Themes
What theme critiques an education system that values statistics and facts over things like emotion and imagination
Conflict between facts and imagination
Dickens creates this tone towards the factory owners and overall utilitarian thinking
Comedic/ satirical
This character represents strict Utilitarian values and an obsession with facts
Thomas Gradgrind
This philosophy promotes "the greatest good for the greatest number"
Utilitarianism
This fictional town of Coketown represents the major 19th century development
industrialization
This theme shows how harsh systems in society can harm people. Mainly growing children and workers.
Social injustice
Dickens uses this tone to emphasize people suffering in this society
Somber
Gradgrinds daughter, raised without imagination and emotion, struggles because of her upbringing
Louisa Grandgrind
Gradgrind believes this should be the foundation of education and society
Facts
Industrialization contributes to harsh working conditions for this social class
Working class
The story shows how it can be detrimental to one's health to suppress emotions and imagination.
Emotional suppression
This tone appears when we realize the moral failures of Gradgrinds method of life
Critical
This factory owner embodies industrial cruelty and lack of empathy
Josiah Bounderby
Dickens criticizes Utilitarianism by showing how is neglects this human quality
Empathy
Dickens portrays industrial cities as places lacking this essential human element
Warmth or humanity
The story offers a harsh contrast to normal human life, with cold and harsh logic and reason compared to compassion and comfort
Humanity vs Rationalism
The tone Dickens uses when exposing the hypocrisy of Bounderby's "self made" story is this
Mocking
This circus worker represents imagination, kindness, and moral integrity
Sissy Jupe
Bounderby uses utilitarianism ideas to justify this treatment of workers
Dickens critiques how industrialization priorities profit over this
Human well being
The overall theme of the story that argues people cannot thrive without emotions, imagination, and creativity.
The need for compassion and imagination in life
Dickens uses this tone when describing Coketown's identical streets and repetitive routines
Monotonous
This characters downfall highlights the consequences of denying emotional needs
Lousia Gradgrind
Dickens shows that utilitarianism falls because it ignores emotional and moral complexity favor of this
Rationality
Industrialization creates a clear divide between factory owners and this group
Laborers.