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Hard Times Critical Lens

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“Parents wonder why the streams are bitter, when they themselves have poisoned the fountain” - John Locke. Parents have the largest effect on their children the good and the bad but sometimes parents are blinded by difference between them. Parents always want success for their children and are willing to do things to ensure that and sometimes they believe the end result justifies the means. Within Book 1 of Hard Times, Charles Dickens shows the idea that Gradgrind will do anything to make sure Louisa and Thomas will succeed even keeping them away from happiness and reality. Dickens's’ sows the idea that Gradgrind will do anything to make sure Louisa and Thomas will succeed even keep them away from reality. Gradgrind believes reality is leaving imagination and free thought away from Louisa and …show more content…

Happiness happens when you’re doing something you like. Gradgrind takes away happiness in Louisa and Thomas and given then a one way path in life that they didn’t really pick themselves. For example Thomas he doesn’t like where he is in life and feels the only way to cure that is the leave the roof of his father. “I am sick of my life, Loo. I hate it altogether...I am a Donkey, that’s what I am. I am as obstinate as one, I am more stupid than one, I get as much pleasure as one, and I should like to kick like one.8.43” Thomas refers to himself as a donkey because he believes he’s nothing he no more than a donkey just following order from his father. Thomas isn’t happy living under his father but Gradgrind believes he’s setting up him up to work for Ms. Bounderby, sending him to work for Bounderby with no choice Gradgrind believes he’s doing what's best for Thomas success and doesn’t care if Thomas would actually like to work for Ms. Bounderby which he doesn’t really like. Gradgrind doesn’t see happiness for Thomas only

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Happiness is something humans have been pursuing for centuries. The quest for happiness is so cemented in the minds of human beings that it has been used as a method of control, and as a weapon against others. Humans are moths, ever drawn to the distant flame of joy. Over the past year I have learned much about this pursuit that has plagued humans for millennia. Pieces of literature like The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men and The Devil and Tom Walker all explore this pursuit in unique and diverse ways.

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