Hard times- Charles Dickens
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great technological changes. It revolutionized everything from the way people lived to where they worked, but what people often overlook is how ordinary people went through their day-to-day lives. In the book "Hard Times," Charles Dickens has well-built characters to represent the complexity of each social class. From the arrogance of the aristocracy to the struggle of common workers to survive all the hardships they had to endure, Charles Dickens was able to personify the different social classes as they worked their way through the Industrial Revolution. Although the upper class was one of the smallest of classes, it was not forgotten. It was strongly portrayed by two characters: Mr. James Harthouse and Mrs. Sparsit. James Harthouse was so well off in life that he had no need at all to work. He was able to idle away all time without a care. "This gentleman...who had tried life as a Coronet of Dragoons, and found it a bore; and had afterwards tried it in the train of an English minister abroad, and found it a bore; and had then strolled to Jerusalem, and got bored there; and had then gone yachting about the world, and got bored everywhere." This boredom was a commo
All of the plight that the characters of "Hard Times" endured throughout the whole of the book was in fact what real people went through in the Industrial Revolution. The character which best symbolizes the lower working classes is Stephen Blackpool. He is also framed for bank robbery, and on his way back to Coketown to prove his innocence he falls down a mineshaft and is killed. Since Harthouse did not have to work a laboring ten hour work day he had no way to occupy himself, thus he went from place to place to satisfy his need for entertainment. She acted snobbish to those of a lower class than her and despised the efforts of union workers, just as all upper-classman usually did. This action is another perfect example of how James Harthouse characterizes the upper class. Bounderby made up an elaborate lie just to gain acceptance and admiration from his peers and to those above him. As it was, Bounderby's character had in fact been brought up in a proper household, not in a ditch by himself. Sparsit was one of the more sparse characters, she still is a fine example of the aristocracy in the Industrial Revolution.
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