Riddhi Bhatt: Thinking Activity: Hard Times

Thinking Activity: Hard Times

Hello Beautiful People,

Today we discuss about “Education , Marriage , Industrialism in Hard Times ” . This blog is also part of my Thinking Activity assigned by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Head of the English Department of Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Bhavangar University (MKBU).

First, we discuss about Education - as discussed in Hard Times - how I see it in today's context? Then second one is that Marriage - as discussed in Hard Times and last one is that Industrialism - How does I see it today in the times of Digital Era.

Charles Dickens’s Hard Time:

Hard Times, a social protest novel of nineteenth-century England, is aptly titled. Not only does the working class, known as the "Hands," have a "hard time" in this novel; so do the other classes as well. Dickens divided the novel into three separate books, two of which, "Sowing" and "Reaping," exemplify the biblical concept of "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7).

The third book, entitled "Garnering," Dickens paraphrased from the book of Ruth, in which Ruth garnered grain in the fields of Boaz. Each of his major characters sows, each reaps, and each garners what is left.

Since Charles Dickens wrote of the conditions and the people of his time, it is worthwhile to understand the period in which he lived and worked. There were great intellectual and spiritual disturbances both in society and within the individual. The literature of the period reflects the conflict between the advocates of the triumphant material prosperity of the country and those who felt it had been achieved by the exploitation of human beings at the expense of spiritual and esthetic values. In theory, people of the period committed themselves on the whole to a hard-headed utilitarianism, yet most of the literature is idealistic and romantic.

The prophets of the time deplored the inroads of science upon religious faith, but the Church of England was revivified by the Oxford Movement; evangelical Protestantism was never stronger and more active; and the Roman Catholic Church was becoming an increasingly powerful religious force in England.

Not even in politics were the issues clear-cut. The Whigs prepared the way for the great economic reform of the age, the repeal of the Corn Laws; but it was a Tory leader, Sir Robert Peel, who finally brought that repeal through Parliament.

This century, marked by the Industrial Revolution, was also a century of political and economic unrest in the world: America was torn by the strife of the Civil War; France was faced with the problem of recovery from the wars of Napoleon; and Germany was emerging as a great power. The Industrial Revolution, though productive of much good, created deplorable living conditions in England. Overcrowding in the cities as a consequence of the population shift from rural to urban areas and the increase in the numbers of immigrants from poverty-stricken Ireland resulted in disease and hunger for thousands of the laboring class. But with the fall of Napoleon, the returning soldiers added not only to the growing numbers of workers but also to the hunger and misery. With the advent of the power loom came unemployment. A surplus labor supply caused wages to drop. Whole families, from the youngest to the oldest, had to enter the factories, the woolen mills, the coal mines, or the cotton mills in order to survive. Children were exploited by employers; for a pittance a day a nine-year-old worked twelve and fourteen hours in the mills, tied to the machines, or in the coal mines pulling carts to take the coal from the shafts. Their fingers were smaller and quicker than those of adults; thus, for picking out the briars and burrs from both cotton and wool, employers preferred to hire children.

Studies of the working and living conditions in England between 1800 and 1834 showed that 82 percent of the workers in the mills were between the ages of eleven and eighteen. Many of these studies proved that 62 percent of the workers in the fabric mills had tuberculosis. The factories were open, barnlike structures, not equipped with any system of heat and ventilation.

Historians have called Charles Dickens the greatest of the Victorian novelists. His creative genius was surpassed only by that of Shakespeare. Many later novelists were to feel the influence of this writer, whose voice became the trumpet of protest against economic conditions of the age. George Bernard Shaw once said that Little Dorrit was as seditious a book as Das Kapital. Thus, according to critics, Dickens' Hard Times is a relentless indictment of the callous greed of the Victorian industrial society and its misapplied utilitarian philosophy.

Education - as discussed in Hard Times & in today's context

The story is set in the fictitious town of Coketown. Coketown is used to represent a typical industrial town in the Northern area of England; many agree Coketown has certain similarities to Preston and Manchester but as Dickens had never been there he did not wish to offend them in the novel. Although the industrial revolution did many things to boost the economy of Britain, Dickens reveals the darker side the industrial revolution that consisted of slums, poverty and a monotonous and lifeless existence for many people. Mr Gradgrind's model school in Hard Times is not a real school. Dickens's generalized all the things, he thought were wrong with the education system into this school to show is contempt for the education system.

The novel contrasts two different views. The world of "factsâ€¦. and nothing but facts" is represented by Thomas Gradgrind and the world of fancy is represented by the Sleary's circus, which is presented as a philosophical counterpoint to the utilitarian view. Dickens based the circus on his childhood memories of Astley Circus, which he had written Sketches by Boz on. Caught between these two opposing views are Gradgrind's children Louisa and Tom, who are caught peering into a circus. Dickens shows Gradgrind's hate of the circus when he says, "He had reached the neutral ground upon the outskirts of the town, which was neither town nor country, and yet was either spoiled, when his ears were invaded by the sound of music."

Education is the imparting and acquiring of knowledge through teaching and learning, especially at a school or similar institution. The earliest educational processes involved sharing information about gathering food and providing shelter; making weapons and other tools; learning language; and acquiring the values, behaviour, and religious rites or practices of a given culture. Before the invention of reading and writing, people lived in an environment in which they struggled to survive against natural forces, animals, and other humans. To survive, preliterate people developed skills that grew into cultural and educational patterns.

It is difficult to infer that which education is better. Both the types have their own importance. Both the types are also similar to each and different to each other. Modern education is inherited from the traditional education. But due to modern education, traditional education is being neglected which would result in losing our culture. The traditional education and the modern education, both should be given equal importance.

Marriage - as discussed in Hard Times - in today's context

There are many unhappy marriages in Hard Times and none of them are resolved happily by the end. Mr. Gradgrind's marriage to his feeble, complaining wife is not exactly a source of misery for either of them, but neither are they or their children happy. The Gradgrind family is not a loving or affectionate one. The main unhappy marriage showcased by the novel is between Louisa Gradgrind and Mr. Bounderby. Louisa marries him not out of love but out of a sense of duty to her brother, Tom, the only person in the world she loves and who wheedles her into saying "yes" because he works for Bounderby and wants to improve his chances at rising in the world. Bounderby's intentions regarding Louisa seem a bit creepy at first, but he turns out to mean no harm to her (except that he deprives her of any marital affection).

The only solution to this bad marriage, once Louisa has escaped the hands of Jem Harthouse, is for Louisa to live at home the rest of her days. She will never be happy with another man or have the joy of children, though Dickens hints she will find joy in playing with Sissy's future children.

But the question remains-when is the right time to tie the ceremonial knot? Is it when aunties start probing? Is it when you feel that you need to have a companion as a support system later in your life? Or you should get married because you feel lonely on the Valentine’s Day when the rest of the world is flaunting their love? Or you must get married because your ex is married too?

Strangely–and matter of factly–India doesn’t seem to have space for singles. Everything is discussed in the context of marriage. Though more young Indians are pushing their single hood state to focus more on their careers–if not exactly to enjoy life and to remain resolutely single forever , here’s. When is the right time to get married. Being single necessarily mean being selfish, it could also mean that you are waiting for the right person to come along. In other words you are very selective and want to take your own time till you are sure in your head about the person you want to be with for the rest of your life. So I think this is today’s generation.

Industrialism – How to see today in the times of Digital Era

The Industrial Revolution was one of the most significant 'game-changing' periods in human history. A spark set in the heart of the United Kingdom in mid-1700's would create a wildfire that would engulf the world in a matter of decades. Supported by the massive increase in crop yield provided by the agricultural revolution, the Industrial Revolution was provided with manpower (and fuel) needed to stoke its furnaces

The old world ways of feudalism and agrarianism would be cast aside. Birth rates would rise, death rates would fall and near-total employment and regular income would be made possible. New technologies, new ways of thinking, new jobs and opportunities would open up. Nations that didn't adopt industrialization would quickly become obsolete and fall into obscurity. Many men, women, and children would leave the relative tranquility of the countryside to move to the burgeoning cities in search of work. This would lead to (relative to today) appalling working and living conditions which would, in turn, influence politics, inter-class relations, and the arts.

The Industrial Age is sometimes used as a synonym for the Industrial Revolution. It is, however, more accurately defined as the period of time between 1760 and the beginning of the 'Information Age' in the late 20th Century. Like the general definition of the Industrial Revolution, the Industrial Age is characterized by a period of significant changes in the economic and social organization of adopting nations around the world. It led, in part, to enormous improvements to the quality of life and marked an enormous increase in the wealth of nations and its citizens hitherto never seen before.

The impact of the Industrial Revolution was very positive and negative at the same time. It would ultimately mean that products could be produced faster and cheaper producing enormous changes to the environmental, socioeconomic, and geopolitical nature of a nation. Despite the revolution providing enormous opportunities for employment, mass migration to cities led to serious overcrowding, disease, and poor sanitation. Factories were also hazardous places to work for men, children and even women. Despite this, the revolution has, on balance, greatly improved the lives and standards of living for countries citizens over time. Many innovations such as improved transportation, electricity and mass-production reduced the costs for many items including essentials like medicine, heat, and power, to name but a few. But of course, innovations in warfare would drastically increase the killing potential of weapons. On the other hand, education progressively became available to the poor.

On balance, the Industrial Revolution drastically improved the quality of life of a nation's populace in ways hitherto never seen before. But did produce entirely new swathes of problems for society to tackle issues like child labor, poor air quality, and disease.Economic necessity of many women, single and married, led to the need for them to find waged work outside their home. Most of their occupation included domestic service, textile factories, and workshops Some would even work in the coal mines. For some, the Industrial Revolution provided independent wages, mobility and a better standard of living. For the majority, however, factory work in the early years of the 19th century resulted in a life of hardship.