Idea of the Industrial Revolution in Hard Times: Critical Analysis

The industrial revolution was a pivotal point in time during the Victorian age, perhaps even one of the most compelling chapters in English history. The writers of the day drew increasingly urgent attention to the condition of England and the working-class Charles Dickens introduced Hard Times and the idea of the industrial revolution as the mechanization of human beings. Although the nation gloried in unrivaled prosperity as a result of the industrial revolution, several key writers: Charles Dickens, and outside sources such as Richard D. Altick, viewed this prosperity in a different light: as the mechanization of human beings when it came to the lives of workers themselves.

The Industrial Revolution brought about an organic system where the rich stayed rich, and the poor remained poor. The industrial revolution should have brought about progress and prosperity to improve people’s life but unfortunately, humans’ lives were affected in many strenuous ways. Men were a part of the organic system in that they would go to work in the factories and produce power in mills and were expected to commit themselves under harsh conditions for long hours, for very little pay. The exploitation of workers was evident by the wealthy, and the wealthy were only interested in becoming wealthier whilst disregarding human morals and principles. Industrialism leads to the mechanization of workers through practical beliefs and misguided Utilitarianism. Workers during this era were oppressed and treated more like objects rather than people. This is shown in Dicken's Hard Times through several characters. In Hard Times, Charles Dickens explores the dark underside of Victorian prosperity when he depicts the devastating effects of utilitarian philosophy on the lives of the characters, both in the workplace and in the schools.

Charles Dicken’s Hard Times is a novel depicting the harsh realities of nineteenth-century England. Through several characters, Dickens exemplifies the heartache caused by the dehumanization of factory workers or “White Slaves” - as Annie Besant referenced - with the adoption of industrialization. Dehumanization seemed to be a reoccurring theme throughout the Victorian era, this was demonstrated in Hard Times through Gradgrind who argues that everything must be rational and rely on the facts. Portrayed through the Gradgrind children there was no room for dreams and creativity they were somewhat uniform and untouched by pleasure according to their father. This theme is also portrayed through Stephen Blackpool, a character in Hard Times who remained relentless during labor disputes and maintained his morality and wholeness until his death.

According to Warrington Winters, it seems obvious that Dickens’ sole purpose in his novel was to expose the Gradgrinds school of utilitarianism, which advocated, facts over fancy, determination, and a head-over-heart attitude to life. The process of the mechanization of society in Dicken's Hard Times started with the educational system and Thomas Gradgrind’s system of facts being the only way to learn. Gradgrind is portrayed as “a man of facts and calculations.” Mr. Gradgrind perceives his identity as “an eminently practical” man which shows that nothing is more important to him than facts which shows how individuals were dehumanized during the industrial age and showed no imagination or reason in their thinking. This further demonstrates the educational philosophy in Britain during this time as children are taught only facts and discouraged to use imagination. This philosophy shows that the system is very particular and is a means to influence children and further change society. Gradgrind is essentially indoctrinating society and making sure workers do not challenge the system. Gradgrind said “Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else and root out everything else” this shows that when you implement the facts during childhood, they become rooted and engraved in a child’s thinking and therefore they do not proceed to challenge the system in the future. The idea of mechanization is portrayed through Gradgrinds attitudes and the way he educates his school. Louisa Gradgrind was one of the major victims to the school’s fact-orientated system and oppressive instructions. Louisa’s father demands she doesn’t use her imagination and scolds her for peeping in on a circus as it isn’t based on facts but rather the fancy he is so against. Here, Dickens shows issues of the system of prevailing education in the industrial revolution during the nineteenth century. This was the foundation of making humans more like machines, by containing their emotions and concealing their imagination.

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Progressing from education into the workforce individuals continue to be mechanized and this was shown in Hard Times. Workers must stay in their daily motion, not complain and remain under the control off the capitalist society. Dickens referenced English economist Adam Smith, who promoted the idea of a “laissez-faire” policy, which meant that the economy and society would naturally produce solutions to problems and therefore the working class shouldn’t seek to unionize or challenge businesses because they would be replaced and out of a job. Dickens was showing not only industrial society but the mechanization of society and the lack of a utilitarian approach, disregarding an individual's morals, which is essentially what makes a person human. Through the character of Bounderby Dickens portrays the treatment of factory workers as Bounderby refers to them as “replaceable objects” among the factory equipment designed for exploitation. By calling the factory workers objects’ Bounderby further objectifies them and gives them less of human identity and individuality. K.J. Fielding said “Bounderby view that the factories might as well be thrown into the Atlantic if their owners have to bear the expense of protecting their own workers” which interprets another way industrial workers were oppressed and not cared for by their employer.

Factory workers were very mistreated and, in most cases, not treated like humans. Annie Besant notes the factory workers in the eye of their masters as “white wage slaves,” this is similar to Dicken's Hard Times where the factory workers were referred to as “hands.” Annie Besant, like Dickens, was a British social reformer. Besant discusses how workers were treated with injustice and this is a reoccurring factor in the industrialization era. She was passionate about women’s rights and the working conditions of women during the industrial revolution. In an article she gives a clear image of how workers were treated quoting; One girl was fined 1s. for letting the web twist around a machine in the endeavor to save her fingers from being cut, and was sharply told to take care of the machine, “never mind your fingers” (Raw 2012). The company the girl is working for Bryant & May paid workers very little for their services whilst handing out a considerable amount to shareholders. This story from Besant further portrays the ideas of how masters are controlling over their workers and demand they take care of the machine above anything else, including their health. Richard D. Altick further supports the claim of ‘injustice towards factory workers’ and infact states that “The worker or “hand,” became no more than a name on a wage sheet” (254) suggesting the further disregard for workers. Altick then argued, “The machine’s omnipresence and man’s physical subjection to it had a psychic effect on people” (245) suggesting that individuals have machine like qualities throughout the Victoria age, so much so that man and machine tended to go hand in hand with each other.

The industrial revolution brought about harsh conditions in England in not only the factories but also the home, which in turn prevented the work class to challenge the system as everyone had the same routine and valued their job – if they were lucky enough to have a job – and therefore prevented anyone from unionizing. Patricia Johnson said that “Dickens metonymically reproduces the system in its harnessing and control of energy, rather than the free release of it.” The working class were in a system that wasn’t easy to escape or change. The poor were expected to go to “ragged schools” as referred to by Altick where they received basic elementary schooling and industrial training which didn’t create equality between the poor and the upper class. The industrial revolution brought about the apparent problem of overpopulation, pollution and the spread of multiple diseases which eliminated the working class. In Hard Times Dickens criticizes the harsh living conditions of the working class in Coketown. Individuals were oppressed, exploited and living in desperation. Utilitarianism during the nineteenth century applies mechanization of both society's and individuals’ minds. Henry Mayhew gave a voice to London’s poor and portrayed their restrictive lifestyle through “From London Labour and the London Poor.” Mayhew gives further evidence to the harsh living conditions of England from a young boy who explains ‘I often have suffered from cold and hunger. I never made more than 3d. a-day in money… but I am a poor boy out of work and starving.’ Besides Dicken's Hard Times, Mayhew interviewed workers and street folk and depicted the life of the poor which showed how the working class were expected to live life the same and not challenge the system - laissez-faire – and therefore become dehumanized within society as they show no personal identity.

In Hard Times the aristocracy profited, and the laboring class was exploited. The Victorian era was very complicated, to say the least, and whilst it did bring a progressive age for Britain it also came with plenty of evil, especially for the working-class British society. Hard Times portrayed the idea that relationships between the characters are not humanitarian at all and masters exploited their works “the end justifies the means” idea comes into play here. From reading this paper it is evident that the changes that stemmed from the industrial revolution were predominantly human and social programs rather than economic. In Hard Times, factory workers are treated like machines themselves and were shown no respect, the children in the education system were regarded as ‘calculating machines,’ and taught how to present themselves in society providing no room for originality and personality which was further shown in the home through several writers.