Hard Times Research Paper

Victorian Times In 1854, " Hard Times" by Charles Dickens was published it had been his 10th novel published, but unlike the others, it had been the shortest only being about a quarter compared to the size of the others. Hard Times was a novel that focused on capitalist mill owners and undervalued workers during the Victorian era. He sent a portion of the novel discussing the work conditions and abuse towards children during the Victorian Times years being 1830 to 1900. The Victorian era was the period when Queen Victoria reigned from June 1837 until her death January 1907.

Brittan had very little care or remorse for children during that time. Children for needy families were seen as income. Parents would have 10 or more children to generate

Factory owners paid them less and bossed of odd jobs because they were younger, children work underfed depending on the position they were given so that they were able to perform without complications, although some of them died due to malnutrition. Children were forced to work in filthy and harsh conditions because they were considered cheap labor. None of the children had a say in working because they were forced to by their parents. Children were sexually abused and often left as orphans by poor parents or alcoholic parents.

Jobs given to children were mining, factory work, street sweep, clothing and hat making, chimney sweeping, farming, textile mills, servants and sometimes prostitution. Orphans are often called "street children" prostituted to support themselves. Orphans were sold into slavery or kidnapped for labor until they were too old to perform the task they were assigned. The three primary jobs given to children of low-income families and orphan children between the ages of 4 and 17 years old were coal mining, chimney sweeping, and factory and textile

A job that could have easily been done by sticking a broom into a chimney. Children were assigned this job as early as three years old because of their size. They usually were easy to fit inside the chimney. However, their size did not exclude them from working under harsh conditions. For children first beginning chimney sweeps, the job was excruciating. While being lowered into the chimney, they would scrape their arms, legs, elbows, and knees leaving them raw and skinless from the walls. The treatment of the wounds was water and salt, and after being rinsed with it, the children were sent back into another chimney to clean. Children were left doing chimney work sometimes resorting them to get stuck inside without anyone knowing being left to die alone from smoke inhalation and exposure. I can't imagine what went through their innocent minds and young hearts. Bosses would underfeed the children, so they were able to fit in the chimneys, but once the child turned about 9 or 10, they were often too big to perform the responsibilities of the