If you're reading this, please read my plan? It's quite a long plan and I would like to know your opinion as to what else I might add into the essay.
Your advice is much appreciated!!
Topic: ‘Gradgrind’s assertion that self-interest guides the interactions of human beings is one of the main themes of Hard Times.’ Discuss.
Yes, it is one of the central themes, but Dickens conveys that compassion and humanity in society is what is important in relationships.
Why is it central? It is related to other themes, such as industrialisation, fact and fancy, class differences.
Contention: Yes it is, because it links directly to other issues which Dickens expresses his views such as Fact and Fancy, social class differences, industrialisation.
PARA 1Link to Fact and Fancy: Gradgrind teaches his students and children only facts, to ensure their success in a utilitarian world where it is a game of the survival of the fittest. “You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them.” Thus self-interest guides the actions of all the characters. For example, Tom and his manipulation of Louisa to finance his hobbies. Bitzer and his cruelty to his mother, putting her in a workhouse, buying only a small box of tea each year for her and his capture of Tom. “The whole social system is a question of self-interest.”
PARA 2
Link to industrialisation: Bounderby’s callous and ruthless attitude towards the workers; his cruel exploitation of them. Workers in 19th century England were subject to horrific living conditions, where overcrowding and grime led them to contract deadly diseases. Furthermore, water was often contaminated and a toilet would need to be shared. Children’s innocence was completely destroyed. Child labourers were often overworked and whipped by their overseers. Burned limbs, broken bones as a result of working with machinery. Bounderby cannot encourage imagination, as it may cause the workers to draw unfavourable comparisons between their lives and that of their masters. Thus, for his own self-interested goals (profit), he denies workers of recreation and entertainment; he frames a story of him being a self-made man to justify his treatment of the workers. His treatment of Stephen and his dismissal because he refuses to spy on the unions. “See how we die an no need, one way an another, in a muddle – everyday!” and the accidents that occurred were frequent, “she died, young and misshapen, awlung o’ sickly air as had’n no need to be, an awlung o’ working people’s miserable homes.” This is evidence of child labour. Relationship between rich and poor were often like this; class differences.
PARA 3
Dickens disapproved of self-interest; he wanted there to be more humanity and love in society. He supports the speech by Sleary, “There ith a love in the world, not all Thelf-intereth after all, but thomething very different”. Dickens shows this to be true through Sissy. Sissy keeps her bottle of nine-oils for her father as a token that he will one day come back for her. This directly relates to christian values of Faith, Hope and Charity. Through Sissy’s helpful nature, willing to help anyone in distress and need and her motherly nature, Dickens shows us the horror of acting out of self-interest; these people are neither loved nor cherished, e.g. Bounderby’s death; people squabbled over his estate and inheritance. Complete lack of compassion in examples such as Bounderby’s bluntness about Sissy’s father: blunt to the point of cruelty. He urges us to think with compassion, like Sissy, who ultimately is the only happy character of Hard Times. Dickens conveys that compassion comes through development of the imagination, which Gradgrind strives against. Sleary is correct, “People mutht be amuthed. They can’t be alwayth a learning, nor yet they can’t be alwayth a working, they an’t made for it.”
Thanks heapssss!
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