Hard times
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HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. 'It
was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the
smoke and ashes had allowed it; but as matters stood, it was a town of
unnatural red and black like the painted face of a savage.' Set in
fictitious Coketown, England during the Industrial Revolution of the
1850s, Dickens wished to expose the enormous gulf between the rich and
poor through his writing. In Hard Times, the social and moral purpose of
his work is at its most evident. Openly ironic and satirical in its
tone, Dickens suggests a mechanization of society, where the wealthy are
ruthless and uncharitable towards those less fortunate than themselves. Siblings
Louisa and Tom Gradgrind are raised by their father, a harsh and
pragmatic educator and his influence means that they go on to lead lives
that are lacking in all areas. Louisa marries the arrogant and greedy
Josiah Bounderby, ending in an unhappy pairing and the unfeeling and
villainous Tom robs his own brother-in-law's bank. As their father
watches their plight, he realises that his own principles may have led
to their downfall.
