Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Novel set in the fictional city of ‘Coketown’ England that explores English society and its social and economic condition. Where Thomas Gradgrind a wealthy retired merchant raises his children Tom and Louisa and leads a school on the principle of facts. He “was a man of realities, a man of calculation.” On the other hand, there is the average factory worker Stephen Blackpool who struggles with personal life and employment, showing what life was like for the average man. The novel explores Utilitarian beliefs.

Utilitarianism is the belief that as humans we should be focused on self-interest and logic. The belief is dependent on educational, political, economic, and social structures. The novel “Hard Times” is a response to the utilitarian mindset. This is shown through the main characters. Mr, Thomas Gradgrind led the school based on facts, teaching children that facts are all that matters. “Now what I want is facts, teach these boys and girls nothing but facts” (chapter 1). Mr. Josiah Bounderby also believed in utilitarianism, but he used it for his own personal gain. The circus people stood as the opposite of utilitarianism.

As the story progresses, Dickens shows the failures of the Utilitarian system of belief. It is shown through Thomas Gradgrind and the way he raises his children, Tom and Louisa. Despite being well educated, they could not handle the real world as adults. They were not allowed to think, use their imagination or follow their heart as children. This ultimately led to Tom Stealing and Louisa having a nervous breakdown after falling for Mr.

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James Harthouse. These children’s lives depict the failures of the utilitarian system. Louisa did not know how to respond to Mr. Harthouse’s affection for her since she has never been allowed to have feelings of her own. Tom starts to drink and gamble in retaliation to his upbringing. This eventually puts him in debt and then he robs the bank. After seeing his children in this state Mr. Grandgrind begins to do some “soul searching” he starts to question the way he raised the children, to not consider “facts of the heart’.

Mr. Bouderby used the utilitarian system of belief for his own personal gain. Taking advantage of the people and flaunting his wealth and power. He made “practical” choices that inconvenienced others. This is shown in the way he treats Stephen Blackpool. Stephen Blackpool was described as “man of perfect integrity” While Josiah Bounderby was described as “a man perfectly devoid of sentiment’. This shows the strains between the rich and the poor and the difference that the utilitarian belief had on the opposing class of people. Mr. Bounderby’s marriage to Louisa also shows the unfairness of relying on facts. She did not love him, but his power made it logical for them to get married.

The circus people also represented the extreme opposite of the utilitarian system of belief. They were simple, fun-loving people, who were very wise in “facts of the heart’. Sissy Jupe is good, she was imaginative and kind and made good decisions even though she was not well educated. Mr. Sleary was a funny character but beneath all that humor there were words of wisdom. Close to the end of the story he says to Mr. Gradgrind ‘People must be amused, they can’t always be learning, nor can they always be working. They ain’t made for it.” This was a very powerful statement to opposing the utilitarian system of belief.

Dickens uses the personalities of the characters to explore the utilitarian system of belief and to express his response to it. The way the novel ends shows that he was not a fan. He believed that we should use our imagination and that society needed to change. The story ends with Mr. Gradgrind attending to ‘facts of the heart’ and we learn that Mr. Bounderby dies from having a fit. Mr. Bounderby was the antagonist of the story and he represented the selfishness of the utilitarian system. Mr. Gradgrind represented the change, while his children represented the failures of the system. The circus people represented being good and considering “facts of the heart’.