In Hard Times Charles Dickens criticizes several facets of life among the lower categories working in mills in England during the 19th century. This paper will analyze three of the topic Dickens condemns in Hard Times: Grandgrindism. the divorce Torahs in England at the clip and bad instruction for kids. Hard Times is set in Coketown. England. “It was a town of ruddy brick. or of brick that would hold been ruddy if the fume and ashes had allowed it. . .

It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys. out of which endless serpents* of fume trailed themselves for of all time and of all time. . . . It had a black canal in it. and a river that ran purple with malodorous dye” ( Dickens. 28 ) . Coketown is typical of the industrialised mill towns that grew under the construct of “Grandridnism. ” a term Dickens coined from a complex of popular doctrines of the twenty-four hours: utilitarianism. cutthroat capitalist economy. and self-interest among members of the upper categories. Dickens uses his character Stephen Blackpool to reprimand both the brotherhoods and the Torahs in England.

Blackpool refuses to fall in the brotherhood that has formed in Coketown. accordingly he is blackballed by the brotherhood and unable to happen work even though he is an first-class worker. Here Dickens seems to be replacing one taskmaster. the company proprietors with another. the brotherhood. both of whom are more interested in their ain involvements than that of the workers. Blackpool’s problems are increased because of his matrimony. His married woman “went bad” and “took to imbibing. left off working. sold the furniture. pawned the apparels. and played old Gooseberry” ( Dickens. 95 ) .

Unfortunately Blackpool is unable to acquire a divorce. To make so he would “have to travel to Doctors’ Common with a suit. and you’d hold to travel to a tribunal of Common Law with a suit. and you’d hold to travel to the House of Lords with a suit. and you’d have to acquire an Act of Parliament to enable you to get married once more. and it would be you ( if it was a instance of really apparent seafaring ) . I suppose from a 1000 to fifteen hundred pound” ( Dickens. 99 ) . Each of these undertakings was beyond the agencies of Blackpool the combination of them was reeling. Clearly merely the rich can acquire a divorce.

When Blackpool expresses discouragement at the legal demands. “‘Tis merely a muddle a’toogether. an’ the Oklahoman I am dead. the better” ( Dickens. 99 ) . he is chastised. “Pooh. pooh! Don’t you talk nonsensical. my good chap. ” said Mr. Bounderby. “about things you don’t understand ; and don’t you name the establishments of your state a clutter. or you’ll acquire yourself into a existent muddle one of these all right Here Dickens is knocking non merely the divorce Torahs. but any Torahs that below the belt discriminate against the lower categories so much that they would instead decease shortly than have to populate under the Torahs.

Dickens disapproves of the instruction of the twenty-four hours with its accent on public-service corporation and absence creativeness and concern for the single pupil. “You can merely organize the heads of concluding animate beings upon Facts: nil else will of all time be of any service to them. This is the rule on which I bring up my ain kids. and this is the rule on which I bring up these kids. Stick to Facts. Sir! ” ( Dickens. 1 ) .

While Hard Times offers pertinent unfavorable judgment of the life conditions of industrial workers in industrialised England. unluckily Dickens fails to make is supply solutions for these jobs. That is non to state his attempts were and are in vain. Change will merely come after issues have been made known to the populace at big and the opinion category in peculiar. Due to the increasing prosperity of people in the United States early in the 21st century it is hard to place with the characters in Hard Times.

However its relevancy is late more important as troubles as an increasing sum of working conditions for mill workers in the 3rd universe reveals conditions similar to and even more rough than those experienced by the people in Dickens’ novel. Hard Times is a valuable book for today merely as it was when published.

Plants Cited Dickens. Charles. Hard Times. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1989.