Concetti Chiave
- Hard Times by Dickens is a social protest novel set in the Victorian era, a time of significant industrial and societal change.
- The novel critiques utilitarianism, highlighting the unhappiness in the industrial town of Coketown despite the era's advancements.
- Dickens uses a direct third-person omniscient narrator, engaging readers with exaggerated realism through symbolic, metaphorical, and allegorical language.
- Key themes include the mechanization and dehumanization of society, social mobility, and the conflict between rationality and spirituality.
- Critics like Orwell and George Bernard Shaw noted Dickens's ability to fiercely critique society without inciting hatred, contrasting him with revolutionaries like Marx.
Hard Times, Dickens
Dickens has wrote Hard Times during Victorian age that was an age of continual change: there was made a lot of reform, it was a period of great industrialization and expansion in every field (urbanization, economy, colonization…), it also was an age of achievement in science, technology and medicine, there was improvement in government and development in literature, moreover this age was featured by struggle for independence in many counties but also laboring class rose in power and prosperity.
Hard Times-wrote in 1854- is a novel of social protest, it is a bitter denunciation to the people of that time and the main theme is utilitarianism which is a thought for that the more people are happier the more is good what make people happy.
The story is set in Coketown that is imaginary industrial town during the period of the industrial revolution: this means Coketown is a grey city in which people anren’t definitely happy because they do always the same things.
The style is featured of a direct third person omniscient narrator; the reader is called directly into the novel with the use of “you/let’s”; there is an apparent realism due to the use of many descriptive adjectives but the narration isn’t objective because it is exaggerated, indeed exaggeration is given by repetition of phrases, words or concepts and quality of adjectives; it is also important a large use of symbolism, metaphors and similes and allegories which have a biblical connotation.
Talking about narrative mode there is a large use of dialogue, many descriptions and narrations, but also understatement (satire) and humor.
The main themes are universal ideas explored: the mechanization and dehumanization of man in the industrial society and alienation; rationality and calculation against fancy and spirituality; social mobility; poverty and laziness; need for social compassion and charity; mechanized time against natural time.
Orwell in “Rebelliousness” said that Dickens attach English society with ferocity but without made himself being hated. Moreover George Bernard said that the difference between Marx and Dickens is that Marx knew he was a revolutionist, Dickens did not.
Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Cuál es el tema principal de "Hard Times" de Dickens?
- ¿Cómo se caracteriza el estilo narrativo de "Hard Times"?
- ¿Qué dijo George Bernard sobre la diferencia entre Marx y Dickens?
El tema principal de "Hard Times" es el utilitarismo, que se centra en la idea de que cuanto más felices son las personas, mejor es aquello que las hace felices. La novela es una protesta social y una denuncia amarga de la sociedad de la época victoriana.
El estilo narrativo de "Hard Times" se caracteriza por un narrador omnisciente en tercera persona que se dirige directamente al lector. Utiliza un realismo aparente con muchos adjetivos descriptivos, pero la narración es exagerada. También se emplean simbolismo, metáforas, símiles y alegorías con connotaciones bíblicas.
George Bernard señaló que la diferencia entre Marx y Dickens es que Marx sabía que era un revolucionario, mientras que Dickens no lo sabía.
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