factory . Here, he experienced an
Compare the first impressions of school we receive in 'Hard Times' and 'To Sir With Love'.
Dean Langan, 11:8 | English Literature | GCSE Coursework Compare the first impressions of school we receive in 'Hard Times' and 'To Sir With Love'. Hard Times and To Sir with Love are two completely different novels. Both set in the classroom over a century apart. Hard Times, which is set in the 1850's, a time of struggle. This was the era of the industrial revolution and times were rough. In the classroom, the pupils were taught under a strict military style and they learned nothing but facts. The children were not allowed to used there imagination, or "fancy" as the teachers called it. The relationship between the pupils and the teacher wasn't personal although the pupils still respected the teachers since they didn't have any choice. The children each had a number and they all were called by it. The classroom was silent at all times. This is unlike 'to sir with love' since as the story progressed; the pupils became more friendly and supportive towards Mr Brathweight, the teacher. They developed a more personal relationship, which wouldn't have happened in Hard Times. In to sir with love the pupils learn about life, which is dissimilar to 'Hard times'. In Hard Times the school was poor. It was run by an organisation which, like any other was only in it for money and not the well being of its pupils. The teachers were all male and didn't seem to care
charles dickens hard times
Charles dickens - hard times Intro Charles dickens was very caring person he was a man who felt very strongly about such tings as utilitarianism and industrialisation as he lived in the time period were Britain was industrialised. He lived in London Britain from 1812 to 1870. He wrote hard times to show his views on these matters in 1854. Due to the circumstances in his life he wrote the book to show his personal experiences and help them know more about the thing he had seen. Dickens was man who cared, he was a philosopher who cared about humans and was interested in their relationships and how people were treated. Chapter 1 In chapter 1 of hard times we can see that Gradgrind is like the parent who is too strict, he wants to teach the children facts and nothing else. He wants to drain out the children's imagination and replace it with hard cold facts rather like himself. Gradgrind seed the children as machines that he can program to do as he wishes, because of the kind of person he is he feels that they need nothing else in life but facts. Dickens does this to show what it was like at this time. In the novel Dickens uses the words in a linguistic way by repeating the word "facts" repetition of this word show that Gradgrind was only set to facts. Dickens really wants to get this point across a lot as he was trying to inform us as the readers about reality throughout his
Analysis of Major Characters
Analysis of Major Characters Thomas Gradgrind Thomas Gradgrind is the first character we meet in Hard Times, and one of the central figures through whom Dickens weaves a web of intricately connected plotlines and characters. Dickens introduces us to this character with a description of his most central feature: his mechanized, monotone attitude and appearance. The opening scene in the novel describes Mr. Gradgrind's speech to a group of young students, and it is appropriate that Gradgrind physically embodies the dry, hard facts that he crams into his students' heads. The narrator calls attention to Gradgrind's "square coat, square legs, square shoulders," all of which suggest Gradgrind's unrelenting rigidity. In the first few chapters of the novel, Mr. Gradgrind expounds his philosophy of calculating, rational self-interest. He believes that human nature can be governed by completely rational rules, and he is "ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature, and tell you what it comes to." This philosophy has brought Mr. Gradgrind much financial and social success. He has made his fortune as a hardware merchant, a trade that, appropriately, deals in hard, material reality. Later, he becomes a Member of Parliament, a position that allows him to indulge his interest in tabulating data about the people of England. Although he is not a factory owner, Mr. Gradgrind