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The 'terrible mistake' was the contemporary utilitarian philosophy, expounded in Hard Times as the Philosophy of Fact by the hard-headed disciplinarian Thomas Gradgrind. But the novel, Dickens's shortest, is more than a polemical tract for the times; the tragic story of Louisa Gradgrind and her father is one of Dickens's triumphs. When Louisa, trapped in a loveless marriage, falls prey to an idle seducer, the crisis forces her father to reconsider his cherished system. Yet even as the development of the story reflects Dickens's growing pessimism about human nature and society, Hard Times marks his return to the theme which had made his early works so popular: the amusements of the people. Sleary's circus represents Dickens's most considered defence of the necessity of entertainment, and infuses the novel with the good humour which has ensured its appeal to generations of readers.
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Fiction, Social problems, Utilitarianism, Education, Social life and customs, Social conditions, Married people, Industrial revolution, Problèmes sociaux, Conditions sociales, Romans, nouvelles, Mœurs et coutumes, Criticism and interpretation, Hard times (Dickens, Charles), Manners and customs, Aufsatzsammlung, Hard times (Dickens), British and irish fiction (fictional works by one author), Fiction, political, Fiction, family life, England, fiction, Dickens, charles, 1812-1870, Large type books, Fiction, family life, general, Education, fiction, Social problems, fiction, Children's fiction, Fiction, general, Utilitatianism, English literature, Married people, fiction, England -- Fiction, Domestic fiction, Social problems -- Fiction, Utilitarianism -- Fiction, Education -- Fiction, Political fiction, Social sciences, Psychology, Révolution industrielle, Dickens, charles , 1812-1870, Social problems--fiction, Pr4561.a2 f67 1990, 823/.8, British and irish drama (dramatic works by one author), Adaptations, English language, English language, textbooks for foreign speakersPeople
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)Places
Manchester, England, Great Britain, Angleterre, Northern EnglandTimes
19th century, 19e siècleShowing 17 featured editions. View all 1030 editions?
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Hard Times: An Authoritative Text, Contexts, Criticism
2017, Norton & Company Limited, W. W.
in English
0393284387 9780393284386
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Dickens scathing portrait of Victorian industrial society and its misapplied utilitarian philosophy, Hard Times features schoolmaster Thomas Gradgrind, one of his most richly dimensional, memorable characters. Filled with the details and wonders of small-town life, it is also a daring novel of ideas and ultimately, a celebration of love, hope, and limitless possibilities of the imagination.
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January 14, 2023 | Edited by Lisa | Merge works |
September 10, 2014 | Edited by Jessamyn West | undo merge authors |
September 10, 2014 | Edited by Jessamyn West | undo merge authors |
December 14, 2012 | Edited by VacuumBot | Updated format 'eBook' to 'E-book'; Removed author from Edition (author found in Work) |
June 23, 2010 | Created by ImportBot | Imported from marc_overdrive MARC record |