In ‘Hard Times’ Dickens presents various characters reactions to members of different social groups. How do you respond to his presentation?
There are many different social groups within ‘Hard Times’, which Dickens presents various interpretations to the interaction of. There are the working class people known as ‘The Hands’ and the circus people both which Dickens seems to favour. Also, there are the factual, middle class people, the bosses and also the upper class all of which Dickens satirizes in one way or another.
Dickens’ favouritism for the circus people comes across when they meet Gradgrind and Bounderby as he describes them as having a “remarkable gentleness and childishness” about them. This clash brings about the contrasts between fact and fancy and highlights Bounderby’s lack of compassion for this particular social class since he is very rude and inconsiderate when he tells Sissy of her father’s departure. The circus people’s reaction to Bounderby and Gradgrind is one of aggression, although we feel they behave in the correct manner and understand their anger towards the discourteous behaviour of Bounderby. We sense Gradgrinds disapproval of the circus when he catches Louisa and Tom peeping through the loophole at the circus people and describes it as a ‘degraded position.’ This shows how he feels the circus is somewhat inferior to him by looking down on it. Dickens’ portrayal of these particular characters allows us to empathize with the circus people in contrast to the middle class.
