Hard Times is a novel by the English author Charles Dickens, first published in 1854. It centers around the life of the Sissy Jupe, an uneducated young girl living in Victorian England with her father, and her experiences working in a factory. While the novel has been praised for its vivid characterization and powerful social criticism, many readers may be wondering why Dickens chose to write this particular story.
One of the main reasons why Charles Dickens wrote Hard Times was to make a statement about the difficult circumstances faced by many people during Victorian England. As a self-proclaimed social critic, he wanted to bring attention to inequality and exploitation in industrial cities like Coketown—where much of the action in Hard Times takes place—which were often driven by greed and neglect from wealthy landowners. He also sought to draw attention to the plight of those who had been forced into unskilled manual labor due to their lack of education and resources.
Another important theme running through Hard Times is the importance of education. Throughout the novel, Dickens emphasizes how ignorance leads people into poverty while knowledge breeds opportunity and security. This is seen most clearly through Sissy Jupe’s character arc as she learns valuable lessons from books like Robinson Crusoe which help her overcome hardships such as being bullied by other workers at Bounderby’s factory. Furthermore, Dickens uses his characters to demonstrate how essential it is for individuals to maintain their human dignity despite life’s adversities.
