“What is the “inhumane spirit” that Dickens warned of, and who (in the story) does Dickens hold most responsible for harming society.
Facts is the inhume spirit that dickens warned about. School children were taught only facts thereby limiting their imagination and inventiveness height and turning them to robots that were being manufactured to work in the mill factories. Utilitarian theory is used to drudge the facts ruling out fancy and imagination in people’s lives hence bringing with it unsatisfactory and damaging results. Fancy is a constructive substitute to the values of facts, and it is a significance that a community must have in wits so that they can thrive and be cheerful (Dickens, 23). Dickens maintains that fact and fancy must work together in order for the society to thrive.
The Utilitarian philosophers led by Gradgrind are held most responsible for harming society by Charles dickens since they believed that life should be lived according to logic and facts only not insight or thoughts. Gradgrind fed his children on facts (Dickens, 23). He tells Mr. Choakumchild to teach only facts at school and to root out everything else. He argues that you can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon facts.
The successful people used their wealth to control the poor. The prosperous people would divorce their wives but the poor were not allowed to do so. Bounderby uses his money to divorce Louisa and when he is consulted by Stephens for existence of any law that could help him divorce his wife, he tells him to accept his miserable marriage since it requires money.
Do you agree or disagree with his assessment of Victorian society? Use specific examples from the book to discuss Dickens’ thesis and the degree to which society has addressed many of the concerns raised in the book.
I agree with dickens assessment of Victoria society since his stand towards a better life was later recognized by those against it. Gradgrind assumed that Utilitarian philosophy, logical facts was the best way to rule people’s way of living .He applied this to his children thinking that they would have a successful life. Louisa marriage with Boundrby, whom she married in spite of not loving him, did not work out. Louisa is divorced and never marries again. Tom had stolen money from Bounderbys bank .This made Gradgrind learn the failure of educating his children in facts and excluding fancy from their lives and this makes him admits that he was unsuccessful. His method of teaching shatters, but he realizes that it can be extended into something better with the help of fancy incorporated in the system.
Jane prospers as a result of good guidance at stone lodge .Sissy gets married and leads a prosperous life since she is able to combine facts and fantasy
Work cited
Dickens, Charles, Hard Times Champaign III: Project Gutenberg, 1999. Print.
