Hard Times

Book report
Student: Luca Chiappe Aguirre
Grade: IV Scientific B
Teacher: Mr. Vera Tudela
Table of
contents:

I) Introduction…………………………………………Pag.2

II) Summary…………………………………………Pag.3

III) Themes…………………………………………… Pag.6

IV) Symbols and motifs…………………………… Pag 7

V) Opinion……………………………………………. Pag. 9

VI) Bibliography…………………………………… Pag 9

Introduction:

Hard Times is a novel written by Charles Dickens and published in 1854. Tell us a
story set on a fictional industrial town named Coketown, the book explores the
society in the years of the Industrial Revolution, the society is explore from a
psychological view. Dickens uses his characteristic wit and social commentary to
critique the dehumanizing effects of utilitarianism and the lost of empaty and
imagination that is something that still hapening in our years, the people life in the
research of our own interests and the world is drive just by facts and efficiency, what
it means a great criticismo f the utilitarianism. In this novel Charles Dickens present
us six different main characters , all of them see the life from a different point of
view, that are, Thomas Gradgrind he is the father of Louisa and Tom and raised
them, in an environment devoid of imagination and emotions, prioritizing facts and
practicality above all else (symbolism of the utilitarianism). Louisa Gradgrind grows
under a very strict education gived from her dad, she is the older son, she learn
philosophy of his father. She later marries Josiah Bounderby, a wealthy industrialist,
but finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage. Tom Gradgrind, Louisa's younger
brother, Tom initially conforms to his father's utilitarian ideology but later becomes
entangled in a life of crime. Josiah Bounderby a prestigious self-made man and
factory owner, Bounderby presents himself as a successful and compassionate
figure. However, he is eventually exposed as a fraud. Stephen Blackpool is a
hardworking and honest factory worker who endures numerous hardships.
Stephen's story highlights the struggles and injustices faced by the working class
during the Industrial Revolution. Sissy Jupe, one of my favorite characters, is a circus
girl taken in by the Gradgrind family. Sissy represents the antithesis of the utilitarian
philosophy, as she possesses a vibrant imagination and a compassionate nature. She
serves as a symbol of kindness and empathy throughout the novel. All this characters
build a intreresting and beautifull story based on a probable reality of those year.

Summary:

The book starts with a vivid description of Coketown as I explained in the

introduction, a place dominated by machinery, factories, and constant cloud of
smoke. In the first scene we have Mr. Gradgrind teaching the importance of the facts
he constantly drills his phylosophy to the young childrens, he emphasizes the need
for practical knowledge and discourages any form of creativity or individuality. Since
this scene we can realized that theres no impulse to creativity or imagination.
Dickens introduce as the two sons of Mr. Gradgrind and the worst students, Sissy
Juppe, that was fatherless and Gradgrind take her to educate her. Louisa is described
as a young girl lacking in emotions and living a mechanical existence. Tom, on the
other hand, is portrayed as a mischievous and careless boy who is already displaying
signs of rebellion against his father's teachings.

Mr. Boundery is presented like a mysterious figure, that is a rich and self-made man,
he started to expalin why Mr. Gadgrind have a miserable life. Mr. Gradgrind
interrupt him, after sometime they realized that Sissy have a big influence in Tom
and Louisa, because Sissy represent the closest proximity to imagination and
creativity, because the family of Sissy worked in a circus. All this generate that Louisa
and Tom remained fascinated. After that Mr. Gradgrind and Mr. Boundery went to
the father of the young Sissy and told him that she shouldn’t go to school. They
walked across the city of red bricks. After walking they found Sissy scaping from
Bitzer en his phylosophy, they met her and arrive to pegasus arms.

After this scene we have te meeting between Mr. Sleary, the owner of the circus, and
Mr. Gradgrind. The teacher ask what was the best for Sissy. After some chating Mr.
Gradgrind decide to adopte her.

In the other fase of the coin, Tom is very sad and disappointed about his life because
it was very monotonous and and he let Louisa know about this feeling, this make
Louisa reflect too, bad her mom tells instantly to do not make that type of questions.
In this lapse of time Sissy is very disappointed because she feels useless because
everytime that a teacher ask her something he answers wrong. Sissy expresses her
frustration to Louisa, sharing her fear of being "stupid" and incapable of meeting Mr.
Gradgrind's expectations. Louisa, who is also dissatisfied with her own education,
sympathizes with Sissy and acknowledges the flaws of their upbringing.
The scene changes and we have the mention of one of the best operators of the
company of Mr. Bounderby that was Stephen Blackpool, a mention with a lot of
praises. He was walking and talking to Rachel and when he arrived to her house he
finds her wife completely drunk, we know her wife as ‘’the woman’’. Stephen
Blackpool visits Mr. Bounderby at his residence late at night for some advices. During
their conversation, Mr. Bounderby suggests that Stephen should leave his wife and
start fresh. He emphasizes the importance of self-preservation and encourages
Stephen to prioritize his own well-being. Mr. Bounderby, being a practical and
unsentimental character, views Stephen's situation through a utilitarian lens and
advises him to act in his own self-interestl, but the problem was that a divorce
means to spend money and Blackpool didn’t had the money.

In this lapse of time Mr. Gradgrind tells hes sons that Mr. Bounderby wants the hand
of Louisa. Louisa doubt firstable but she finally accept. Mr. Bounderby after hearing
the news, informs Mrs. Sparsit. They got married and went to Lyons for their
honeymoon.

Meanwile Mrs. Sparsit ask to Bitzer about Tom. In a dinner Tom and James were
drinking and Tom exposed secrets of the family and his true intentions.

On the other face On the other hand, the workers, leaded by Slackbridge, want to
unify except Stephen Blackpool, who Mr. Bounderby meets up later. He was curious
about the fact that he was disagree, Stephen said that he maid a promise to never
join, Mr. Bounderby a little angry fire him for this answer. Stephen goes home to tell
the new and Tom and Louisa reached him to give him some money, and he left
Coketown. James had a dinner with Louisa and they talk about Tom and his
problems, mostly his big debt and how Louisa help him with that.

The time past and one day Mr. James met Brounderby and he was very angry
because someone rob him one hundred and fifty pounds. It was a very
uncomfortable conversation that made me suspect about James, in the research of
create an undfriendly climate between Louisa and the bussinesman.

Louisa finds that her mom was very sick, in the country estate, and when she returns,
Mrs. Gradgrind dies. Furthermore Mrs. Sparsit start spying James and Louisa and
unfortunately she sees how James was declaring his feelings to Louisa. Louisa plan to
meet James but in the last momento she change hjer mind and goes to her dad to
ask some advice. After that Sissy, that found out, tells James to live Coketown, he
wasn’t agree but finally accept.

Mr. Bounderby went to Stone Lodge to confront Mr. Gradgrind, who explains that
she is in a fragile time and must stay home. Mr. Bounderby was unhappy with this
and tells him that if he doesn’t return by the noon of the next day, the marriage was
going to end, but Louisa will not return.

The next main point is the day that Rachel, Tom, and Mr. Bounderby went to visit
Louisa to discuss about what happened at the bank with Stephen. Rachel(Stephen
wife) said that him will return in two days but a week pass by and he never returns.
As they planned, Sissy and Rachel went to look for Stephen, but they only found his
hat and they understood that he had fallen into a hole, so they asked for help. Once
rescued, he was carried and happy to be with his wife.

Sissy had a conversation with Mr. Gradgrind about his son because she told him that
he could refuged in Mr. Sleary’s circus, so he can escape. So, they went to the circus
and Tom recognize the crime he committed and is painted black. So Bitzer says that
he must bring Tom to justice and to take him away. At the end it was part of Sleary’s
plan, to allowed Tom to escape from England. Sissy’s father was dead, and they
found out because Merry legs has returned.

Suddendly Mrs. Sparsit because she constantly manipulate, the book concludes with
the death of Mr. Bounderby in a attack, Sissy finally marries and make a family,
Louisa is going to focus on her self and is searching to change the roles of the teacher
and the student because she take the initiative to teach her dad, Mr Gradgrind,
another type of phylosphy and not the phylosophy that he listen all his life and the
greatest exponents of this philosophy ended very badly.

Themes:
 Utilitarianism: All long the book focus to critiques the phylosophy of
utilitarianism. Dickens presents us the negative consequences of a society
base don the practicality, rationality, etc. He focus to see how the society is
managed under these principles.

 The family and relationships: The autor, delves into complexities of family
relationship and the impact on the children, but more from the point of
superimposed. Also a very importan aspect of the love and with a huge
diversity is the relationships (love). Is present in the negative way or positive
for example, the relation ship between between Louisa and Tom, she loves
him and cares about him, that much that she would do anything for him.
Another relationship we can see is between Mr Gradgrind and Louisa, he
loves her and influences that much on him that he changed his beliefs. Rachel
and Stephen are a clear example of the negative part of this feeling, Stephen
wanted to divorce her. James and Louisa on the other hand , is a non-
correspondent love, because he loves her, but she doesn’t feel the same way.

 Redemption and Compassion: The novel explores the possibilities of

redemption and the transformative power of compassion and empathy.
Characters such as Louisa Gradgrind and Tom Gradgrind undergo personal
growth and learn the importance of emotional connections and
understanding.

 Social Injustice and Inequality: Dickens exposes the injustices and inequalities
prevalent in Victorian society. He criticizes the vast disparity between the
working class and the wealthy elite, highlighting the harsh living conditions,
exploitation, and lack of social mobility experienced by the lower classes.
 Imagination: The novel examines the shortcomings of an education system solely
focused on facts, figures, and practical knowledge. It emphasizes the importance of
nurturing imagination, creativity, and emotional intelligence in the development of
well-rounded individuals.

Symbols:

 Coketown: The city represents the epitome of the indrustrialization, and is a

symbol of dehumanization. It embodies the negative effects of
industrialization, with its smoky factories, polluted air, and mechanical way of
life.
 Circus: The circus, particularly the Sleary's Circus, symbolizes freedom, joy,
and escape from the harsh realities of Coketown. It represents a world of
entertainment, spontaneity, and a respite from the mechanical existence of
everyday life. Despite this, the point of view of the persons that represent the
utilitarianism, is different because their are against the distraction and all this
type of kind of things generate.

 Boundaries: The boundaries in the novel, such as the physical boundaries of

Coketown and the metaphorical boundaries between classes, symbolize the
limitations and divisions imposed by society. They serve as a reminder of the
barriers tah prevent individuals from experiencing true freedom and
fulfillment.

 Bank: It represent the ‘’perfect’’, the wealth, of this phylosophy obviously but
also discriminating people, for example those that have no money.
 Motifs:

 The history of Bounderby: Mr. Bounderby describes his upbringing as being

sad because his mother abandoned him and his grandmother tortured him.
Nevertheless, he persisted and was successful; he established his own bank
and business. He argues that moving from a low to a high social class is
conceivable. His mother said that the tale was made up and was a fabrication.
I am aware that many workers who are unable to find work will likely rule out
this opportunity to escape poverty.

 Fancy vs Fact: This motif emphasizes the opposition between the imaginative
and emotional realm of fancy and the rational and practical world of facts. It
stands for the tension between the desire for human warmth, creativity, and
empathy and the utilitarian ideology.

Opinion:

I really like this book because it is not heavy to read, and I also like a
lot the fact that is a book that represent the society right now, is incredible
to think that a book wrote on 1854. even our days if it is a book that
represents us until today, it seems that I read the future. I also like the
characters I personally feel close to Sissy in the first part of the book.

Bibliography:
 https://www.litcharts.com/lit/hard-times/summary

 https://chat.openai.com/
 https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/hardtimes/summary/
 http://panchthupihgcollege.in/UploadedFiles/515192AB.A.ENGLISH
%20General%20Programme%20course%20Notes%20SEMESTER-IV
%20PaperENGH-G-CC-T-4.pdf