Characters Representing Fact or Fancy: The Key-Note.
Which Unveils Humanity Throughout history there have been many classic works of literature which demand the respect and attention of the public. However, there is a somewhat less well-known novel which deserves equal attention, Hard Times by Charles Dickens. This short novel is perhaps Dickens most thought provoking work and captures the sentiment of his time. Within this story there is a combating theme of fact versus fancy and the characters reveal the soul of humanity by the extremes of their situations. The backdrop of the novel, the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, provides the perfect setting for the conflicting ways of life. It is in this epitome of climatic sociological change that we are able to find the true heart of man.
In order to understand the true meaning of Charles Dickens Hard Times, one must know the history of the age and the tribulations of the era. Charles Dickens lived during a period of rapid growth in industry. Unfortunately, this growth was at the expense of the people. The Industrial Revolution was a critical period for the entire.
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world. While its products were economically beneficial, the soul of humanity was in the hands of a machine. It was during this era that Dickens created a novel which, lash[es] out against political and economic policies that ignored generosity and tolerance (Yancey 95). Dickens characters are illustrated to be extremes of the fanciful optimists and the factual realists of society. Through this contrast he is able to portray the human plight his generation was faced with; whether to be controlled by the monotonous machine of industrialization or rebel and live life according to your emotions.
The blatant division between fact and fancy is prevalent throughout the course of the novel and it dictates the actions and emotions, or lack there of, of the characters.
