Hard Times Essay Essay

How does devil show his dislike for the study system in Hard propagation? What is the effect of this system on Louisa? Does she valet de chambreage to resist her very utile upbringing? In the novel Hard Times, set in speed of light Town written in 1854, two looks his own ideas of the poverty-ridden, circumstanceory towns of the nineteenth century Industrial Revolution. The allow is based on family and it besides shows the expand of the social standards of the time, poverty, the difficulty of life and the tough education system.Education at this time was difficult and hard to enjoy for those children who wanted to explore illusion and surrealism those with active or overactive moods. The reason was that the education system at this time was purely factual. The education that Louisa and her younger brother Thomas see to it in this earmark is an education based on facts, this Charles hellion seems to detest. I echo fiend whitethorn non have liked this instance of ed ucation becaexercising it eliminated all sorts of fantasy and surrealism.Being a metaphor author, I think that he would find this annoying as he employ his imagination to create his books. I think this may be hotshot of his motives for writing the book. One of the main book of factss in the book itself, Thomas Gradgrind (Senior) states that the education of children should be Facts, facts, facts, nothing much, nothing less than facts. His young daughter Louisa does not seem to be fond of this statement and does not like to memorise her perplex say it. When she is at home she is flown all sorts of instruments to riding habit by her father.She seems to dismiss the idea of using them, whereas her brother Thomas obeys by his fathers orders, showing no reluctancy, perhaps this is because he is a boy and his father would like him to succeed and become as successful as him, afterward all they sh ar the same name. Fantasy books, creative writing and any(prenominal)thing other foundationly would not even be considered in the minds of the t distributivelyers. The pupils were taught about economic issues, the political sympathies and mathematical figures. They were also taught some politics. Their education was limited, and it did not allow their minds to subvert to the boundaries of fantasy and fiction.Charles Dickens portrays this in the book well we gain an (If preferably limited) understanding of the poorer childrens view on education. But mass in poverty hardly enter the book in terms of views on education. In Dickens view the children in the classroom ar worldness prepared to be yet more workers in one of the compositiony an(prenominal) factories in Coke Town. Louisa is a child who seems to have a dearest for surrealism and imagination, and would probably be found daydreaming at times. I think that this type of education would then be difficult for her, and even more difficult that her father was the main enforcer of the facts.We realise tha t she has a wrath for everything creative when she and her brother are caught peeping at the circus. She nigh stands up to her father, merely I think she is scared of his power so she decides against it. The education the children are receiving is not religious serviceing them to develop a creative mind with opposition for jobs in high up places. No, the education the children are receiving is based on facts and nothing but. This kind of education does not prepare them for the real world it prepares them for a life of working in the drab factories of Coketown.Dickens does not really encounter education for children in poverty in this book. Dickenss view on the education system and schools is that they are where any trace of imagination and wonder are extracted from the children, and replaced by pure facts. This makes us ponder the question did Charles Dickens believe that an education was to be reverse of all facts, or did he believe that fact mixed with fiction was the correc t expressive style to educate children? Dickens shows his opinions very cl earliest end-to-end the book.The repetition of the word facts all throughout the book, the flair it is said and how the facts are being ground deeper and deeper into the childrens minds, shows us his dislike to this system. Louisa is a victim of the education system. This is quite ironic, seeing as her father is the very man trying to enforce facts upon her and her classmates. Being an imaginative, creative child, interested in the circus, emblazon and arts she gets caught in the web of facts and struggles to escape. We see her frustration towards her father and society as a whole grow and develop throughout each part of the book.Dickens makes the reader question Gradgrinds method of tenet and education and lets the reader decide if it is right or wrong by the evidence Dickens gradually reveals during the course of the book. Charles Dickens creates a character whose teaching methods are quite different from the education system these days. Dickens has created a character, which is disliked by many, both in attitude and appearance. Gradgrind is depict to be square. Square wall of a forehead Dickens has employ this imagery so the reader perceives Gradgrind as a very impenetrable and square character.Dickens has described Gradgrind as a square man as it forces you to imagine a man with boundaries, and four straight walls with suitable sides, nothing more nothing less. In this way he portrays Gradgrind as a formal man, which helps you with the impression that he is a man of facts. apiece chapter is cleverly titled. They go on us insight into Dickens view of the events fetching place in that specific chapter. Murdering the innocents is an example of Dickens putting his view into the titles. This is a clear indication that he thinks the planting of facts and the lack of imagination snarled is not good and is not right.He thinks this is essentially killing the children, who ar e innocent because they have thoughts which are pure, and these pure thoughts include imagination. The fact that this innocence is being taken away from them and they are turning into adolescents agency that they are entering a world of dishonesty, fault and failure. Dickens also portrays the characters true traits through their name calling. Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. MChoakumchild are both examples of this. We can pick out by the naming of the characters that they are both strong and most apt(predicate) intimidating or cruel.Gradgrind implies the gradual grinding of facts into the childrens heads. Dickens uses these names as imagery. From Mr. MChoakumchild we obviously imagine the choking of a child. This gives us the impression that he does not like children and that he chokes them of their imagination. It makes you believe that he would not permit them to have their own thoughts of creativity but hang to facts and facts alone. I think Dickens has done this to inform the reader ea rly on that these characters are not in the right and to hopefully give us the same impression of this education system as him. reliable pupils get treated differently to others in Coketowns school. It appears that how well you are treated in the school depends on your social status. Sissy Jupe is involved with the circus she is rather looked down upon by the teachers because of this. She is referred to as girl make sense 20, whereas someone from a better background may be called by his or her real name. Her relationship with Louisa later on in the tommyrot also tells a tale of its own about class and how people are treated. Bitzer is treated with respect within the education system because he is of higher class, although not much higher than that of Sissy Jupe.He is lovesome to answer questions in class with straight facts, and this pleases the teachers. His knowledge of facts and the fact he is from a wealthier family determines his status and amount of respect he is given by t eachers and students alike. Because of this division between the two characters we see them progress throughout the book watching how they both change and develop under the same system. Bitzer follows and abides by the rules of facts, with his pale visage and his eagerness to please.He is a teachers pet and is eager to learn and get in their good books- not ashamed to suck up to get where he wants to be. He is a very eager boy, and his pale appearance and large eyes give him a strange owlish appearance. In contrast Louisa rebels is a dispirited but healthy, normal looking child, rebelling against the rules, longing for freedom and wishing to use her imagination and explore fantasy. In conclusion I think that Dickens has written the book Hard Times in such a way that the reader empathises and understands the hardship of an education based purely on facts.He has written the book in such a way that you agree with his opinions on the system and you agree with his dislike of the educati on system. He makes you dislike the system, but not in an obvious way and he does it subtly throughout the book so that you agree with him all the way through. He uses subtle descriptions and techniques, which make the reader agree with his opinions. The way he uses chapter titles and characters names, the way Sissy and Louisa struggle through the system all sum to your understanding of Dickens views.From the beginning of the book till the end, Louisa shows signs of wanting to explore the unknown, fantasy and fiction, but because of the current education system and her father being at the head of it, Louisa struggles to do this. Louisa finds that she cannot suppress her imagination whilst maintaining the rules of the system, and as she grows up she finds it easier to stand up to her father. Throughout the book, Louisa does anything to please her brother because of the factor of male person dominance she will try and get him out of trouble and help him as much as she can.In a way sh e almost sees him as an older brother, or someone to look out for, who may in turn look out for her. At the end, she finally becomes calorie-free of the shackles and facts that are binding her and can express herself imaginatively and creatively. Thomas Gradgrind Louisa both have incredibly opposite opinions. They grow together throughout the book and although Gradgrind is the main enforcer of facts, his daughter Louisa opens his eyes to the fact that imagination, creativity and fantasy are to be embraced in the education system, and not abolished from the minds of the young.