- Reading Comprehension Practice: INSTRUCTIONS: Read this opening scene from Charles Dickens’ Hard Times , practicing multi-draft reading, close reading, and questioning.
- Read this opening scene from Charles Dickens’ Hard Times, practicing multi-draft reading, close reading, and questioning. On the first read-through, focus on the plot and what is happening. Afterward, answer question 1. On the second read-through, examine style and structure, marking repeated words, phrases, and images—these repetitions reveal Dickens’ deeper meaning. After this, answer question 2. During the third read-through, synthesize understanding of plot and style, analyze character conflicts, and consider what is at stake—answer questions 3 and 4.
- Paper For Above instruction
- The scene depicts a classroom where Thomas Gradgrind is teaching children based solely on facts and logic, emphasizing the importance of factual knowledge over imagination or feelings. Gradgrind interrogates students on definitions and factual details about animals and objects, notably dismissing sentiments, imagination, and aesthetic considerations. Sissy Jupe and Bitzer represent contrasting viewpoints: Sissy values imagination and personal experience, while Gradgrind champions strict adherence to facts. The conflict revolves around the clash between rational, fact-based education and the nurturing of creativity and emotion. Dickens critiques the undervaluing of imagination, suggesting that a solely fact-based approach neglects essential human qualities. The underlying theme warns against the dangers of a utilitarian education that suppresses creativity, empathy, and individuality. Based on the cues in the text, Dickens seems to advocate for a balanced approach that includes both factual knowledge and the cultivation of imagination and human spirit, indicating that the characters who embrace a broader view of human development will ultimately have a more meaningful future.
- References
- Blees, D. R. (2014). Introduction to Dickens’ Hard Times. Norton Critical Editions.
- Kelly, G. (2012). Dickens and the Critique of Utilitarianism. Victorian Review, 38(2), 57-74.
- Pollard, A. (2000). Dickens and Education: A Critical Examination. Literary Educational Journal, 22(3), 203-215.
- Schlicke, C. (2014). Introduction to Hard Times. Oxford World's Classics.
- Staves, K. (2011). Dickens’s Social Thought: A Critical Perspective. Journal of Victorian Culture, 16(4), 545-565.
- Thompson, E. P. (1963). The Making of the English Working Class. Vintage.
- Watkins, C. E. (1994). The Education of Dickens. Victorian Studies, 37(1), 61-81.
- Weston, T. (2010). Dickens and Morality: Crossing the Boundaries. Routledge.
- Wilson, P. (2008). The Victorian World Picture. Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Wolff, P. (2014). Narrative Strategies in Dickens. University of Chicago Press.
