Charles
Dickens was born in 1812 in Portsmouth, but in his early years moved to London
because of his father’s critical economic situation. In fact, at the age of
twelve he was withdrawn from school and forced to work in a blacking factory.
This experience marked him for life and influenced all his works. When his
father’s economic situations improved, he continued his studies, became a
journalist and published 14 successful novels, among which Oliver Twist, David
Copperfield, Great Expectations, Hard Times and A Christmas Carol.
HARD TIMES: It tells the story of a school teacher, Thomas
Grangrind, a citizen of Coketown, who believes on the importance of
utilitarianism, reason and calculation; he is very rational and narrow minded.
He has two children: Louisa and Tom, who
he raises, trying to suffocate every tendency to imagination. He does the same
with his students: he considers them as numbers and pitchers which he has to
fill with information and knowledge. (Sissy, whose father is a circus
keeper). His daughter married an old and
rich factory owner, as her father wanted, but has an un happy marriage. She is
distracted by another man, Mr Bounderby, but when he tries to seduce her, she
runs to her father asking for help. In that moment Mr. Grandgreed understands
that his life of facts and figures is a non sense and decides to change. The novel
represents an open criticism to the
effects of the industrial society: materialism and utilitarianism.
Utilitarianism is an economical and social current based on utility, which didn't pay attention to other human qualities such as imagination, generosity and altruism.
Utilitarianism is an economical and social current based on utility, which didn't pay attention to other human qualities such as imagination, generosity and altruism.
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Coketown: Name:
(coal+town=industrial city) – red bricks covered in black ashes and smoke –
machinery and tall chimneys - canal polluted by dye – very noisy – everything
the same – monotonous.
- Style:
Dicken’s style is inimitable: he manages to create a comic effect, by
exaggerating his characters’ issues and flaws and captures the rhythm of
different types of speech. The descriptions of the environments are very
accurate and each landscape is a symbol of the type of life it represents, for
example, Coketown represents the both
spiritual and effectual poverty of the working classes. Dickens also creates
connections between the different social classes, for example in the
description of Coketown, he describes a rich woman whose wealth depends upon
the poor industrial workers, but she prefers not to think about them.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL:
Ebenezer Scrooge is an old miser who lives for money. On Christmas eve,
his old partner's ghost revisits him and tells him to be ready to meet 3 ghosts
one every hour who will teach him the errors of his ways. The first ghost is
the ghost of Christmas past, who shows Ebenezer his childhood days and his old
flame (Emily.) The 2nd ghost is the ghost of Christmas present, who shows him
his present life: he only thinks about money and working, he has no wife and he
is rude, unfriendly and very mean. The third ghost is the ghost of Christmas
yet to come/future. He shows Ebenezer his own funeral, which will look like a
party, because people will be happy for his death. Ebenezer wakes up to find he
has a very different outlook on life and that he no longer has a need for money
but instead family and friends. He visits all his family and makes it a Christmas
to remember.
