It is said that every life has its roses and thorns there seemed, however, to have been a misadventure or mistake in Stephens case, whereby somebody else had become possessed of his roses, and he had become possessed of somebody elses thorns in addition to his own.Published originally in weekly installments, Hard Times is focusing on Mr Gradgrinds flawed model of upbringing and its lifelong impact on the wellbeing and destinies of his children. The novel, in fact, follows two opposing ways an individual can be formed. On the one hand, there is Tom and Louisa whose numerous misfortunes are predetermined by their fathers insistence on knowing bare facts without reaching for the substance. They are illequipped for the real world and, as a result, Louisa suffers emotionally having had a marriage of convenience, while Tom intentionally devises to incriminate another for his own misdeed. On the other hand, there is Mr Gradgrinds student Sissy, whose guardian he becomes upon her fathers disappearance. Despite Mr Grandgrinds scorn, she approaches things with a genuine sensibility that helps her to lead a happier and more fulfilled life. The readers are prompted to ponder throughout the novel whether Mr Gradgrind will eventually acknowledge his failure as a parent.Hard Times is an unusually short novel for Dickens and the only one not to feature London scenes. Instead, it is set in the North and beside addressing the issues of education, it also exposes the harsh daily living...

Binding: Paperback;336 pages; Publisher: Legend Press Ltd; Classification: FC; Weight: 364 g; Dimensions: 199 x 130 x 21

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