Charles Dickens Facts

320 Words2 Pages
Authors generally rely on their narrators to communicate to readers a desired attitude toward characters. This disclosure is often essential for understanding the meaning of the work as a whole. In this excerpt from Charles Dickens’ Hard Times, the speaker emphasizes the importance of “Facts” to a school-room full of children. The passage being with dialogue from the speaker in which he uses the word “Facts” five times in only seven sentences. The narrator conveys his disinterest in the speaker through the use of square imagery and dry diction. Following the speaker’s introductory monologue, the narrator analyzes his appearance, comparing every aspect of him to a square. “Square coat, square legs, square shoulders,” demonstrate how boring