Explore Dickens presentation of education in Hard Times Essay

monster presents The Victorian genteelness dodge in impenetrable Times in a fundamentall(a)y negative way, devil expresses the conceit that having an imaginative aspect to our education is essential. He does this through satirising the education system and mocking the references. Through proscribed the novel, it is a purpose of the Tempter being satirical towards the education system.Dickens opens the novel with a satirical description of doubting Thomas Gradgrind and his utilitarian educational methods as he teaches the room full of students features exclusively are wanted in life (9) Dickens satirises Gradgrinds lading to an education comprised only of occurrences as Gradgrind exaggerates that facts are the only essential matter in life. Fancy (14) symbolises imagination and wonder compared to facts. Dickens emphasise Fact more(prenominal) than he does with Fancy he does this by repeating fact itself, sounds more forceful. Gradgrinds view on education is his children a re to never imagine or wonder.Gradgrind rejects the concept of contrive or imagination foresee has nothing to contribute to understanding only things that can be deliberate are important. Gradgrinds disapproving rant on fancy You foolt walk upon flowers in fact (14) to the students underlines that fancy is bad and it should be facts (14) In his satirical description of Gradgrind, Dickens aim is of what he go through in the industrial England during his time when education varied vastly, according to location, gender, and class, moment that Dickens view on Utilitarianism is sh profess in a satirical way, and his beliefs stood out throughout the novel, this indicates how the education system was controlled.Dickens uses characters names to continue his derision of the utilitarian education system prevalent in Victorian Britain. Mr Gradgrind breaks into the al-Quran Grind as a means to crush, signifying his method of grinding hatful the students individuality and any imaginatio n they may pay off entered the school with. Mr MChoakumchild, breaks into me, choke, child Dickens exaggerates with the name as we dont ideate the new teacher is literally choking the children in his care, that this Fact-obsessed creature depart only choke imagination and feelings out of them. If he had only learnt a little less, how infinitely better be he power sacrifice taught much more (15) This highlights that the utilitarianism system would function much better, if it were not so strung on facts. If Mr. MChoakumchild had learnt less and been practically involved with his students more and would have taught far better. This is criticizing the way the system works. Dickens is suggesting that in the utilitarianism system, suggesting that ramming facts into students might not be the most effective way of teaching them. not eitherthing can be reduced to facts alone.Mr Gradgrind and Mr Bounderby are the main representations of utilitarianism and followers of the system. In Loui sas proposed marriage to Bounderby, Dickens shows us a disastrous payoff of Gradgrinds system that denied everything but facts. You have been accustomed to consider every other question, simply as one of tangible Fact (97) This illustrates that Gradgrind, who is incapable of expressing his emotions effectively toward Louisa, edges her into a marriage with Bounderby by stating various facts and statistics to her. Louisa is hesitant to make it her feelings towards him she returned, without any visible emotion (96) David Lodges How Successful Was firmly Times? (1981) argues that Gradgrinds ideology in his system is questionable, Lodge explains that it is a primary index of what is wrong with his system Mr Bounderby is also a character with utilitarian beliefs, doubtlessly one of the major characters that has a firm belief in the system, you may force him to swallow boiling fat, but you shall never conquer force him to suppress the facts of his life (23) He signifies the very essen ce of his unmerciful principles that only has room for facts and statistics.Hard Times outlines that a utilitarian progress to life is unsuccessful and costs those who follow their imaginations become robotic and inadequate to the system. supposition and heart is found in the carnival where Mr Bounderby and Mr Gradgrind despise No boyish people have circus masters or attend circus lectures about circuses (23) Gradgrind implies that circuses are not like a practical schoolroom. Dickens represents Sissy Jupe as an influential character of the novel who presents the value of a warm heart and embodies feelings and emotions. She is seen as a complete failure of Gradgrinds system. However Dickens and the reader judge her as a success. The two-year-old innocent miss mocked by the teacher and presented as the dumb girl in the start of the novel, gradually turns out to be the most lynchpin character in the whole novel. Since the foundational significance of fact and the removal of fan cy that Gradgrinds education obliges, Sissy Jupe will never succeed. Nevertheless, in enkindle of the education, Sissy becomes a young woman who is able to maintain her own principles and beliefs.The contrasting descriptions of Sissy and Bitzer are shown in their appearance. For example Sissy is depict as radiant and warm dark eyed and dark haired (11) referring to her as someone who is the face of vitality. However Bitzer is portrayed as what little semblance he ever possessed (11) and His cold eyes would hardly have been eyes (11)) Demonstrating that he is cold and emotionless with no heart and all calculation. Dickens uses Bitzer to demonstrate that other students are influenced by him, showing that he is a follower of Gradgrinds system, whereas Sissy is the foreigner to the system.The Utilitarian education system relates to the industrial town Coketown which consists of factories and large streets like one other people equally like one another (27) The town is connect to a painted face of a savage (27) that is described as barbaric and uncultured, the children are being deprived from the ill-smelling dye (27) Dickens suggests the parliamentary law that the children/workers are living in is unsanitary Jail (28) indicating that they have no escape from their problems. The utilitarian system stamps out all imagination in the pupils and prepares them perfectly for the life of drudgery. Dickens describes as their lot as manpower in Coketowns factories.Education presented in Hard Times is shown as satirical in Dickensian vision of Utilitarianism. This is because Dickens is able to stool a fool out of the system cunningly. Furthermore it is certain that what Dickens has presented is humorous and convincing with making the utilitarian ideology seem monstrous through the novel. I find David Lodges argument towards Dickens opinion as liberal and potent.