Hard Times - The Theme of Education Essay -- English Literature

Hard Times - The Theme of EducationIn this piece I mean to explain how monster is trying to representeducation in the Victorian era and how he feels about the tendency ofteaching that is widely used during his times. I also intend to makereferences to how the representation of Victorian schools by ogrecompares, historically to the actual conditions in a school from theVictorian era. As soon as the intensity begins we are introduced to a style of teachingthat is dependent only on facts. One of the main characters of thenovel is Thomas Gradgrind and he is the enforcer of this utilitarianstyle of education and is described as a man who is very strict.Dickens introduces us to this character with a description of his mostcentral feature his laggard appearance and strength. Stick tofacts, sir This exclamation suggests that the character likes toshout and sound firm. The short, punchy sentence suggests an assertiveand strong character.Dickens also makes Gradgrind come along tiresome and grating by the gravellyand rough sound of his name and how it is pronounced. Grind, inparticular suggests the grindstone, and flogging away at workconstantly and is associated with the mechanical, repetitive drudgeryof the grinder system.Dickens also employs the outer appearance of Gradgrind to parallel theinner personality of Gradgrind, Square coat, square shoulders andsquare legs. This seems to highlight Gradgrinds nature ofunrelenting rigidity. Dickens also uses tricolons to really exaggeratethe impression of this character being dull, boring and old fashioned.As a result, his educational ideas are seen to be dull and boring too.We get the overall impression from Dickens that he doesnt... ...stressed by the factory style approach to the children and theireducation. He exaggerates this to show the production line attitudeto education is wrong and does not help the child. He believes thatthe school in Hard Times treats all children the same and there is noexception to the ru le. He sees it as a rather utilitarian styleapproach, a one size fits all kind of regime and believes that thissystem has obviously failed. His distress seem to turn to the kind ofanger a activist would show in a protest and in a way his writing ofthe book is his skeletal system of a protest which is made through humour. Hestrongly believes that children at such an early stage in theirchildhood are too teenage to be exposed to such a formal and rigorousstyle of education and should instead be allowed to express theiremotions and have their youthful imaginations nurtured.