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mattyswytla 's review for:
Hard Times
by Charles Dickens
This might very well be one of Dicken's novels I enjoyed the most. :D The characters are colourful, the underlying morals and social commentary well articulated (it's Dickens after all), but the brevity of the tale is what impressed me. No side tales or lengthy descriptions here, which is such a relief. There's tragedy, cruelty, poverty, but the people working on with perseverance lift the tale somewhat.
“Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts; nothing else will ever be of any service to them.”
This philosophy has unexpected effects on the Gradgrind family and reflect the mindset of the industrial towns, especially that of the factory owners who desired to do away with charity, human condition, or anything resembling care for the working poor. The closing words are therefore so appropriate: “Do the wise thing and the kind thing too, and make the best of us and not the worst.” Every person deserves to be treated humanely and not like an animal or an extension of machinery.
Especially the treatment of women as chattel is put on the spot - I shuddered just like Louisa at the proprietary eye of Bounderby who has decided to one day marry the then 15 year old girl while he was almost 50. They married when she was 20 because Louisa though she had no other alternative when her father presented the suit in such 'logical' terms, not taking her feelings into account. Louisa's words "What does it matter?" are repeated throughout the book to a chilling effect. I really sympathised with her - a father fixed on facts, a mother constantly fading away with her disposition, and the girl with no friends to shield her. Her brother, the person she loved the most, hinted that her marriage would help him since he worked for Bounderby at the bank. Of course, he only wanted to have her to fall back on for money. He hated the man but he was happy to marry his sister to him. Despicable.
“Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts; nothing else will ever be of any service to them.”
This philosophy has unexpected effects on the Gradgrind family and reflect the mindset of the industrial towns, especially that of the factory owners who desired to do away with charity, human condition, or anything resembling care for the working poor. The closing words are therefore so appropriate: “Do the wise thing and the kind thing too, and make the best of us and not the worst.” Every person deserves to be treated humanely and not like an animal or an extension of machinery.
Especially the treatment of women as chattel is put on the spot - I shuddered just like Louisa at the proprietary eye of Bounderby who has decided to one day marry the then 15 year old girl while he was almost 50. They married when she was 20 because Louisa though she had no other alternative when her father presented the suit in such 'logical' terms, not taking her feelings into account. Louisa's words "What does it matter?" are repeated throughout the book to a chilling effect. I really sympathised with her - a father fixed on facts, a mother constantly fading away with her disposition, and the girl with no friends to shield her. Her brother, the person she loved the most, hinted that her marriage would help him since he worked for Bounderby at the bank. Of course, he only wanted to have her to fall back on for money. He hated the man but he was happy to marry his sister to him. Despicable.