Hard Times by Charles Dickens (preloved)

Hard Times by Charles Dickens is a novella that critiques the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and utilitarianism in Victorian England. Set in the fictional town of Coketown, the story focuses on Thomas Gradgrind, a strict, no-nonsense educator who emphasizes “facts” and practicality above all else. He imposes his rigid philosophy on his children, as well as on the students of his school, stifling creativity and emotion.

The novel follows several characters, including Gradgrind’s children, Louisa and Tom, as they struggle with the emotional and moral consequences of his philosophy. Through the contrasting characters of the kind-hearted circus performer Sissy Jupe and the hardened businessman Josiah Bounderby, Dickens explores themes of social inequality, the clash between reason and imagination, and the consequences of a system that values only efficiency and profit.

Hard Times is a sharp critique of the industrial revolution’s impact on individuals and society, focusing on the loss of empathy and human connection in a world dominated by facts and cold logic.